Six months of blog writing

I looked back to see when I wrote my first blog post and saw that it was September 6, 2004.

Today is an anniversary of sorts.

And to celebrate, I cleaned out and reorganized my sock and underwear drawer!

No joke! A good friend and fellow olah (immigrant) called me this morning to “kvetch” about her inability to get organized. She knew I would understand, and although I couldn’t offer much advice, I could commiserate!

We kvetched about all those other “perfect” moms and homemakers out there that we hate! OK - not HATE really, but are very jealous of.

Why is it that some women can just get up after they eat dinner, wash the dishes, put them away, clean off the table and still be smiling? Why is it so much easier for some women, and for others, like my friend and myself, it’s so difficult. We feel bad that we can’t teach our kids the tools. Our rooms are a messy and cluttered and so we can’t get angry with our children for their messy rooms.

My friend and I decided it couldn’t be how we were raised, because I grew up with a very organized perfectionist mother and she grew up with a cluttered packrat.

It’s not like we are both working full time and don’t have the time or energy, either.

Is it because we’re lazy? Don’t care? Can’t be bothered? Have other priorities? Or because we just don’t know how?

Last week I went to the grocery store on Sunday and on Wednesday, the groceries were still sitting in the hallway in the bags. Isn’t something wrong with that?

It’s very frustrating and at times deeply embarrassing.

I can put together 6 meals for 24 people a meal (our Sukkot guest list count last year), I can organize great parties too, but I can’t keep the cabinets in my pantry or my counter tops or bookshelves from getting cluttered and disorganized.

So I decided, in my friend’s honor, and honestly because I couldn’t find the brown hat I wanted to wear today, to organize my sock and underwear drawer. And if I get nothing else done all day, I will feel accomplished because my drawers look awesome! (But the brown hat is still missing!?)

And now because I have been writing publicly for 6 months I can share with you something personal like that…

Go me!

But HELP!!!! I'm drowning in clutter....