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Show It's the 'drab' time of year MARY GAE EVANS We housewives sometimes get the drabs this time of year and have a sudden irrepressible urge to change ourselves and our surroundings. We are shut-in with runny nosed kids and surrounded by mountains of snow and mud and it sometimes takes away our good sense. We do crazy things like dying our hair and buying sexy hostess gowns, even though we never entertain guests. We sit and look at our homes with a bored eye and try to control sudden urges to paint the bathroom bright orange, even though all the towels are pink. We move the livingroom furniture around so much the rug is in danger of being worn out. I remodel my kitchen every year at this time by buying new curtains for the windows and a purchase of a new vinyl table cloth. That's what you call remodeling on a shoestring. The urge to buy bright new throw rugs is so strong I have to be led away from the housewares department in the stores. I buy weird new wall plaques and plastic flower arrangements for every room. And of course, a new houseplant or two to take home to die. The need to escape from the ordinary sometimes leads to such drastic action as cleaning out the hall closet. It's really kind of exciting because you never know what you'll find. I found a paii of shoes I've saved for ten years that were two sizes too little then, and are three sizes to little now. (They are back in style however.) I even threw away my husband's gym shorts that had "Class of 46" embroidered on the back pocket. I hope he doesn't find out about that, he's always thought he might need them someday. I found a snow boot we lost two years ago and a Christmas present I hid so well in November I forgot about it. I guess it's all because we long for spring and that instinctive in-stinctive urge to clean house and start out fresh--or, maybe we're just bored. But you men don't be too surprised if you leave a peaceful, color coordinated house, and come home to a brilliant splash of color and a wife in a grass skirt. We all go a little stir crazy this time of year. |