The Bohemian

Phil has left on a business trip that will last for over two weeks. While he is gone I will live what I call "the bohemian" life.

We started living the bohemian back in the eighties. He would leave on a trip and the girls and I would do nothing but what we wanted. Watch tv, no formal meals, we ate out or ate fun foods, left the dishes in the sink, left the toys on the floor, didn't dust, didn't vacuum, didn't make the beds. We sat outside and visited with neighbors, we played games, we turned the kitchen table into a playdough garden. We were a mess and we loved it.

This bohemian life would come to an end the day Phil was due home. Trying to extend our happy lifestyle, even then we would wait until the last minute. Finally, I would have to do it, I would make the announcement and give direction to each girl. "all of you girls just pick up and put away your own things, no one elses, and then make your own bed" and they would jump up and pick up their items, running and laughing all the way. In about five minutes the floor was cleared and we could move on to the actual cleaning. "Krista you vacuum, Celia and Allison you dust, I will clean up the dishes and wipe the kitchen floor" finally we would tackle the baths, and we were finished. I don't remember anyone complaining, I don't remember any fighting, I do remember us sitting when Phil walked in the door, we were sometimes sweaty and out of breath, but the house looked great!!

I often wonder why our day to day life couldn't be "bohemian" but after thinking about it I know that it wouldn't have been special if we did it all the time, in fact, there are words for living like that---trashy is one that comes to mind. Phil is not a "bohemian lifestyle" kind of guy. He needs the structure I guess. Dinner on the table, the rooms neat, stern talks usually accomplished this, we sometimes resented his rules, we were doing alright on our own, the fun was sometimes gone when the structure came back.

Since he has been gone, I have spent a lot of time doing whatever I wanted, I don't care if the sink is full of dishes, the floor is cluttered with Angie's toys, if there is dust on the furniture and a layer of Pandy hair on the rugs, it can all wait. Monday I spent my time doing laundry only because I had nothing clean to wear, I also printed out lots of photos and put these in frames I bought at Target. I ate peanut butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tuesday I went to Ames with the Red Hat Ladies, I am doing three Cook of the Week columns about them and they invited me to come on one of their trips---I had a wonderful, wonderful time, leaving at 8 AM and not getting home until 4:30 PM. I was very tired, I ate some chicken breasts and fresh tomatoes and went to bed early. Wednesday Judy and I went to Clare to visit a florist who is know for her talent and the rest of the day was spent on the phone working out the Kitchen Performance event and doing Cook of the Week Columns and attending a dinner for our pastor who is leaving. Thursday I again spent the day working on columns, did a little clean up, I went to dinner with the golf wives, did a Cook of the Week interview at seven and then went to visit a lady from church who is selling her home she has lived in all her life, and she is 86!!! It is a beautiful, big home on ten acres (which are zoned industrial) so when they sell the home whoever buys it will have to move it to a new location. Big rooms, a staircase that splits into two as you walk down it, one half comeing out into the foyer of the house and the other half heading to the back of the house and kitchen. There was even a wing of the house for field workers. I would have bought that house in a minute if it had been for sale when we were looking. Friday I spent the day outside, clearing out the messy perenniels in my corner garden. I am moving hostas from the corner to the side of my house and replacing everything with stella d'oro lillies, I got a bunch from the woman across the street! Today, Saturday, I moved the hostas and lillies, I may have to move them again if they are not spaced properly, but at least they are moved and in the ground. I am taking a rest right now but plan to head on out later and do some more----but you know, it's the bohemian, maybe I'll do it and maybe I won't.