I'm Over It by Melinda Curtis

Okay, I'm going to come right out and say it - I'm a wife and a mother and I hate to cook!

Could it be that I'm a woman of a certain age and I'm just over it? I mean, I'm really over laundry and dishes and vacuuming, too.

Could it be that I've reached my culinary limit, kind of the same way I reached my ability to remember any more new song lyrics?

Or could it be that I just never caught the cooking bug?

Or maybe it's my stage of life.

Mr. Curtis and I live in an empty nest. He's busy working as a PE teacher and athletic director, which gets him home late five days a week. I'm busy writing and will gladly sit writing until he calls to say, "I'm coming home. What's for dinner?" I bet you know what my frequent answer is. "Whatever is on your way!"

Now I know there will be some of you out there who will try to convert me with convenient options like steamers and crock pots and pre-made meal trays that only require a microwave. And I know there are others who will try to convert me to the pleasure of cooking by suggesting just the right cookbook or recipe site.

Forget about it! I'm over it. I'd much rather be writing or reading or out walking the dogs (and since that involves picking up dog doo, that's saying a lot!).

So instead of trying to win me back to the dark side of culinary comfort, why not tell me what you're over? As always, Heartwarming authors are welcome to comment, but one lucky commenter who isn't a Heartwarming author will win a free e-book from my backlist. Winner chosen 9/7 by Random.org.

Melinda Curtis is an award winning USA Today Bestseller. Her next releases are Marrying the Single Dad (November 2016) and A Heartwarming Holiday (October 2016), a 99 cent collection of previously unpublished sweet holiday novellas which includes a 20% off coupon good for your next Harlequin Heartwarming purchase!
A Heartwarming Holiday
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BN: coming soon!

Marrying the Single Dad:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bC77OY
iTunes: http://apple.co/2bJYTk6
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2bC7dq7
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2bT1MAN
BN: http://bit.ly/2bDmFPE

Comments

  1. I have to admit, I don't hate cooking, but neither do I love it. I just hate the kitchen of the house where I currently live, and I'm over having to come up with meals for four adults with widely varying tastes instead of being able to cook in large batches for myself so that I can dine on leftovers all week. I'm also over cleaning the bathroom. I'm not the only one who uses it, so why can't anyone else clean anything? Especially since I end up cleaning five toilets, four sinks, and two urinals daily for work. Yes, daily--7 days a week. I'm also over cleaning up after men and men-children who can't aim, can't wipe their feet, can't clean their dirty hands without leaving muddy smudges all over the door. I'm definitely over that particular job.

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  2. I love this! I'm over cleaning. I never liked it much anyway and how I really hate it. I'll do the cooking, laundry, and dish duty without complaint--well, without much complaint--if someone will just clean. (Especially dusting--that's a particularly dirty word.)

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    1. I'd dust happily, Liz, if I didn't have to move anything

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  3. I'm with you, Melinda--SO over cooking. I have absolutely no talent for it, and even as a kid when my mom tried to teach me the basics, I hated doing it. And now, as an adult with a full-time job that's become so busy that I work past 6 a lot of days, I hate it more. Since my husband doesn't cook and we don't have kids, in the almost 30 years we've been married...we'll, let's just say we REALLY support our local restaurant industry, LOL.

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    1. Oh, Linda, I'm envious! I can admit now that I love to bake. But I'll only say that quietly.

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  4. My God I loved this post! I'm with you all the way. Only I'm some kind of dysfunctional cook. I HATE cooking during the week for myself. And since a bag salad or some veggies isn't all that healthy, I try to give a decent dinner party once a month. My aim is to stab each of the food groups.
    In the meantime, I take vitamins, keep writing and writing.

    And the cleaning? Sorry. After a lifetime of cleaning. I'm over that, too. I have a lovely young girl who comes to clean. She loves the dust because she's paid to swipe it away.

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    1. Oh, I understand not cooking for yourself. When Mr. Curtis is at a late game, I'd rather just have some lettuce

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  5. I'm right there with you Melinda Curtis. I'm so over cooking too!! I mean, if I had someone to prep for me and clean up as I go (I HATE cleaning chicken, peeling and chopping garlic, and washing lettuce, etc.) I could tolerate it a little bit more, but honestly, cooking is too time consuming and labor intensive, not to mention the clean-up afterwards. Yup....would rather be learning something new, or dreaming, or reading, or......

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    1. My impatience with cooking does make me wonder if I wouldn't like to cook those meal prep boxes that show up at your door - premeasured, etc.

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  6. Love you, Melinda! Can't say I'm over cooking because I was never into it. And I'm at a stage where many of my appliances have passed on, so my life is positively Amish.I feel so great accomplishment when things are tidy because I've learned to be happy with the clutter. One day they'll find me gone to my reward in the recliner with a cat and a dog in my lap and a Hershey almond bar in my hand. Ron will be watching The Mariners.

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    1. Good grief! The editing thing again! I feel NO great accomplishment . . .

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    2. Oh, Muriel! That would be us, except Mr. Curtis would be clutching the remote and surfing reality television

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  7. Love your post! I'm over worrying about things I can't do a darn thing about no matter how hard I try. I have recently taught my mother to chill out and repeat after me: "I can't fix that." I'm trying to train her to say it out loud when my dad won't get out of his recliner or when he spends their grocery money on something profoundly useless. I use it when my husband is absolutely stewing over a potential leak in the pool liner or some rattle his truck is making. Repeat after me, ladies: "I can't fix that." And then I shrug and go back to writing. I can fix the problems I create for my characters with love! I just wish love would conquer the pool leak...

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    1. Hah! Amie, or the sprinkler that isn't hitting something correctly, or the washer that makes a funny noise...

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  8. Mel, I am so in agreement with everything you've said. In fact--I'm at the point where this week I've said I hate being a home owner! I've never liked to cook. Hate grocery shopping. Thought I'd downsized and find out I haven't. I'm a saver of too much junk. I cut things out of magazines and newspapers sure that some day I'll use the information, only to have it stack up, and I move that stack to another stack. Now I hate clutter. What's a body to do????

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    1. Well, Roz...I just shove it in a box and put it in the attic. But the attic is now rather full

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    2. Roz and Melinda, I'm in the process of sorting through my stacks of papers, which morphed into stacks of boxes. The writing stuff I can't part with? I'm giving it to a friend to read or discard as she chooses! Read the section on papers and books in "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up."

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  9. Melinda, this is great! You had the courage to say what so many feel. Cooking, cleaning, laundry....yuk!

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    1. Well, Melanie, I do remember loving to help my mom cook and clean as a kid. Maybe the thrill goes when it is your own house

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  10. Melinda, this is great! You had the courage to say what so many feel. Cooking, cleaning, laundry....yuk!

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  11. I'm constantly reminding my family that I hate dishes and laundry and mopping and whatnot just as much as they do. And since I'm the only girl in the house, I feel it is my duty to also remind them that just because I'm female, doesn't mean I need to wait on them. I figure I'm doing a public service by training them now to pitch in. ;) So I'm with you on that--I'm totally over cooking and cleaning!

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    1. Oh, Patricia! The only female. I don't envy you cleaning the bathrooms - lol!

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  12. I'm over keeping things I'll never use. I've been on a campaign for months to get rid of anything I haven't used in a year. You know that style of purging where, if something doesn't strike joy in you, get rid of it? My mantra is if it doesn't strike the desire or need to use it, toss it out. Like a toilet bowl brush. How much joy could that possibly bring? But it is useful.

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  13. You know me, I LOVE to cook (but then I've never had to cook for 3 kids, LOL). I think I'm definitely over cleaning, unless I know someone's coming over . Thanks for a fun post!

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    1. I should live closer to you. Then you could cook for me and your house would be cleaner - lol!

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  14. I'm over all that stuff too. I hate that it interferes with what I want to do, even eating does that. I also hate doing hair, not mine. My daughter only brushes the hair on top, never the part under it. Well, I'm over that. If she wants to look like a waif, so be it. I can pretend I don't know her.

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    1. LOL! I think all moms come to that point. If they want to go out looking unkempt at age 13, that's on them!

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    2. Lol! My daughter does the same thing! I told her i was going to cut her hair like a boy if she doesn't start brushing underneath! I must agree that I am over that too!

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    3. Lol! My daughter does the same thing! I told her i was going to cut her hair like a boy if she doesn't start brushing underneath! I must agree that I am over that too!

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    4. I used to have to chase my daughter down to brush her hair. We have an extended family picture taken at my sister's wedding. I was a bridesmaid and my husband declined to wrestle my daughter and brush her hair, so she's looking rather waifish in the photo.

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  15. As a single mom, I have to do it all myself. I work at least 40hrs/wk and don't like spending my whole weekend doing housework. I've gotten into the habit of grocery shopping on Friday after work, then doing the cleaning, trash, litter, and laundry Saturday morning. I feel like I can't fully relax until the chores are out of the way! If I try to skip the housework, I find myself thinking of all the things I should be doing, instead of reading or watching tv! Lol

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  16. I'm over reality tv and crime shows. If I could I would live on the hallmark channel. I am not a fan of cooking either thanks to a 6th grade home economic teacher who turned me off on the domestic side of life. I do know how to cook and sew...I would rather be reading a book.

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    1. Congratulations Beverly! You are my winner! Please email me at melinda@melindacurtis.net with your address and choice of back list book. A list of all my titles can be found at www.melindacurtis.net

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  17. I'm over reality tv and crime shows. If I could I would live on the hallmark channel. I am not a fan of cooking either thanks to a 6th grade home economic teacher who turned me off on the domestic side of life. I do know how to cook and sew...I would rather be reading a book.

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  18. I love cooking! What I absolutely hate is cleaning up after! So, I am totally over washing dishes! The cycle never ends! As soon as everything is clean someone uses a dish and it's back to washing again! Ugh! I need a dishwasher!

    Amy Calby
    calbya2003@yahoo.com

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  19. Love it! Cooking has never been something I liked, but my family seems to enjoy my cooking so I keep doing it. I think it's all about the prep time. I hate the prep time. If we could skip to the end result I would be all over it ;)

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  20. Cooking is okay, I don't make anything fancy. Laundry and ironing are just par for the course, I have to go to work in clean clothes. The thing I like the least is dusting. I cannot stand getting into each nook and cranny and making things perfect.
    Suzieqsb(at)aol(dot)com.

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  21. Love your post today! And well, as the person who just cleaned the bathroom where a new toilet will be installed tomorrow (yes, I cleaned the old one), I hate cleaning as much as I do cooking. At least for now. 😉

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  22. Love this! Thank you for making me laugh. I don't mind cooking, but like a lot of the comments above, I don't like doing the dishes. So the potential mess I will make often prevents me from cooking. I would have to say I'm over clutter. So tired of battling it. I've reached the point where I just shrug, invite people in, and say "Well, this is how we live."

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  23. I'm so over cleaning, lol. I care for an 88 yr old women and I clean her home daily, well mainly her kitchen and bathroom daily, the rest of the house just once a week. Then on weekends I work at a hotel and clean rooms. Then when I'm home I have to clean my own home. I have a dog who sheds a lot, 3 kids and a husband to clean up after. I'm so done with cleaning!

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  24. I like cooking, just not everyday. The chore I put off waaaay too long is cleaning out the refrigerator. I sometimes find containers in the back with what I suspect are brand new lifeforms.

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  25. If you're spending time you would be cooking to write more books such as "A Man of Influence," I say commence with the take-out daily. :)

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  26. I'm over paperwork clutter. I'm not sure how I accumulate so much. I have a pile of papers that includes little scraps of paper where I jot things down, coupons, receipts, papers to be filed, etc. I waste lots of time sorting through loose paperwork to locate what I'm looking for. Eventually I file everything away or get rid of it, but it always comes back.

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  27. I actually do love cooking, though it does cut into my writing/reading time. But I hate cleaning house. My kiddos are all under six so it's often a daily mess of the same toys, diapers that somehow missed the trashcan and potty accidents from the training toddler. It does get old. If I could afford a maid, and thought she would keep things were I could figure out where they are, I totally would!

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  28. Mel, I'm seeing this late, but I couldn't agree more. I'm not a good cook anyway, and I have no imagination for it. Used to be, if I didn't have to produce a meal for a human being who couldn't produce it for her-or-himself, I just happily chose not to eat. Now, because of diabetes, I have to eat three squares a day--and eating has become a task. It has to be healthy. I'm happier if it's tasty--but that doesn't really mix with my being the one to cook it. As for cleaning, I live with a stacker, and the clutter smothers me, but I'd be happy to do all the cleaning in the house if someone else cleans the bathrooms. I even like cleaning the kitchen, because it's so pretty and shiny when it's clean! Hope someone else cleaned your abode and made you a delicious meal today! :-)

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