I have been participating in Ali Edwards‘ 31 Things project and am just loving the photo and writing prompts.

Today’s prompt? Chores.

I thought of two things right away. Our counters and our kitchen floors. Both old and white and nearly impossible to keep clean. The counters became worse when we got my favorite appliance, the Keurig Coffee Maker. Unfortunately, the Keurig, while great at making coffee, spits onto my counters during each cup. And the coffee stains do not come up with a quick swipe of a sponge. I need to pull out the Clorox with bleach every time.

But really, the counters are nothing next to the floor. Black and white subway tile, original, from what I can tell, to our 1920’s house. I loved this tile the day we looked at  the house. It reminded me of the tile in my grandmother’s bathroom. Perhaps I would have been better served if my imagination pictured, instead of my grandmother’s house, the current owner, on her hands and knees before we arrived trying desperately to keep the floor clean.

For all the years we have been in this house, I have fought with the floors. With the girls, the dog and food, the floor is never clean. And I really mean never. I alternate between cleaning it daily and just deciding to live with the dirt. The floor becomes dirty again moments after cleaning  so more often than I would to admit the ‘living with the dirt’ philosophy wins. Knowing that we are moving soon, I have decided to keep the broom right in the kitchen and sweep dirt out the door when I can. Knowing that my days with this floor are about to end, gives me an amazing amount of happiness.

In just a few weeks, we will move to a house with hard wood kitchen floors. I know that there will still be dirt on the floor but I also know that I won’t be able to see it. That will be a good thing.