How embarrassing!

Yes! I am a clean and tidy freak.

It’s one of the mysterious laws of nature that people will always turn up when the house is in a mess - well in my experience anyway, and my housekeeping isn’t Norah Batty standard, by a long chalk. Don’t worry, if she was kind enough to call to see how you’re getting on she will completely understand your present difficulties. When you’re back to normal and the builders have gone you can get everything the way you like it and invite her round for coffee.
Get well soon!

Yes I'm sure I would have been initially when she walked in, but she probably didn't notice that your home wasn't as clean and tidy as you'd like, and how it would be normally.

It's very frustrating when you just can't do the things you'd normally be doing. Your H sounds a treasure doing the best he can. I hope your recovery continues to go well, if slowly .

Not that it would happen because I too like a clean and tidy home.
But for any reason that it could, I would die ?
I can’t operate in mess.

MerylStreep you would run out of my house shouting and screaming. My mother was a ward sister, had a day off a month and we lived in a show home.

I do employ a cleaner but my house is untidy. I am a lover of books so they are everywhere.

Daftbag could the funds stretch to paying a cleaner even if only once a fortnight.

Look after yourself.

You have my sympathy because of your injuries and I hope the healing process in well under way.
Your neighbour called to see how you are and probably wouldn't judge your home under the circumstances.
By no stretch of the imagination am I Mrs Bouquet. When I had my hip op my husband was running our business. Our house was the last priority it should be yours until you recover fully.

Hope you are well on the way to getting better. I am certain that you neighbour did not even notice what you think is your messy home - and if she did she would fully understand the reason.s

Brings back memories of when I had my twins, and had three other children under the age of 6 years old. People would pop in and all murmer sympathetically about there being dust etc. around. A few even helped out, I was totally relaxed about it, after all knew that the dust would be there for many future years for me to clear up, but my babes would only be young for such a short time.

For Franbern

Hope this doesn't infringe any copyright. My mum gave me a copy of this when my children were small.

Babies Don’t Keep

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Author: Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Yes under normal circumstances I like our house to be clean and tidy but when ill health hits there has to be compromises. It is very kind when friends and neighbours want to pop in and say hello and I am sure that they don't notice the mess. Perhaps they live in untidy houses too! Great that your Husband is trying to do his best but as you are having Builders in soon I agree wait until they have finished and you are better and then have a Spring clean. Wishing you well soon.

Pink Casmos, thanks for the lovely poem!

One of the nicest friends I have blows the dust off things so you can see them better. I stopped worrying about her coming to mine.
Get well soon.

Why not treat yourselves to a professional deep clean after the builders have finished. A lovely fresh start for when you’re feeling better.

I am in entire agreement with Judy54. I doubt that the visiters ever notice the state of the house even though you can see every speck of dirt, and if they do, will write it off to your current disabled state.

Do not waste more than a passing thought on the subject, in fact forget the passing thought as well. People spend far too much time getting embarrassed about things that no one else even notices.

Just concentrate on getting well.

Oh pinkcosmos that poem is just priceless, should be issued with every pack of nappies

J52

Why not treat yourselves to a professional deep clean after the builders have finished. A lovely fresh start for when you’re feeling better.

Good wheeze

Just get better don't worry about it, I bet she didn't give it a second thought. She came to see her friend not inspect the house.
I'm just hip replacement, so I'm not able to do much frustrating at times but hey ho I have to get over it.
DH doing his best and thankfully I have a wonderful cleaner, weekly.
But you have had Builders in.. Dust will still be there hanging around for months! Agree look at a deep clean or a cleaner for a while until your up and about.
Just get yourself well and don't fret about mess. Best wishes

You are unable to do the housework, so don't worry what she thinks. I live alone and if I'm ill the place has to go to pot for a while, but you soon get on top of it again. Just get yourself better.

Your husband is 'helping' with the housework? Isn't it his house too? Tell him to improve his skills or to pay for a cleaner!

Worse things happen at sea. I would love a clean tidy homebut due to pain have to have things easily to hand (clutter) It has taken me trhree days to complete deep cleaning of our small bathroom. Other rooms are a lengthier project, so something has to give.

PinkCosmos, that poem is utterly beautiful and made me shed a small tear. Both my girls are grown and flown and I miss those blissful days, when the housework was happily ignored, with a vengeance.

Sorry, OP, I meant to add not to worry about a bit of mess. You're recovering, it's been unbearably hot, and I imagine an awful lot of people have looked at the dust/mess in their own homes and simply thought it can go hang until it's cooler and they feel up to it. Your recovery is much more important than anything else. (Flowers)

I have a sign by my door that says. I cleaned my house yesterday...sorry you missed it. As a good friend said...'I came to see you not your home'. Your visitor came to see how you were. She knows what had happened and that you are incapacitated. I doubt she noticed and I really doubt that it is as bad as you see it....

I’ve had 10 years of ill-health, including arthritis which makes it difficult to bend down to clean, so my house is completely out of control. I can’t suggest any solutions that others haven’t suggested, except to try and accept that your priority at the moment has to be your recovery. Broken bones take a lot out of you, and your body needs rest to heal. I imagine your leg must be painful as well. If the mess is really getting you down, that won’t help your recovery.

They come to c u not your home if they are true friends you shouldn't worry as they won't be bothered either way ☺️