December 6 – Make
What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?
Author: Gretchen Rubin
According to Dr G the last thing I made was… a mess.
"And before that, another mess! And another mess before that!".
I'm the grot in the relationship, and he is the fusspot who can't sleep at night unless the remote controls are lined up perfectly facing east on the coffee table.
Recently we bought some tomato ketchup in a glass bottle. After years of plastic squeeze packs I'd forgotten their charm, all that impatient slapping of the upturned bottle.
"There's a correct way to pour, you know." I explained, "When I was a kid we'd get in major trouble if we didn't follow the procedure."
"There's a procedure?"
"Yeah, once you've poured your sauce you have to quickly twist the bottle to make sure the excess goes neatly back down the neck of the bottle. If you spill any over the sides you are in DEEP SHIT BABY!"
"So is that why you're so messy now? Still rebelling against fascist neat freak parents?"
"Could be!"
I'm trying to be neater, just like Gareth tries to contain his OCD and not twitch when the couch cushions get wrinkled up. Marriage is about compromise, so they say. I want to be neater because a) life is admittedly more pleasant when you're not screaming where's my freaking BUS PASS every morning, and b) because Gareth is so not a jerk with his neat freakishness. He doesn't lecture about the apparent correct way to sweep up crumbs on the kitchen floor nor does he chase after guests with a feather duster like some parents I have known. He just quietly goes about being tidy. Although possibly secretly wants to strangle me.
My friend Ginger was talking about The Happiness Project recently (the bestseller written by today's prompt author), in particular something called The 1 Minute Rule. The idea is that you don't delay a task if takes less than one minute to complete. I'm giving it a go at the moment and, derr, it really does feel pleasant if you don't hang up your coat on the floor, quickly answer a work email instead of ignoring it for months and take your empty tea cup to the dishwasher instead of leaving it on your desk to fossilise.
If these reforms continue, I'll have a different answer for this prompt next year. Instead of making messes I'll be making something beautiful like toilet paper dolls or tyre swans.
How do we carry on now that 
