I know I’m tapping into my German heritage on days like today — I’m cleaning. One of my earliest memories is of my grandmother with her bucket, soapy water and soft cloth washing chairs, counters, tight corners, everything within reach. As she cleaned, she often wore an apron and a cap.
I’m not only German–on my mother’s side, I’m Scottish. From the looks of my ancestors on this side of the family, they weren’t neat and tidy types, having a tendency to run barefoot with hair unkempt, allowing things to get really messy before straightening up.
Here are my paternal and maternal grandparents, side by side, prim vs. practical, proper vs. well, pleasant.
I’m driven to clean, and I’m as grumpy as my grandmother Emma when I have to do it. But it’s only temporary. Afterwards, in a clean house, you’ll find me beaming like Grandmother Mary.