It's Spring time and I find myself feeling the need for change. My mother and grandmother often resorted to "Spring Cleaning" to fill this need. I think it is natures way of getting nesters to freshen up their abode.

 I look around and catch myself thinking about "spring cleaning." Trust me, this urge will pass. Just find a comfortable chair, a good book and settle in until the urge passes.

Seriously, everyone knows that Spring is a time for renewal and growth, a time for making changes. But, did you know that retailers are aware of this quirk of nature and exploit it everytime you go to the store?

Their goal is to separate you from your money. You go into a store and everything is grouped into colorful displays. Color coordinated and beautiful to lead into impluse buying that you never intended to do. Check out this link and you will see what I mean:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/04/26/buy-me-7-ways-stores-get-you-to-make-an-impulse-purchase/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D156288#photo-2

What can you do to protect yourself from the assault of this color-coordinated retail stratagem? First, when you enter the store be aware of their ploy. Those eye catching displays are there for a reason. The bright colors are to encourage you to liven up the drab little winter nest with the vibrancy of spring. Those new towels, shower curtains, shower hooks and other items are color-coordinated to help you realize the dull grey world of winter you've surrounded yourself with and offer, for a price, to liven up your abode.

Walk on by, stick to the list in your pocket. Don't be trapped by their attractive displays.

The next little trick you'll encounter is all those bright colorful flowers beside the door. Don't they just make your fingers itch to be outside planting your spring garden? Hold tightly to the handle of your buggy as you walk by, this too shall pass.

Now that you are aware of the pitfalls of going into the retail areana at this time of year, go on, pack the kiddies in the car and take a trip to your favorite mall or store. Be brave, but just don't say I didn't warn you.

Tuesday is the first day of spring. Signs of its arrival have been popping up and out for the past three weeks here in NE PA. It was reported that Punxsutawney Phil was not available for comment concerning Mother’s Nature thumbing her nose at him. HA ha-ha!

Spring brings many memories to my mind. One is my grandmother. As soon as the weather broke and the coal stove was dampened down and the windows open to let fresh air breeze through the house, it was time for spring cleaning. The furniture was moved back and the carpets rolled up and taken outside and hung over the wash line. It was the younger childrens job to bat the heck out of them. The carpets wouldn’t be brought back into the house until the last a spec of dust fell from the carpet's fibers.

While the carpets were handled, drapes, furniture cushions, and pillows found their way to the wash line too. The venetian blinds were stripped from the windows and put into huge tubs of sudsy water. Grandpa was called if any repairs had to be made. This was the time, before the real work began.

Once he was done, and his tools put away, the furniture was brushed and wiped down. (They didn’t have vacuum extensions during this time period. Grandme’s vacuum was huge and roared like a T-Rex.) Dust Bunnies were rounded up. The furniture was move to the center of the room. The walls were stripped of all adornments and then, came the hot soapy water. The walls wiped sown. Hot soapy pine water was used on all the wood work. And, hot vinegar water was use to scrub the windows. Newspaper was used to dry them and make them shine. Finally the floor was scrubbed.

Only after the room passed Grandme’s inspection was everything put back into place. Then it was onto the next room.

While the women worked inside the men were busy outside. The house was taken care of before the spring planting could begin.

Spring cleaning usually took a good four days, but by Sunday all the chores were done and we could relax and enjoy a Sunday dinner in a sparkling home.

So this week, like my grandmother and my mother, I’ll begin my spring cleaning. My job will be made easier by modern conveniences. I can’t wait to smell inside the freshness of SPRING.

Disclaimer: I’m not as old as this blog might make me seem, but this is my grandmother I’m blogging about. She had her ways and her tools and we helped doing the job her way.

Do you have Spring Fever?

Some folks get the urge to do spring cleaning. Everything must be spic 'n span.(also the name of an old cleaner) For Mama it came about the time we could open windows and let the fresh air inside. The problem was, Ma would use strong cleaners and we couldn't close the durn windows without breathing in the chemical fumes. (In the dark ages cleaners were strong enough to burn the hairs in your nose, if you had any. (ammonia and Pine Sol!))

We aired out the mattresses and, of course, the longer they aired the better. Every curtain in the house had to be washed, starched, line dried outside and ironed. (Spring in middle Georgia brings cool mornings, warn and balmy afternoons, and blooming flowers and budding trees. (Can you say allergies?) All wash was line dried when weather permitted.

By evenin' the air cooled. The fumes remained. That was the excuse my parents gave us kids for leaving the windows open and fans blowing frigid air.

For me Spring Fever brings the lazies. No baseball games or soccer for me! Spring cleaning? Bite your tongue!

Do you have Spring Fever? Have you recovered for this year? How did it effect you?