Simplifying . . .

"Only a very exceptionally gifted mind could cope singly with the problems which present themselves in the perfecting of a home."
~Arnold Bennett

I've been reading this book for a few weeks now, Simple Country Wisdom by Susan Waggoner. It's really given me a lot of food for thought. For a while now I have felt over-whelmed in my home. It's been like . . . we just have TOO much stuff . . . and I have had a yearning to simplify things . . .

So far it's only been a thought . . . a tender ache in my soul. The knowledge and deep set feeling that I need to pare down.

I spend countless minutes on Pinterest . . . looking at pictures of well planned and thought out rooms . . . and find myself wishing that I had the time, talent and money to be able to do the same . . . 

 

 There is in me, a longing to simplify our home . . . to slow things down and keep my house in the old fashioned ways . . . a yearning for simple, traditional country living. I know . . . I live on the edge of a beautiful city . . . but my home can still be an oasis of simplicity, by making a few changes.

And the first one is in aspiring to live twenty four hours a day . . . to be present in my life and in my home. I have a home and I need to live my life in it . . . and I need to create in my home the Island that I want to live on . . . my haven in a modern chaotic world. A place that I love to return to, which brings me peace, contentment and joy. My home must and should be an expression of me at my best, and that is my goal. 

 

I know it can be done . . . and I know it needn't cost the earth. (It mustn't cost the earth because I don't have the earth to spend!) It can start with little things . . . like getting rid of clutter and organizing things in a way that bring me peace, creating order out of chaos.

Susan says, and quite rightly so that the first step to bringing order to a home is . . . to . . . get rid of the clutter. With clutter . . . your home becomes one great big "To Do" list . . . and she is right. That is how it feels. In order to do anything in my house at the moment . . . I need to move things. Dusting takes so long because there is far too much bric a brac and things that I am keeping because they may come in handy one day . . .

I need a home where everything has a place and where there is a place for everything . . . and if there isn't a place for it, then it has to go. Items that are floaters never really get put away . . . they just move from room to room. 

 

I have far too many magazines, cookery magazines . . . so many so that they in and of themselves . . . are quite overwhelming. Every so often I have a cull . . . I need to have another one now in fact. Susan suggests that when a magazine is more than a few weeks old, you go through it a second time and then tear out whatever you wanted to keep, stapling continued articles together and putting them into an office envelope. (My ex boss had about 6 filing cabinets filled with recipes pulled from magazines. I DON'T WANT TO GO THAT FAR!) Then, in a few months time, she suggests you sit down and go through the pages you have saved and rethink of why you saved them . . . and if the mood has changed . . . get rid. I know for myself, I am always turning over pages in my magazines and thinking . . . I want to cook that. I make lists of ingredients. I go to the shops and pick them up. I come home. I can't find the recipe that I originally wanted to make because . . . I HAVE TOO MANY MAGAZINES WITH THE PAGES TURNED DOWN! It's infuriating.

I don't need that in my life.  This next week my challenge will be to get rid of the magazines. ♥♥♥

 

Happy 7th Weddding Anniversary to our Eileen and her husband Tim!  Its hard to believe that it has been 7 whole years since they got married. I guess time flies when you're having fun, and they certainly do have a fun and busy life together.  It is not without its bumps and hiccups and challenges, for sure. That's marriage and learning to live with another person!  They do love each other very much and I wish them an eternity of love and happiness together! 

It looks to be another fine and sunny day here today. Not complaining about that! 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *If you're brave enough to say goodbye,

life will reward you with a hew hello.

~Paulo Cohelo •。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Refrigerator Toffee Bars.  Simply scrumptious!

Have a great Saturday.  We won't be going too far today. There is too much to do around here!  Whatever you get up to today, don't forget!

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And I do too!