Wisdom

 

Let Go

or

Be Dragged

... Zen Proverb

Me On Monday - April 29th

 To round off my month of Wisdom quotes about decluttering .. I've linked in two articles that I received in my news feed from Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist.  I will say upfront, I am not a minimalist & I don't agree with everything in either article, but like any information given to us, we take what we want or need, & ignore what doesn't sit with us. 

The first article was written by Myquilyn Smith of The Nesting Place. I posted her article about hushing a home.

5 House Rules To Make Minimalizing Work For Any Style

And the 2nd article, also from Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist, was also written by him,  is about wants & needs.  I like that he has not made this versus between wants & needs, he's not setting up a battle.

How-to-distinguish-between-wants-and-needs

Hope everyone has a good week.

PS: in case anyone is wondering why I am either not commenting on their posts or making short comments ... Blogger is not being very friendly to me & it seems any comment beyond one line is rejected.  I have no idea why ...

Wisdom

 

Creating space, decluttering, & evaluating our beliefs about what is enough helps us restore our homes to their original purpose - refuge.

                ... Lisa Avellan

Me On A Monday - April 22nd

 Happy Earth Day (Canada).  We'll be turning our lights off at 8pm for an hour with the rest of Canada. 

I had a very social week last week, so this week is all about recovery for me - I need lots of quiet time & thankfully have only one day, two events of people centred activities, the rest is no in person activities.

Monday I met a friend for tea (me), coffee (her). We had a nice catch up with all that is happening in our lives.  She now lives full time at their cottage & only comes into town every 6 weeks for her hair.

Tuesday we met the paint colour consultant that is part of the painters we chose for the task of painting our kitchen, ensuite & hallway.  Picking the kitchen colour was difficult as we were trying to find a colour that works with the cabinets, the flooring & the appliances.  We picked a netural greiege - Balboa Mist.  We decided that this colour would also work for hallway.  The ensuite is going to be a light grey.

Wednesday, my ladies bible study group met in the morning.  We are nearing the end of the series on Exodus & then we'll be taking a summer break after the 15th of May.

Thursday was an emergency run for Mr Man to the city where his eye surgeon is located, about an hour away.  That turned into a long day of waiting & treatment.  Thankfully nothing dreadful; it was the very large medical contact lens that needed replacing. To be on the safe side they injection some antibiotics & then refitted the medical contact lens.

Thursday evening was the first meeting of the library's cookbook book club.  I was one of 3 ladies that showed up.  This first session was about comfort food.  There's no cooking, the librarian selects cookbooks with the session's theme focus, we chose one, decided on a recipe from that book, make it (at home) & then write a book report on the book & recipe at the next meeting, end of May.  I'll give it another try as I am not sure this is for me.  I've chosen to make pie crust from scratch.  The recipe I'll be making has vinegar, & a half & half of butter & shortening.  Of course, the water has to be very cold. 

Friday was income tax day for us, & while not a lot of people contact, it was a stressful half day dealing with government forms. Thankfully done.

Saturday I attended a Women's Breakfast Conference - Seek Him in Prayer. It was hosted by the church where I attend my Wednesday bible study.  It was an amazing morning, every little detail seen to.  I did not have to remind anyone that I was vegetarian - my special breakfast plate was ready for me.  One of the biggest chuckles came when it was announced that for this morning all bathrooms in the church, were women's washrooms.  Now that is truly understanding your audience.  

Sunday I was greeting at my own church & then there was a Parish Brunch.  

This week was much more peopling that I have done in the last year!

Wisdom

 

Decluttering our spaces, invites us to think more deeply about what we want and what we need in our lives.

                ... Leo Babauta

Me On A Monday - April 15th

 

Good Morning All. I hope that everyone is well. 

Currently Reading: just finished up two books, How To Solve Your Own Murder. I did not find this long awaited book all that engaging. I did not connect with any of the characters.

A surprise enjoyable read, The Bittlemores, written by singer/song writer Jann Arden.  "The Bittlemores takes place on a rural farm and follows the story of 14-year-old Willa Bittlemore as she tries to find out what happened to her older sister Margaret.  This family is part fantasy, part fiction, part little bits of my actual DNA. My mom's childhood, my dad's disposition, long dead relatives and dear childhood friends. I had a mighty group of souls cheering us on — me and Willa and Carol and Margaret and the cows and a feisty orange cat," says Jann Arden. 

I loved the cows! 🐄🐄🐄

Currently Watching: One episodes in of Mr Bates & The Post Office. I know that this is a true story. We do like Toby Jones & so many of the cast are known to me via Coronation Street. 

Currently Doing Some Home Projects: painting the walls in the ensuite bathroom, kitchen & hallway.  Neither Mr Man or I are painters, so we have hired decorators to do. Which leaves us free to do some sorting in the basement!  We finished up hushing the living room last week & after spending time with only the big furnishings in the room for a week*, we have put back fewer items to see if we enjoy the reduction of things. Nothing has been given away or donated, they are in a box to see if we miss. I am by no means a minimalist. * Home hushing articles all say 24-36 hours of hushing, we decided we needed more time of quiet before bringing anything back in; that worked for us.

Here's another link to hushing a room if you are interested: House-hushing-why-you-need-it.  I've also included a link to an article that has several contributors with some tidbits of info that could be helpful. What-is-home-hushing?   

For me, I take what I need from any of the suggestions & leave what doesn't speak to me.

And I'll leave you with this thought & chuckle from the internet ... "I leave my house a mess so that when friends visit, they go home feeling better about their own housekeeping skills ... I'm a good friend like that."

Wisdom

 

Decluttering is infinitely easier when you think of it as deciding what to keep rather than what to throw away.

                ... Francine Jay