Thursday, August 4, 2011

I Must Ask . . . Do You Make Your Bed?

My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint. –Erma Bombeck

Last week's question was about pets. I set up the initial poll wrong and so some votes were deleted because I decided it was more important to fix the poll than to keep the votes. I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings. It looks like dogs are by far the most popular pets. It only makes sense, since they are man's best friend.

I asked for pet stories and promised to share the best one. Well, I can never just choose one of anything, so I have three. I'll start with P., who told about one of the pets she had when her daughter lived at home. She said, I taught my parakeet Penny to wolf whistle and cluck like a chicken, and she also made this other noise I didn't recognize at first, until it occurred to me that it was the sound of my own laughter. Love it! Thanks for sharing, P.

My cute sister Jill, stopped by to tell about her pets. Here's what she had to say, We have two pets. It all started with a red betta fish named Billy. The Student Body President at the local high school thought it would be great to get the boys a fish. But then, Billy died. I think we didn't treat the water with all the right stuff. We had one water additive, but apparently we needed another. So we went to WM and got a pair of goldfish. See, both boys needed to pick one. We named one Alexander (Alex) and the other was Leah (after the signing time kids). But, as gold fish are "disposable" pets, Leah died and now we just have Alex.

Last summer, we decided that we'd like to add another family member. So we started looking online for Beagles who were in need of adoption. We found Lizzie. She'd been at the Humane Society for 3 months, and she was 8 years old. Her time was up. I couldn't leave her there. So we sent an e-mail and asked about her personality. They told us to bring the whole family down, to see how she does with the kids. I could not have picked a milder dog. She is so sweet and old. And we love her. We've had her a year now, and I know it's a year she might not have had if we didn't look for her when we did.

Plus, I know she's the best security system we could ever have. We had a kid come into our house at night (with our permission) who was not a family member. Lizzie went NUTS. She scared that kid so bad, and her barking and growling scared me out of my sleep, too. I can't imagine our house without her. Can you tell we're related :wink:.

And the last story is from me. I told you about our pair of fire-bellied toads named Pants. What I didn't tell you is that once upon a time we also had a dog. He was a black lab, the runt of the litter. So we named him Piccolo. We should have named him Sirius Black, because he wasn't runty for very long. The top photo is the day we brought him home. Oh, he was a cute little puppy. The bottom photo was two months and 11 days later and he was already bigger and weighed more than the then 5 year-old Grasshopper.

Piccolo chewed like crazy. I spent a minimum of $20 an month on rawhide for him to chew to keep him from chewing up the house. It only worked sometimes. Ever see Marley & Me? Remember the part where he chews a hole through the drywall? It was like that at our house too. We can only guess that he was trying to make his own doggie door, because it was in the wall right next to the back door and he chewed right through to the plywood that backs up to the brick on the exterior.

He was a beautiful dog, but he was a big {80+ pounds} and rambunctious puppy. He was too big for our little house and our little yard and our little family. So we gave him to a family on a farm. Seriously. That's not a euphemism. We felt it was our responsibility to find a new family for him and the people who took him actually lived on a farm.

Well, enough rambling about pets gone by. On to business. Beds. To make or not to make? That is the question. Growing up, that was one of our regular chores; make the bed every day. My mom's bed is always made. My grandma's bed was always made. And mine used to be made every day. But it isn't anymore. I was almost 16 when I dropped the habit and about the only time I make the bed now is if I'm changing the sheets. Oh, I straighten the covers every night before I get in, but I don't really make it. Do I feel bad about that? Nope. Not one bit. That is one un-done chore I have zero guilt about.

I was thinking about whether or not I should change my ways when it comes to bed-making while I was thinking out this post. And I decided that it is one thing that I don't really need to worry about right now. Mr. Bug sleeps during the day and I sleep during the night, so the bed would have to be made twice a day and would only stay made for a few hours after each making, and that is just one thing that is not high on my list of priorities right now. How about you? I must ask . . . do you make your bed?

15 comments:

Paulette said...

I would have pegged you for a bed maker! I do exactly as you do. Make it when I change the sheets (or take a quilt picture, LOL), and straighten it before I get in at night but otherwise, nope. It makes me feel good knowing others share my slacking ways!

Vicki said...

I am compelled to make my bed, daily. I am not an excellent housekeeper by any means, but I have the bed-making habit down pat!

Kerri said...

It's hard to make a bed when there's still a body in it. It's even harder to teach that body to want to make the bed.

Mary said...

Well, I didn't for a long time. Only when I felt like it. But I've been married to Captain-Hospital-Corners for 15 years, and so now, I make it every day!

pinksuedeshoe said...

Meh, my door stays closed most of the day so little persons aren't playing in my makeup/jewelry/shoes/etc. Out of sight out of mind. But I do love getting into a made bed... not enough to actually do it though.

Sarah Craig said...

I never made my bed when I was a kid, except when I was at my grandmother's - she insisted. But when I got married, my husband said that he just couldn't sleep in an unmade bed, so I began making it every day and have done it ever since! I'm a terrible housekeeper otherwise, and I must admit that it's kind of nice to have a (moderately) neat bedroom because the largest piece of furniture in it is neat and tidy! Now if I could just convince my husband that I'm not happy with the dresser drawers left partway pulled out....

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

When we are both on the same shift, yes I throw up the quilt to make it look nice, it makes the room look cleaner with 20 seconds worth of work. Right now we are on opposite shifts, so he doesn't make the bed and when I get home and see it messy, it makes the whole house seem out of control. Drives me nuts he can't just flip them up towards the pillow. Doesn't have to be perfect.

Marjorie said...

I voted before I read the whole post. I better change my vote to hardly ever since the "bed-makers" wouldn't consider "pulling the bed spread up to mostly, kind-of, cover the pillows" as being "made".

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

The rule in our house (it's just my hubby and me) is the last one out of bed has to make it. I haven't had to make the bed in a very long time - lol!

Dogmom Diva said...

I rarely make the bed, but I used to..when I was younger and more compulsive...the dust bothers me more than an unmade bed, lol..when we change the linens the bed gets made, only to get in and unmake it again..

Barb

Michelle said...

I make my bed probably about 90% of the time. There are times I leave the covers neatly turned back if I want the option of getting back in it. :-) I rarely use the option, but sometimes it feels nice to know my bed is waiting for me.

Anonymous said...

NOPE, I don't make my bed unless it's sheet changing time. I might throw the covers up when I get out, but not often. Oh, when I take a picture of a quilt top that's done, I'll straighten out the bed then. Thanks for sharing. I don't feel so bad about not performing this daily chore.
cindy

Shay said...

I'm completely anal - my bed gets made every day. I wish I could leave it unmade just to be militant but I cant!

Threeundertwo said...

I make the bed so I can smooth and display the quilt on it.

Love the pet stories.

Angie said...

I used to ALWAYS make my bed, then I had kids and that became I USUALLY make my bed. Then I learned to quilt and now it's SOMETIMES. But there is usually a quilt wadded up in the sheets so it is still a creave mess. ;)