One of the best mistakes I made last year was dip dying a cotton painters drop cloth to use as a patio curtain. It was a mistake at the time. The colors didn’t come out as I’d hoped, they ran together in spots I didn’t want them to run together, and they faded badly in the wash. Not the look I was going for on the patio. I had to buy more drop cloths to dye for the patio using better dyes and a simpler technique, but was so sick of dye (my legs and arms were the colors of the desert sunset) by then that I haven’t done them yet. I’d put the finished one in a closet until I decided how and where to use it. I was considering using it as a tarp in the barn, but when I held it up to the light, it showed an inkling of magic. It’s first in-house use was as a bedspread the cat couldn’t destroy. It’s best use so far, however, is as a curtain that brings the lovely colors of an AriDzona dawn into my room in the morning. It’s quite thick enough for privacy and to help keep the room cool, yet shear enough for the sun to light up the cheerful colors. I never thought I’d like these colors in my room, but I’ve actually enjoyed them. My first weekend task, was running the curtain through the washer and dryer while I scrubbed the window.

On my final day of the bedroom cure, I’d planned to have my son vacuum and mop the ceiling, clean the ceiling fan blades and take the glass off the light fixture so that I could wash it well. Unfortunately, he had to work and I don’t have a wheelchair that will jack me up five feet off the ground to do those things, so I just didn’t look up.

I vacuumed under and behind everything, cleaned my switch plates, and put the final coat of paint on my closet door and the door that leads to the patio. Those two doors, clean walls and woodwork, have upgraded the level of cozy in this room to a point I’d forgotten existed.

Since the only one that used that door to the patio was my husband, I’m going to find a nice palm or something to put in that corner and perhaps a framed nature photo or two.

Other than adding a couple of wall shelves (a project I decided upon while cleaning and ramming my wheelchair into the bookshelf) repairing and repainting the walls and finally laying tile in there this spring, the bedroom is done. My son is off work today and is picking up a friend of his to spend the day out here at the farm. He’s promised to clean my fan and ceiling before he leaves.

For the first time, in over a year, I won’t have to run around cleaning hysterically before company comes over. My kitchen is still clean, desk is still clean and organized, I dusted the den yesterday when I ran out of things I could reach in my bedroom, and my bedroom is so tidy and pretty that I can even leave the door open while company is here. Thanks to the Cure and the inspirations and encouragements from everyone participating in the discussions.

No, I didn’t miss anything when I was vacuuming under the bed. What you see under the edge of the bed is the blankie the dastardly dachshund duo dragged under there for their snoozing comfort. They wake up long enough to eat and then go back to bed. Yes I am jealous.

There wasn’t really much to take a picture of today except that I did actually get the first coat of paint on the two door frames. Although I worked myself crazy in there today, this is the only thing that made an eye popping difference. I took a picture yesterday of this corner when I was clearing the boxes of stuff that shows the green corner they once were.

I would have never done the doors the same color as the walls by choice. At the time this room was painted, my husband was going through his first cancer experience which required tandem bone marrow transplants. Our insurance had dropped us like a hot rock the minute he was diagnosed (back then they were allowed to do that) and his treatments ate every bit of our substantial savings as well as a great wad of his mother’s. The transplants would remove all of his immunities to everything which meant we could have no germs in the house. I needed to repaint with something that would stand up to being scrubbed constantly with Clorox and Lysol. At the same time, I couldn’t afford to buy extra gallons just for trims. Add to that, I had the two weeks he was hospitalized to accomplish a germ free, easily cleaned house. This is why the floor in there is bare concrete. I had to rip up the carpet. We’d planned to tile the bedroom last winter but, of course, the second cancer intervened. It’s on his to-do list and one of the things I’ll be learning to do after the Cure is over.

The rest of my bedroom duty today was vacuuming the walls and scrubbing them clean. Because they’re painted with semi-gloss I can clean the tar out of them with just about anything I want.  My oldest son gave me an awesome tip years ago. Scrubbing Bubbles. I don’t think I’d try it on dainty flat paint but on a nice slick semi-gloss it works like a charm. Spray the stuff on, wipe it around evenly with a sponge mop or rag, then go over it a couple of times to rinse. You’re done, it’s quick, and boy does it work. It goes a lot faster for people without orthopaedic problems but it’s still pretty darned quick.

Oh and I did vacuum the cobwebs off the Addams Family ceiling light. I’ll have to get John to vacuum and mop the ceiling, clean the fan blades and get the glass off the lights so I can wash them. While he’s doing that, I’ll add the second coat of paint to the doors and launder the linens.

I’m considering building shelves for the area where the old book shelf is. I’m building the dastardly dachshund duo a couple of doggie beds out of the drawers from an old dresser and have no particularly good place to put them that will be out of the way of my wheelchair. If I put up shelves, I’ll free up floor space for the doggie beds on that wall. It’s anyone’s guess if the dachshunds will actually sleep in those beds, or if they’ll just dig the stuffing out of the fluffy dog mattresses I’ll be putting in them. I’m going to finish the dog beds before the yard sale just in case.