I have a friend, we’ll call her Katie, who is very neat and tidy by nature. She does not use our maid service regularly because housework is something she enjoys, and her teacher’s salary only permits so many luxuries. However, she is known to call and schedule single cleanings weeks in advance. Why? Because she is going out of town to visit family, and she doesn’t want housework, or her husband’s lack thereof, to be the first thing she thinks about when she gets home.
She does not give herself the chance to be angry or disappointed with her husband, because she realizes that her housekeeping priorities are not the same as her husband’s. This is not a sexist statement. It is often the husband, not the wife, who is the “neat freak” of the pair. That just doesn’t happen to be so in this case.
I commented to Katie that I usually get frantic calls from spouses after they have arrived home. In despair, they beg us to come as soon as possible because the house hasn’t been tended to in three weeks and they have to go back to work tomorrow and are near a complete breakdown. If only they thought like Katie, ahead. She doesn’t have to hope her DH won’t disappoint her, or be resentful because he did it wrong. It was important to her, so she took care of it ahead of time. She always schedules maid service to come the day before she arrives home. When she walks in the door, her focus is on how much she missed her husband, not a messy house.
The secret to happiness is not counting on others to keep you happy. Do not let your happiness depend on someone else not letting you down. If it is important to you, take care of it yourself. When someone follows through or does a great job, be pleasantly surprised.
Hire a maid service.
Now, for chocolate.
This recipe was given to me by a friend. She didn’t have a name for it, and after tasting it, I decided to call it “The Secret To Happiness.” I get requests for it all the time.
It takes less than 5 minutes, plus chill time.
The Secret To Happiness
In a blender combine:
-One 12 oz. package chocolate chips. (I like semi-sweet Ghiardelhi, but use what you have.)
-One cup strong, very hot coffee. (I reheat the leftovers from my press, but you could just make a pot.)
-Four eggs. (Note- consuming raw eggs can be a health hazard.. blah, blah, blah. Use fresh and local if possible.
Blend until smooth. You can drizzle in some cream or soymilk after a minute if you’d like, but it’s completely optional. Divide into 4 dishes. Chill for as long as you can stand it. Top with whipped cream, cocoa, sliced bananas, strawberries, or nothing at all. Or, you can simply pour it into a pie crust, smooth, top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate, and let set in the refrigerator.
Let me know if you’ve discovered more secrets to happiness. Leave a comment.
