Dear HouseHoncho

Photo by The Wandering Angel

Dear HouseHoncho,

I was so excited to see that you would be starting a Dear HouseHoncho column because my friends and I frequently talk about the things we'd like to ask you. For one thing, where do you get your excitement about your home? I can't seem to get excited about it most of the time. For another thing, how far in advance do you write your blogs? (Maybe we are supposed to keep the questions about home things.) Lastly, how do you not get bored when you're cleaning? I need to be engaged in what I'm doing or I quit.

Carrie T.
Arizona


Dear Carrie T.,

Thank you for sending in your questions! I am glad to hear that you are looking forward to Wednesday's Dear HouseHoncho column. (At least I can rest assured that I have some friends in Arizona who will be reading my responses!) Now to answer what you asked...

My excitement about my home comes from my excitement about my family who occupies it. As I have said--and others have faithfully alluded to here on the blog--our homes are only the cases which house the items most important to us. When I've had a long day at the office, I find my motivation for home management in the rest and relaxation it brings my husband when the house is clean. When any goal is challenging, it is most motivational not to think about the difficult hurdles, but the intended outcomes.

When do I write my blogs?--moments before hitting, "Publish." I like them to be written out of the spontaneity of my day.

Finally, Carrie, I am like you. I like to keep an engaged mind while working around my home. For this reason, I usually listen to audio books or a music CD that will lift my spirits while I'm scrubbing the counters. (Be careful, though, not to get too engrossed in your audio book or you might find that you've worn a hole through the counter.)

Thank you, Carrie T.
Keep it simple!