Living Through Dusting
My name is Ivy Bea Josephine Hebert. I'm a big fan of the Hill & Lake Press.
I'm a house cleaner who cleans in the neighborhood. I recently wrote a poem I'd like to share with the community.
Dusting
I love to clean
I love to pay attention to the ledges no one touches
The top of a door frame
The baseboard trim
Between staircase spindles
Maybe no one will notice the dust is gone
But they notice the room feels lighter
I've been cleaning the same houses for 7 years
I'm not sure if the families that live there know
That I've lived there too
I know how to shimmy the blinds so they don't get stuck
I know which hinges creak
I know how the living room looks when the afternoon sun streams in
How light reflects off the crystal votive
I've lived there too
I got a text that broke my heart in the kitchen
I've hummed down the hall
I've written apologies in my head
Waiting for the water to get hot
I've lived there too
The bathroom mirror has seen my hair at every length
The railing has felt my grip soften
The dust always settles
I am here to notice
Living
Ivy Bea Josephine | East Isles
Commentary: It’s Good To Be Back!
After a 26-year absence chasing space-for-dollars in the western suburbs, my wife and I are excited to once again have a Minneapolis address — this time in East Isles. It’s good to be back!
I grew up by Cedar Lake, and we bought our cute little 1919 Craftsman-style bungalow in Southwest Minneapolis as newlyweds. We loved our neighbors (and still do!). We enjoyed walks together to nearby shops and restaurants. No need for a car to enjoy a night out or a morning coffee! As we grew our family from two to five, we decided more space would be nice.
(Sad side note: In a familiar blow to the city’s affordable housing stock, our cozy $150,000 starter home with 1,450 square feet survived only two more owners before being torn down and replaced by an $850,000 home with 3,000 square feet. We couldn’t afford to live where we started!)
Coming up hundreds of thousands of dollars short for every house we toured in town, we made the too common decision to look westward for more space at a price we could afford. We spent eight years in Minnetonka (on the edge of Hopkins) and 16 years in Plymouth overlooking Medicine Lake. We loved our cul-de-sac community and enjoyed our walking/cycling trails, and we often drove into Minneapolis for Twins games, music, theater and dining. And deep down, we missed the city.
Then suddenly the kids were gone and those split-level stairs were wearing us out! The hunt was on for single level living with a home office and a guest room. (Yes, just one guest room. I think the kids got the hint.) We couldn’t possibly cross the river — heaven forbid! — but we looked pretty much everywhere else. Many months into our search, we walked into that main-floor condo on Irving and instantly knew it was home. Okay, to be fair, my wife knew it was home; it took me a couple more weeks to catch up. Husbands, right?
It was time for The Big Downsize! Oh, the joys of purging! We thanked each item like Marie Kondo said, and then made some truly huge piles of stuff. Our best friend at Estate Maven made sure everything that could find a new home did, and everything that needed recycling (or worse) went to its proper place. Moving day came and went, and we’re celebrating a year already in East Isles. It’s good to be back.
So how are we doing? So good! The highlights: Walking to haircuts at Kenwood Barbers. (I got my first haircut there at age two from Jeanne, then Marilyn, Steve, and now Paul.) Walking to Sebastian Joe’s for ice cream. Walking for coffee and treats at Spy House, Isles Bun and Tao Foods. Being introduced to Boludo pizza by our amazing neighbors, Mike and Lynn. Meeting other new small-town neighbors: Janet used to work with my sister; Linda knew my mother. And of course, lots of walks, in-line skating and cycling at Lake of the Isles and all around our wonderful Minneapolis Chain of Lakes.
To be fair, we’ve had a few bumps as well. The carjacking in the back alley followed by frantic banging on our door for help was a wake-up call that our beloved city is still hurting. The kicked-in garage door (nothing taken) was a reminder to maintain a safe home. A briefcase lying in the street had been snatched from a nearby contractor’s parked vehicle (happily returned, only to fall prey to a smash-and-grab a few weeks later), which cautioned vigilance. Hennepin Avenue reconstruction has added unexpected traffic to Irving — but hey, that will only last a few years. Oy!
On the upside, we had so much fun at the Higgins’ annual LOTI Pencil Sharpening, devouring ice cream treats as the pencil parade made its way through the crowd. We hung on the pencil’s every word during the kids Q&A via old-fashioned string can telephone, and cheered as shavings fell and the LOTI Pencil was sharpened to perfection.
It’s life in the city. It’s part of the fabric that knits our community together. It makes us collectively stronger. And it’s good to be back.
Jeff Lewin | East Isles
