Putting the house and gardens to bed for the winter seems like nesting to me. Because we invite family to celebrate Thanksgiving here, I tend to do the equivalent of Spring cleaning to prepare. I’ve had a lot of help so far.
My favorite painter has come to paint the soffits and fascia. I didn’t realize how badly in need we were of sprucing up around the outside of the house. It looks brand new once again!
The next helper up to bat was the landscaper who helps me put the gardens to bed. Without him things would look really rough through out the winter, and it would be a MESS to clean up in the Spring, just when the gardens should be at their peak.
I have help with the floors and bathrooms, but this is the time of year I take down and wash screens, and wash inside windows. This week, we’ll see the man who does the outside windows, the chandelier, and the high windows inside. It’s always nice when they sparkle and let in more light.
It’s time to think about baseboards and cupboards and pantries and closets. I have a basket of ironing to do when there’s something I want to watch on TV, and I’ve been reorganizing my studio, putting things in order, and trying to bring some logic to the collection of equipment. I need to clean out drawers in the kitchen, and bring some order to the storage cabinet before my sister comes and sighs at me. I need to wash hurricanes and dust lampshades and in general, make the house fit to be closed up for the winter.
This is the first step to nesting for me. Get it clean, and then find a quilt and a good book and light a fire in the fireplace, and simply enjoy the fact that I’m inside where it’s warm! My-Sister-The-NUrse commented on Facebook this weekend that she had begun storing up books, on her Kindle, and in traditional form, to read. She’s beginning to nest!
The next part of the nesting program will be reading magazines and surfing the web for new soup and stew recipes. I have a nice collection of recipes, but there’s always room for more.