When Two Worlds Collide

My reality: no lipstick, messy kitchen, my three-year old playing with my camera while I blog

Let me preface this story by letting you in on a few facts: 

1.  I’m not much of a housekeeper (an understatement) and I did not take a much-needed shower today.  After managing to keep the house and myself looking passable for a week of holiday entertaining, today I let everything go.  I shopped with my mom, took the kids sledding and made chicken soup for my husband, who has strep throat and spent the day in bed, miserable.  By dinnertime, the house was littered with art projects, bags of wrapping paper, recycling, cookie containers and carelessly slung snowpants,  The kids’ lunch plates still sat on the table accented by bottles of yellow of mustard and dried-up orange sections.  Anyone walking through my back door at that moment would think that insane people live at my house.  

2. My fantasy world can be found in the special interest sections of the New York Times.  I devour them while I sip my coffee and imagine that I will use my newfound knowledge to decorate my house, pick out amazing clothes and cook meals that Martha Stewart would envy.  (We can all dare to dream.)

Just before dinner, one of the authors of my fantasy world walked through my back door directly into my messy, unglamourous reality.  I was mortified.   Thank goodness my friend’s sister-in-law, who is visiting from New York, and is involved with the production of my favorite newspaper sections, is a disarmingly nice person.  I’m (pretty) sure she didn’t judge me.  However, I am my own harshest critic and wanted to crawl into a hole with a glass of wine and a bag of potato chips.  Fortunately, life goes on, dirty house, bad hair and all.  My mom and dad, the kids and I ate chicken noodle soup for dinner, cleaned up the kitchen and laughed as we wiped the table for the first time today. 

I hope that next time fantasy meets reality, I will be better prepared.  Chances are, I won’t be.

Tags: messy house, new york times