I just can't say no to more work...

It is crazy that I have been in such high demand for my cleaning services lately.

One of my customers, Mary Kay (true name and not that Mary Kay), has been adding on an extension to her home as in-law quarters. It's another 1200-1500 square feet home of bathrooms, kitchen, bedrooms, living areas attached to their house. I've been dealing with all of the construction mess for a good 6 months. I can't wait until it is done.

This week I finally asked her if they were going to have me clean the addition. I don't have more time on the day I clean her AND also clean the addition. Her regular home is about 4500 square feet and is huge. I told her the only way I could clean it would to do it as a separate house on a different day. She currently is cleaned every week, but I could only clean the addition every other week. I currently only have one opening that I have been reluctant to fill - I need the time off.

While we were talking she indicated that her mother-in-law would keep her own cleaning lady to clean her area. I was pretty relieved.

Then this past week they found out that her own mother has lung cancer and may not live much longer. She was pretty upset of course and we had a long talk about that - life after death - the gospel etc. It was a good conversation and even though death is a very difficult thing, you hope that you can give some comfort in the knowledge we enjoy from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mary Kay has been staying with her Mom and Dad to help take care of her at home. The night before her cleaning day, she called and asked if I would go and clean their house instead. Of course I would help her out and clean their parents house instead of hers.

Every time I clean a new customer's house - it is a major deal, because they just don't clean like I do and I have to fix problem areas like bathrooms and kitchens. This was no exception. I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned as hard as I could as quick as I could because I still had another house to clean that day. I think I was able to do a pretty good job in fixing the toilets, shower, sinks and kitchen. I was exhausted by the time I was done. Plus, I feel pain in my wrist and elbow from all the hard work. I'm going to really have to baby my arm this weekend - with the hopes I can get it healed before Monday. (Do you think you can be addicted to Tylenol?)

Mary Kay called me and thanked me for the amazing miracle work I did to their bathrooms and kitchen. She was very happy and so were her parents.

Now for the dilemma.... Her in-laws and husband want me to clean the addition in their house so they don't have to work with multiple people coming in and out of their house. AND her parents would like me to clean their house too. Sooo much work and not enough of me...

I've thought about how I can do it and not let one of my favorite customers down - or possibly lose the customer to the other cleaning lady.

I finally had a thought and I told her I could rotate the in-law addition one week and the basement the other week - but do the main living area every week. Plus, then I could do her parents on my last opening every other week.

I have absolutely no extra time anymore... which makes it very difficult if I have to change any customer's cleaning day for a party, illness, conflict, company (etc) or even a holiday.. It's hard to say NO to money, to work... especially when your customers love you so much and I know I do the best job out there.

I get worried about getting over loaded. I know when I work so hard that when I'm done I am so very exhausted and come home an die. No energy to do anything fun.. I have to recover enough to clean the next day.

The dilemma is -giving up work and have a life with energy... Be proactive in case my two older customer die. Be proactive in case the economy effects one of my customers ability to keep me - a luxury.

I think at this time, I will work myself to death and save like crazy. I hope my body can handle all the physical labor and be able to keep up with my craziness in getting so over booked with work.

The other thing - do I have time and energy for my own yard work this summer? To be able to have a vegetable garden and then can food in the fall. I just don't know... Is it the right thing to always be working and working - and not living?

A side note... sorry to be complaining about work when so many people are without work. It's just a bit over whelming to me at this moment... Over whelming when I still can't say "no" very well... I should be grateful for all the blessing I am receiving and that my body does handle all the work.

I AM grateful for all the blessings I have and know that my Heavenly Father truly watches over me and my family.