What a great day

[woolybanana]

Warm, sunny, kids playing in the neighbouring gardens, birds singing, bit of late planting/seeding .........long may it last.

And my little storage shed/workshop is being put together like a lego kit.

Great, soon be able to degage the house; meanwhile I suspect that grandson will take it over for a couple of days until it becomes too dangerous.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be good too but must clean house as daughter arriveth so no dust, dirt, crud, pooca must be visible; remedy of course is to declare some rooms out of bounds.

The maid is off on her hols in Nicaragua, unfortunately.

[idun]

beautiful day here too.

A friend of ours calls it crisis cleaning......... to be done prior to guests arriving...... and I do know what they mean. Housework is just one of those things I am completely unfond of and getting that nudge to do jobs is sort of how I live. Hope it doesn't take you too long WB.

[NormanH]

How much does a Nicuraguan maid cost for ready money?

[woolybanana]

Depends how far her duties go. (Or in this sickeningly politically correct age, should I say how far his or her duties go?)

[Rabbie]

Pedants Corner. The word "maid" is feminine so IMO she is sufficient. A male servant would surely be a manservant or Gentleman's gentleman

[woolybanana]

Maids perform different duties. Ask Norman, he has often had them!

[Loiseau]

QUOTE idun

A friend of ours calls it crisis cleaning......... to be done prior to guests arriving......

LOL idun! I am right with you there. I have guests arriving on Friday, and will be in full crisis mode between now and then. Very tiresome when they are actually sleeping over, as it means bedrooms and bathroom have to be done rather than just the "public rooms" !

Angela

[mint]

Yes, "crisis cleaning" is a most apt description.

I was meant to have visitors towards the end of this month but they have been unable to get a flight in May.

Showers constitute the worst nightmare as far as cleaning goes.  Bear in mind we are in a hard water area so cleaning the showers means cloths soaked in vinegar to get rid of calcaire marks plus some serious elbow grease.

Our own living areas are generally OK but the spare bedroom, additional salon etc tend to get ignored until it's imperative to do something[+o(]

A new French friend came over for the first time a couple of days ago and she asked me if I had help with the cleaning!  No, I said with pride, I did it all myself!  You should have seen the look on her face when she then asked, and do you not find it a bit too much?

Yes, I know, nothing like comme il faut.  But I am out for hours most days of the week so I can't say I am looking for work when it is so much easier to not notice[:D]

[woolybanana]

Where do you do your gadding about Miss Nimt; Have you taken up a hobby.

[mint]

It's the nordic walking, Wools.  Have always done it but nwo have found 2 clubs and so I am out on Tues, Thurs, Fri and Sat, minimum.

Then I can't really abandon the other groups I used to walk with and last week, I had to do 2 reconnaisance walks and then the actual walk for my village's fete patronale.

Also am a bénevole on occasion with a new café associative and join in the activities in which I am interested, such as cooking sessions, reading a book together sessions and then there is the lunching and auberge espagnole sessions as well[:D]

The twice weekly gym sessions continue until end of July so a bit hectic until I am prostrated by heat in the summer I guess.

Have now given up French classes as I am to date unable to find a class suitable for my niveau.

However, as you have said, today's been lovely, not too warm and with a refreshing wind and lots of lovely sunlight.......the sort of day that encourages irrational hope[:D]

[vivienz]

Re. the shower cleaning, mint, I live in a (very) hard water area, too.  I find that giving the shower a wipe down with one of those microfibre glass cleaning cloths after use keeps it sparkly clean - no need for vinegar or much elbow grease.  I loathe housework and anything that saves a horrible task like this is a winner in my book!

It's been a lovely day here in blighty - we visited a garden and are now contemplating a very French hydrangea border for our garden.

[idun]

Well I ended up with even worse than 'just' crisis cleaning today..... it was like this thread had wished a visitor on us and they phoned and arrived half an hour later!

A work out....... well, I have not had to move so quickly in a very very long time.

And showers, I can take or leave having a shower, but I HATE, cleaning shower cubicles. I have never lived in a hard water area, never in my life, so I have no idea how you cope with that extra part of the cleaning process.

Give me a bath anytime, so easy to keep clean too.

[mint]

Thanks for the tip, Vivienz, I have lots of those glass cleaning microfibre things as I keep the kitchen sinks, induction hobs, microwave oven, etc clean with them.

Id, I don't envy you at all.  I'd have been weeping with self pity.  Did you also have to cook them a meal?

[vivienz]

I was at French conversation class yesterday evening and the correct word order using 'propre' came up.  I had the perfect example that also summed me up - j'ai ma propre maison, mais pas une maison propre.  Yup, that's me.

[idun]

LOL I was far too busy to even think of anything other than the task in hand. And no, I didn't have to cook, but would have done without batting an eyelid.

I can always rustle something up, in fact I am quite fond of doing that, rather than 'planning' meals. I simply don't mind cooking or sorting my kitchen out, that is something I do keep on top of.

I wouldn't say my home was 'pas propre', rather, mal range, quel bordel...... peut-etre? I'm messy, and not the only one chez moi......