I Will Survive

After a relaxing, distracting weekend with Scott at the shore, complete with motorcycle rides, jet ski jaunts,  and beach time, I head for home to finish cleaning every last remaining item from my kitchen. 
I should have had a yard sale.  I can't believe all this crap has been wedged in the nooks and crannies of my teeny tiny kitchen for all this time. I am not sure I can wedge it all back in. Not sure that I want to. Hello, Purple Heart? 

As the dining room fills with all manner of kitchen stuff and every flat surface becomes a temporary home to coffee mugs, pans, small appliances, dishes, serving pieces and things I am not sure have a purpose, I am in a near panic. I am running out of space and Trinket's sense of curiosity is off the charts.

She hides herself in half emptied cabinets. She explores the interiors of drawers. She meanders delicately across surfaces crowded with glasses, expertly managing to avoid knocking them over (while I breathe into a paperbag nearby).  She circles my legs and the garbage can as I dump the old toaster oven, tea kettle and stained placemats in their final resting place.

In an attempt to regain some sense of control, I wash, dry and fold several final loads of laundry, mow the lawn, trim some hedges, edge the yard, and prepare a final meal in this version of my kitchen.  I am completely out of my comfort zone.

I have little pep talks with myself. "This will be over in no time. You will survive. So will the cat."

I take pictures of the empty kitchen (and a few of Trinket in her hiding places).  I shoot one shot from each of the 4 corners of the room. The before shots. Then I survey the heap of kitchen items in my dining room and photograph that so I can show the kids.  The renovation is anticipated to take 5 days. It will be finished (and presumably restocked, if I have my way!) by the time they return to me. the picture will be proof that it was ever completely dismantled. It will be over before they know it. It will seem like magic.

At least that was the plan THAT day.