December 9, 2014 Advent with SusieJ

A place for everything, and everything in its place

After emptying out her apartment and filling up my own house with her things, I am struck again by my mother's Martha-Stewart-level organization. She abhorred mess and chaos. Because of her difficulty moving, she had no time or energy to waste looking for anything.

Everything she owned had a place to go: spices and pills labelled with the contents because she looked at them from above, neatly-stacked bins labeled "Fall decorations" and "Christmas: Mexican creche," boxes of "2011 & 2012 tax returns" and "cancelled checks, 1996." Wicker baskets in the bathroom held washcloths, hand towels, and anything else she wanted out of sight.

Those plastic drawers that fit on a shelf or under a desk were everywhere: under the sink holding makeup and more curling irons than any one woman could use; one under the desk for office supplies, another one for needlepoint supplies; the drawers with crafting supplies were in the den closet; medical supplies were in two small units in the TV hutch.

Then the bins! Little bins in the dressers to keep stockings together, and in the kitchen for tools. Larger bins on shelves for scarves, catheter supplies, and I don't know what. Bins in the den for paper supplies, important papers, checkbooks, pens.

The doors under the bathroom sink had shelves screwed into them for hair brushes, mouse and hair spray. In the kitchen more boxes of zipper bags, tin foil and plastic wrap than I've used in the last five months.

Her earrings — she loved jewelry, especially earrings — were in candy box liners, each pair in a cup that had held cherry cordials years before.

To her dying day, she kept house in a way that she wouldn't be embarrassed if a group of strangers dropped by unexpectedly.

There is no room like that in my house, unless we've managed to get all the dishes washed. But oh, you should see how it's organized! The knife drawer, with a specific slot for each of more than two dozen knives. The measuring spoons and cups, hung by the baking counter with care. Carefully nested baking pans. The tea and coffee pull-out by the coffee maker and tea kettle.

The Queen and Jakob, the Prince, the day he was born. He was the joy of her life.