7. Do you have any unique or unusual cleaning tools? Take a photograph and write a short caption describing what it is.
Every Friday after school Mom and I would clean up the house. We lived in a large wooden home in Mill Valley that originally served as the lodge for hikers that climbed the mountain. Our father made smaller rooms in the back of the house for bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen. The living room with the large fireplace was in its original condition except that Mom told us she had cleaned the redwood walls and ceiling that had blackened with soot from the fireplace. At some point our father had brought home a crane and we dug out the basement, which he turned into rooms for the boys. There were seven of us kids so a lot accumulated by each Friday for our cleaning session.
We picked up and put things away, washed windows, vacuumed, did dishes, did laundry and made beds. We mopped floors, and cleaned counters. Occasionally we swept the outdoors and picked up the droppings from the redwood trees. The living room was the last room. We dusted the furniture till it shone, and put all the pictures and knick-knacks in their right place. We mopped the floor and vacuumed. When all the cleaning was done we picked flowers from the garden; daisies, pansies, forget me nots, impatiens, primroses and always fuchsias and put them in a silver antique server that had glass vials for oil and vinegar. At that moment there was such a feeling of peace and order in the world.
I'm 57 now and still like cleaning my Mom's house with my sisters and brothers. To this day I love cleaning my own apartment by myself. I send Bobby on errands, put the music on, have a glass of wine and go at it. When finished I sit and smile, feeling such a sense of accomplishment and peace.
Susana Hennessey Lavery
San Francisco, CA, USA