My Grandmother's Library Table

We live in a small house which was originally a hunter's cabin.  The front room is long and contains the living room, the "dining area," and the kitchen.  (BTW, having all of this in one room is NOT A GOOD IDEA.  NOT AT ALL!)  Later, after the invention of duct tape, the other rooms were added to the house.  Against the wall in the "dining area" stands my grandmother's library table.  It is a great desk, with deep shelves on each side and a drawer that runs through to the other side.


I, however, have never been able to use the library table as a desk.  Why?  Here in Housekeeping Hell, any clear and moderately clean surface is obviously an invitation to pile a whole bunch of your crap upon the empty space.  Imagine what would happen if someone dusted and polished the surface!  There aren't many empty, shiny surfaces in sight here, needless to say.  On the desk right now, there are four huge bottles of over-the-counter medications; one bottle contains my husband Drake's fish oil capsules.  These are supposed to be good for something, but I have a feeling he just likes the idea of swallowing fish oil when he is stuck at home instead of fishing.  On the desk also stand five flashlights, proudly guarding us against the fear of darkness.  A can of "Deep Woods Off" awaits the next person who considers braving the tick-, mosquito-, and snake-infested outside world.  Covering the center of the desktop are also a camera, several cigarette lighters, some pocket knives, and a couple of baseball caps.

Yep, it is unlikely that I will shine that sucker anytime soon, although I remember that it was always beautifully polished in my grandmother's house.  Also...well...I lost my can of Pledge, probably somewhere in the middle of the flashlights, maybe...

Helpful Housekeeping Tip:  If a surface is totally covered with random objects, no one will notice that it hasn't been dusted in AGES.  Go watch TV from your recliner and don't worry about it!