Everybody Needs a Debbie!

A year ago last summer, I gave up and admitted that I needed help in keeping up with the cleaning in my little home.  I wasn't defeated, just weary of the effort it took to do the simple things, so I put out a feeler on social media for a cleaning lady.  Two people responded, but only one followed up by requesting an opportunity to come and see what kind of help I actually needed.  We met.  She provided references (which I checked).  We agreed on a price and a time of every two weeks (which might actually be more than necessary, but read on).  Her name is Debbie.

As far as I was concerned, her help was tentative until she and I could both determine if we would be a good fit for each other.  What are the odds that the first contact with a person would become a major blessing--at least for me?  Debbie is a whirlwind.  She's not some young chick, either.  She's just a little slip of a thing with drive, energy, and the antithesis of a hoarder.  She is the single mother of two adult kids and also a grandmother.  She is a thrifty and no-nonsense kind of gal.  After a couple of cleaning visits to my home, I knew that I was in good hands!

When I "hired" Debbie, I really needed a housekeeper, a gardener to take care of my yard, and a handyman to help with small household repairs.  In very short order, I understood that I got all three with Deb!  "Oh...did I tell you I also do lawns?"  "Oh...did I tell you I also do car detailing?"  "Oh...did I tell you that my live-in son is a plumber/carpenter/whatever you need?"  All of the things I used to be able to do for myself were covered!  Yes, these things come at a cost, but without them, I would be living in a cesspool.  She doesn't do the kitchen or the laundry, but having her come inspires me to get those things done.

It's a common joke that we have to clean before the cleaning lady comes.  The same is true here, except I frequently haven't gotten rid of the clutter before Debbie arrives.  She comes at 9:00 AM every two weeks.  Sometimes, I've been out of bed for hours.  Sometimes, only minutes.  She has seen me at my worst, and because I'm not paying her to faun over how lovely I am, she doesn't care if I'm still in my bathrobe, and I don't care if she hasn't washed her hair that morning.  So that blasts that!

Knowing that Deb is coming inspires me to get some things done.  Yeah...most of the time, that's true.  Unfortunately, I run out of steam often the night before, but just having another person in the house gives me pause to put priorities in order.  I'm so much more productive knowing that Debbie is on the way than when no one is expected.  She and I laugh about that.

I'm going to miss some stuff here, but these are just some of the things that Deb and her son have done to make my life better:
*Bi-weekly house cleaning.
*Replacing a leaky kitchen faucet for something much, much better.
*Replacing endless burned-out kitchen light bulbs.
*Installing kitchen blinds replacements.
*Putting up wall pictures that haven't been up for three years.
*Replacing curtains on windows that have been bare for three years.
*Unclogging the bathtub drain.
*Getting a bedroom window to go back into place.  (Long story.  Took two of us!)
*Exchanging winter clothes for summer clothes in closets, times two.
*Digging up old perennials from under the split-rail fence in my front yard and replacing it all with new plants and gravel.
*Detailing my car for the first time since I've owned it.
*Mowing the yard, blowing the leaves, and unclogging the gutters, times often.
*Going with me for a shopping trip for needed supplies for the yard in the spring.
*Working with me to organize what she calls The Scary Closet in my house.
*Requiring me to put a lock on the mini-barn after I bought a new lawn mower last spring.
*Unasked, buying new throw rugs for both entrances/exits to the house because the old ones were shedding rubber all over everything.

Debbie is a de-clutterer.  I think she gets frustrated sometimes that I won't always let things go that are just taking up space.  She tolerates my dysfunction.  Still, I feel blessed that there is someone in my life who can/will follow me around and mop up after those dysfunctions without judging.

Everyone needs a Debbie!
She knows more about my household situation than anyone, and I trust her.
Hope you can find a Debbie in your life!