Organizing - Before and After

My kitchen table was a mess this afternoon. I let
one thing stay and it seems to attract more things. Most of the time I throw my hands in the air and think it will take all day long to get it cleaned. Tae Kwon Do outfits, toilet paper, books, groceries and other odds and ends filled the table. I set my kitchen timer and started sorting the items according to their home. I took my time and put everything in it's place. I went outside and picked some buttercups and made a flower arrangement. Well, it certainly didn't take all day long. I was finished in 13 minutes! Now, it's a pleasant place to eat a meal. Fresh flowers always bring a smile and make guest feel welcome. I did add some baby's breath leftover from a bouquet of roses. I added some Nandina berries for more color. I bought the tablecloth at the Dollar Tree. I think next time I'll invest a few more dollars for a sturdier tablecloth. The table is very old. After my parent's home burned in January of 1960 we were given this table by one of Momma's friends, Juanita. :) It really needs to always have a tablecloth on it. I think it must have had another leaf in it. I grew up eating most of my meals at this table. Momma was one of those mothers who would hover around the table serving the family and not sitting down to eat her meal. One of my favorite memories is after dinner. Momma would empty all the leftover tea in her glass add sugar and lemon. I loved taking sips of it. Daddy wouldn't let us kids have sugar in our tea, salt our food at the table or eat to much butter. I guess since Momma was an adult and the parent she could have her tea anyway she wanted it!