Oh, somewhere along the way, maybe in my teen years, I was introduced to this idea that everything is connected… It makes more sense the longer I live. To wit:

Help Someone Declutter by Taking Their Clutter As Your Own

I may not have fallen far from the tree of my youth. I may have inherited a fair few characteristics of my mother. I may deeply appreciate her efforts to declutter her home, because I am always trying to do the same with mine. So when she mentioned today that she had a couple big bags to go to Goodwill, I offered to come and get it for her and take it to Goodwill. I may have thought it might be fun to go through before I dropped it off. This is all pretty much supposition at this point.

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

So when we got home with the stuff, I was carrying it in quickly because my car was blocking someone else’s car in the driveway. Kepler was holding the door and he was holding his nose. I didn’t think anything smelled. He pointed to the door. Oh yeah. There I see scores of carcasses of those June bugs or May beetles, or whatever they are called. And I realized that they have been there for a few . . . months now, so it’s time to get rid of them.

Thank Heavens for the Right Tools

It didn’t even take me forever to find my screwdriver, handheld vacuum, scrub brush, etc. Although I did have to make twenty trips to the kitchen because I kept figuring out new things that I needed for the job.

And This is Where the Screaming Comes In

I am not afraid of spiders. I look on them with benevolent omniscience and wish them good things (as long as they do not wish to bite me). I am also not afraid of insects, but I do not like them. I do not like to see them in my house. Dead or alive, they do not belong. So, once I got the door glass out of the way, I began the process of vacuuming up the carcasses. “GROSS!” I yelled over and over. Kepler tried to comfort me. “It’s ok, mom,” he said as he patted my shoulder and looked at me in mild alarm.

I don’t really think I could ever eat a bug. They are bad enough to just have to see.

Second Thank Heavens That Tomorrow is Trash Day

It could have been 15 below out there and I would have taken my little handheld vac out to the trash can to get rid of the bug pieces. SO GROSS.

As If the Bugs Themselves Were Not Bad Enough

A bunch of legs and parts were left behind. Is this not just so gross?!? Are you screaming with me?? So me and my scrub brush scrubbed the heck out of that ledge inside the door and got rid of ALL THE PARTS.

The Three Hour Stove Cleaning Job

Like I said, Dr. Dobson says not to get distracted when doing a job. I don’t think it was getting distracted as much as it was just noticing other aspects of the door and doorway that needed to be cleaned or otherwise fixed.

So, WD-40, more scrubbing, q-tips, and a few toothpicks to poke into corners later, and my entry way is not stinky at all. Just ask Kepler.