If the Inuit have numerous ways to describe snow and ice, surely we, of the great Southwest, should have at the ready a pile of words to characterize our perpetual condition living in an evergrowing layer of dust. While we might be impoverished in the accumulation of expressive words for this state of affairs, we lack nothing in the accumulation of dust itself. “Dust to dust” has special resonance in the Southwest, particularly if you use dust as a verb. While I sit amid the gaily festooned swags of dust that spider between the noses of wooden rabbits and Oaxaca pottery and crisscross the corners of the room, haloing every light fixture, I recall that Santa Fe has seasons of dust, as well as dust microclimates. These vary from region to region and bring us the very fine, silty, tan dust that covers floors and furniture, as well as a unique bluishgray, almost fiberlike dust that would lead you to believe a Levi’s factory moved to the neighborhood.

Making the very safe assumption that you will be dusting sometime soon, I urge you to do as I do and see dusting as an opportunity, not a chore—nay, an obligation that transcends mere cleaning. If you must collect, you must also dust. And if you find that the number of things you have to dust is accumulating just as rapidly as the dust, consider executing a tricky maneuver and making a clean sweep of clutter. Tidying can be rewarding? Sure it’s a stretch, but hang onto your mops, batten down the dust bunnies, and read on to see how cleaning can be creative.

To read the complete story, please find Su Casa at your local newsstand or order it online here or by phone at 505-344-1783 or toll-free 866-256-4925.