The ancient hero Hercules proved his strength by singlehandedly cleaning up some notoriously filthy stables. What is your claim to fame in the annals of cleaning? What monumental cleaning task did you take part in? What impossible stain did you expunge? What epic mess did you clean up? This week's theme is dirty and clean.
Monumental cleaning tasks... besides my kid's playroom? :)
When I was in college I went on a Habitat for Humanity service trip to Camden New Jersey. It was an amazing week, in so many ways. We were rehabbing crumbling townhouses-- pouring concrete for soffitts, rebuilding brick walls... and cleaning. Taking out the debris of decades, boards and nails and dust dust dust. Glowing through the dust was the promise of new life-- for the people who worked side by side with us toward their dream of a home-- and for the house itself. For those beautiful old bones still standing tall, for those arched windows with their proud proportions, narrow rooms and the way the light slanted in. Sweeping those floors, I fell in love with the intoxicating promise of renovation, vision of glory rising out of the decay. I've never looked at old houses the same way since.
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