A Clean Break
On November 26, 2020 by Speranza
I always enjoy my house being clean but I’ve never been able to become excited about the process or to schedule reminders connected to doing certain things. (And I have known these people – though not well, perhaps tellingly.) They have laminated sheets and clipboards; Sunday morning stove scrub-downs and allotted days for vacuuming and laundry. I do not aspire to be part of this group.
But I do recognize that certain things need to happen and as I was wiping down a shelf today I decided that I would empty out my little collection of shells, sea glass and china that the boys used to find during digging expeditions in the back garden. For some reason, this process was immensely satisfying. I recalled that my mum would occasionally use a dissolved Polident tablet to remove stubborn tea stains from china tea cups and the innards of the tea pot itself. Soon, I had a bowl of chemically-induced mint fizzing away and I swished everything about and then let it stand, watching over the green froth like the alchemist I am.
Of course before I did this, I had to examine each piece (many with the original soil still clinging to them, I am ashamed to admit) and feel myself constrict a little. There was the perfectly heart-shaped bit of slate that Frasier had found for me when he was about 5 and I see him once more, running and shouting towards me, panting with the sheer urgency of presenting it to me on the beach. Blue and white china finds were always a source of huge celebration since this is easily one of my favourite things in the world and for some reason, our yard had quite a lot of it to offer. (Why was this? How do these Edwardian pottery shards end up at the back of the lot? And where is the rest of the plate if this is the ancient site of broken kitchen wares? The pattern is never the same either …) Most recently, Frasier was hiking the headlands on the Isle of Man (before the virus of course) and he came across a mottled blue piece of china standing upright in the heather. He carried it home to present to me upon his return, knowing that his sentimental mother (stress here on the “mental”) would be moved to tears and add to The Jar. There’s also a pink glass stopper from an old bottle and a series of stones and shells from whatever beach we were visiting at the time.
Although I tease The General about his own “hoarding” (or “collecting” as he gently corrects, in a huffy tone that he saves just for this word) I absolutely admit how unthinkable it would be for me to discard my own relics even though the contents do not define me or my boys or provide any kind of tangible purpose I can point to.
But how they gleam and jostle together now replaced in their glass home! I have paused to admire them almost daily on my spectacularly clean shelf.
I now fancy it to be an evolving piece of art.
(Vital as it might be, a sparkling toilet will never evoke this same reaction …)
Polident? ! Well, that is fascinating. There are so many shards in the back of our garden, it must have been the garbage dump. Such treasures from the past. Thank you for a lovely bunch of thoughts and feelings.
A relative of mine, who I shall not name, has just such a cleaning schedule magnatized to their fridge. It includes many tasks for each day, most of which I did not realize people actually did at all, let alone weekly. Who wipes their washer and dryer down, ever? Mine has so much stuff piled on top of each appliance, there is no chance of wipe down. Ever.
And this, Helen, is why you and I are such good friends 🙂
I have never heard of Polident tablets. Will keep this in mind. Love this post. I have a collection of shells and coloured glass from my travels to Scotland, BC, Iceland and more. I also have some shells from Scotland that I keep in my coat pocket, just to find them unexpectedly during coat season, and feel the joy of remembering. The memories you have of your boys and the pieces you found in your yard, and all the feels, are something you will treasure forever. Thanks for sharing. xo
Yes you are way too young! “Polident” tablets are more traditionally used for cleaning *dentures!* I keep some on hand for OTHER uses I must point out, haha! Thank you so much for these sweet comments 🙂
It’s only hoarding when you don’t know what’s there. Things that mean something to you, or are more than “the thing” are worth keeping, I think.
And if having a sparkling house fills you with joy and satisfaction, knock yourself out, but I’d rather sit on the couch and read. Neither of us are wrong!