My primary theory of housekeeping is that if you have a lot of really interesting stuff, nobody notices the house is a freaking mess.

Worked the other day. Last year Community Action weatherized our house. We got a new furnace, a few windows, the cellar was insulated and the whole place was sealed and tightened. That was over a year ago. All of a sudden somebody figured the inspector for the town should take a look at the cellar insulation. (And it's a good thing, I guess, I've been doing some major decluttering in the cellar.) So the guy shows up right on time, Tom invites him in and he immediately glommed on to the vintage globe in a wooden cradle in the entry passage (which is more like an L off the main living area). The globe is circa 1940s -- India before Partition, etc. Then he spotted the 16th century bill hook and the boar spear and a few other polearms and spears we have kicking around. (The 16th c. main gauche that we used to cut our wedding cake hangs on a post right around the corner from a 13th century poignard.)

And he went down cellar and pronounced it good. (Which it is.) Came upstairs for a bit more conversation about Life...the Universe...Everything...with Tom and was gone in about 15 minutes.

The rest of my theory on housekeeping can be summed up in one word -- tarps.

Today I have to try to accomplish what didn't get done yesterday (step two in making the bedroom floor safe for Tom) -- consolidating (and finding storage space for) the boxes of Christmas stuff.

And portable display for some vintage jewelry I'll be taking along to The Press Room to sell.

Linn