On Saturday, Grandpère and I stopped to see my daughter and her family on the way home from the Rising Tide Conference. When we visit the homes of our children, GP has a habit of tidying up when things are not as he believes they should be. As we were sitting in the living room talking, he was picking up lint from the rug. (I'm laughing as I write this.) He moved on to wondering what was under the sofa cushions, and then he got up and took the cushions off. Surprise! There was stuff under the cushions besides the bones of the sofa.
He picked the items up, and once the surface was clear, he began reaching into the crevices at the back and sides, all the while exclaiming at what he found there. "Look at this! How long has it been since you cleaned here?" The picture above is of all that he found which could not be vacuumed up. If you click on the picture and look at the enlarged view, you will see coins, pens, pencils, toys, papers, dust bunnies, and all manner of things.
If he visited your house, he would restrain himself from tidying up, but with our children, he will not. And they let him do it. I have my daughter's permission to post the picture. She thought the whole funny episode was worth a blog post. GP encouraged me to take the picture, because I believe he thought it would shame her, but that was not the case. There you have it. Another peek into the inner sanctum of craziness in which our family operates.
I told you your daughter wasn't dull...
ReplyDeleteShould grandpere (and of course the elegant grandmere) fancy a trip to the land of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, I'll happily provide a sofa for rummaging behind and numerous carpets for de-fluffing (blame the four-legged furries).
Ostrich, I well know she's not dull. She gave us hell as a teen-ager, but, in the end, she turned out just fine. Thanks for the invitation. Who knows? One day GP may not be able to resist another chance to tidy up.
ReplyDeleteGP could have a crack at my dining-room table if he wanted to ... I haven't seen the surface in months!
ReplyDeleteJudith, I'll pass the word on to GP. Some folks would be offended.
ReplyDeleteOh, Grandpere would be very bored at our house.... we haven't had the sofa long enough to accumulate such a treasure trove!
ReplyDeleteI had a boyfriend like GP many years ago. While I read the weekend papers (long before internet) he cleaned my apartment. Why did I let him go? :-) GP would be kept very busy at my place.
ReplyDeleteYou could always sell the findings for Church funds. You'd make a fortune
ReplyDeleteI cannot laugh. Our couch (the one by the TV) also contains multitudes.
ReplyDeleteMr. PJ is a recovering neat-freak, too.
Recovering quite nicely, actually.
I see now that the stash is mostly Pokemon cards. Yep, they'll get in your cushions like nobody's business.
ReplyDeleteI am particularly intrigued by the Christmas Ornament hanger and the well used flossing implement! Having no sofa, couch or love seat, I never find such treasures!
ReplyDeletePlease send Grandpère over to my place. Last time I looked deeply into the bowels of my sofa I did find a long-lost remote and a pair of glasses but since then I've been kind of scared to do it again.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is fantastic! That she can take that cleaning up as funny and NOT criticism. Grandpere would go crazy with the accumulation I have stored away in BOXES--which I am just starting to unearth.
ReplyDeleteAt my daughter's house, it's the six year old stashing candy in his room. Periodically, they will do an extensive search to locate it all. (My daughter calls it 'kiddy crack').
ReplyDeleteThat's the little addict in my current profile picture.
Gotta laugh. Your daughter is a much better woman than I am. If my dad came over and went through my sofa cushions--well, he would not be asked back!
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is no chance that he would do that--I am kind of a neat freak in response to my mother's lack thereof. I've been invited over to their house for the express purpose of cleaning it.
Brian, you made a big mistake to let that treasure of a man go.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I don't think that even church people would give much for anything in that pile, unless there's a rare Pokemon card in there.
How about if I sell time with GP to you messy folks?
It was like opening and dumping a time capsule from two or three years ago. I wouldn't have stuck my hand down there.
Poor Mr PJ.
Jan, she is a good sport.
Jim, there are a few things in the pile that could be food, but I can't tell for sure.
I want you to know that this picture is "as is". It was not arranged for the best effect.
Lauralew, even if she did not invite him back, he'd go anyway.
ReplyDeleteso I was inspired to pick through our couch because of this. Bits of rawhide bones, a chewed up tennis ball, lots of change, an AA battery, three ball point pens(?) and enough dog hair dust and lint to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought that this place was clean.
ugh.
I checked and couldn't find anything within or under our sofa. I must be a more terrifying mother than I thought!!
ReplyDeleteAt my in-laws I once found my mother-in-law's glasses (a previous pair) and a long wooden back scratcher. She was so pleased!
ReplyDeleteJust be reaching down where no-one had dared to place their hand. (Actually she might at last be glad of my roaming hands, if you know what I mean).
I'll tell GP that he's an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteDennis, I'm shocked, shocked, I tell ya!
Erika, nothing? I'm just as shocked.
(...if you know what I mean).
Boaz, I'm not sure, but it sounds naughty.
I have several divans that need that GP touch... but what I really want to do is introduce him to my mother.
ReplyDeleteShe came to spend the night with me my first year of college (okay, yes, this IS more than 35 years ago) and I went to get her cafeteria pass and came back to find her alphabetizing my clothes closet.
I think my beloved mother would find much to discuss with GP.
TheJanet, you should see GP's side of the closet. It's not alphabetized, but the shirts are grouped together, separate from the pants and jackets, which have their own sections. The garments are a precise space apart from each other. On my side, everything is thrown on the rod willy-nilly.
ReplyDeleteWhat categories did your mother use? B for blouses, D for dresses?
I"ve been giggling through the post and the comments.
ReplyDeletePlease, please, send GP to my house - especially after my grandkids visit.
I promise I'll return him just the way I found him. ;~>
I promise I'll return him just the way I found him. ;~
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, a promise made is a promise to be kept. He's quite fetching, you know.
GP would have to be quite 'fetching' to have landed a catch like you.
ReplyDeleteI know. We've kissed, remember? (I shall never forget ;~0)
Elizabeth, thank you. But please, please don't tell Ms. Conroy.
ReplyDelete