The Tales of the HouseReclaimer

TALE I: THE POWER OF A NAME
TALE II: THE KITCHEN WARS
TALE III: KITCHEN WARS 2ND ROUND

TALE I: THE POWER OF A NAME

If you want to know
the tale of my name
It is about how my house
needed to be reclaimed
It about how my house
has kept me a hostage
To piles and paper
and stuff mostly garbage

When I try to clean
to  get an area reclaimed
This house fights back
it wants to win this game
I try to fight back
I try to get  tough
this house wrestles me back
and I soon give up

This house story is  a
cautionary tale you see
About how I truly  just
wanted to be free
But for some reason
this could not be
Because two other women
they live with me

On women can always
find a good excuse
For me to procrastinate
and not to produce
She throws in my face
reasons to go no further
My number one supporter
is my biggest enabler

Then there is the other one
she works my nerve to the core
Always belittling my efforts
making big  fun of my chores
And sisters she is loud,
a voice that is hard to ignore
Pointing out my flaws,
she is my biggest saboteur

Here sisters I must confess
You may already see
Both the enabler and the saboteur
Are both  just really me

So when I get stuck
I think of my name
And somehow it gets me
back to work again
Or sisters from the board
will remind me of my name
And I am back in the war
I am back in the game
with battles to be won
and a house to be reclaimed

TALE II: THE KITCHEN WARS

Here again sisters
to rant and yell,
to let you know
so you can tell
how on Christmas eve
the kitchen fell

All the clearing and cleaning
of things of all sort
this was a way tougher project
than I ever thought
The pantry cabinet
to clean was a load
for a can of only God knows
what must've explode
Well I cleaned it up
and did a repaint
yes I know I was being
a perfectionist saint

The new super watched me
bring out ten tall bags of trash
the shocked expression on his face
was extremely difficult to mask
For I know he must have been
thinking hard and with care
what the F*** is going on in there!

Now sisters I confess
his grin didn't shock me
and best of all sisters
his grin didn't stop me
For I knew I had sisters
soon a waiting a report
awaiting battle progress
and news of all sorts

So I cleaned and I mopped
and took advice on the wet swiffer
I even conquered the scary corner
wishing I had tackled that quicker

I cleaned out the fridge
could that please go by fast
I forgot to tell you
that is my least favorite task

I inventoried the fridge
the freezer and pantry
here I went a little off
I went a little crazy
For I instituted a system of dots
on bottles and on cans
well I did the whole lot
Green for six months
to a year to use
Blue to use
in a month or two
Items I had to long I dread
are the items that I doted in red
Don't hold these items
use immediately instead

Well the kitchen war
it was finally won
the sink was shining
and the pantry was done
The stove was sparkling
the appliances were clean
But my biggest joy was
how the swiffered floor gleamed

Yet with the battle I won
I still became sad and depressed
for I looked around my house
and saw all the rest
For while I know
this not a speed race
I  still wish my God
would give me the grace
to work at a faster pace
The house brought
way me down girls
My spirit did waver
The house ate all the joy
that I had tried to savor

I thought to myself
What would you do
with a client like that
It was time to change over
to my coaching hat
Recall all your accomplishments
My coach side said with a hiss
I know, that's it
make yourself an
accomplishment list

So I made my favorite drink
Chi - latte a tall cup
My favorite pleasure
Inspired by Starbucks
Well I wrote and I sipped
Smelling chi latte mist
This was turning out to be
A pretty hefty list
I completed the list
reading, once at best
My energy was waning,
old girl needed rest

Now come Christmas morning
I washed and woke up
I stepped in my kitchen
And almost broke up
It was so beautiful,
shiny and clean
Everywhere I looked,
everything gleamed

How dare this house
try to steal my joy
Belittling my accomplishments
trying to act all coy
Well sisters I am not having it
The battle's back on
other house wars to be fought
Other wars to be won

Sister tell one,
remember too tell all
The next battle cry hear
Will come from the hall!

TALE III: KITCHEN WARS 2ND ROUND

You've heard the tale of
how I came by my name
You witnessed my struggles
to get my house reclaimed

The sisters I met
when I left this place
They change my life
They changed my fate

I could barely walk
I could barely stand
It turned out I was sicker
than even I could understand

As I prayed the hospital
new what to do
my poor feet swell
past size 13 w
Snowed in my doctor
I couldn't get too
I had no idea of
what on earth to do

My house saw an opportunity
here was the perfect break
to take out right advantage
to just break me down,
to crack my face
to catch me when I was under
with my heart full with grief
infected lungs and swollen feet

Even thought it was hard
to clean up stuff
these women wouldn't think
of letting me try to give up
They all as one began to chime
to their new sister adopted online
you may not be able to clean at this time
But there is other work to be done
if you are so inclined
first heal your heart
then declutter your mind

They promised this could be done
Just one room at a time
Each room could be put on
a two week timeline
They encouraged me to take
a real look at my crap
they gave my a plan
I had to create the maps

But the most important thing
that these women gave me
was my declutter journal
cause it truly set me free
Without it my maps
would be just plans
It forces me to focus
get up take a stand
It tracks my progress
along with my moods
forces me to get with the program
not living with blues
Have to really fess up/own up
and work with a depressive moods
and If that doesn't work
have to create something new

So I am back in the battle
I am back in the game
for the 2nd time
the kitchen is reclaimed
You might say: we know
this kitchen battle
Girl don't you know
we've been here before
I tell you: this house won't give up
and this old girl is at war

I still honor this small victory
I celebrate and I laugh
Because I am viewing my maps
choosing the new war path
and I think that road leads
directly to the masterbath

Do pray I stay consistent and focused
one by one my distractions die
and good sisters keep a listen out
for this old girls next battle cry

HouseReclaimer