Life back here at home rolled on without me over the weekend while I was out of town for a family funeral. My Honey was able to be home with the newest and youngest family member, Nina, the 12 week old (according to vet) Chihuahua puppy he rescued from the creek and highway last Thursday. It was good for both of them. Her starved little body is filling out and you can barely see her ribs and joints now. Her eyes are clear and she no longer looks incredibly sad. The ant bites are healing and soon she shall be her pretty little self without the ravages of life on her own taking it's toll. As I write this she is in a warm doggy bed right beside my desk chair playing with her toy pink wiener dog. She is like a little shadow that makes every move I make. As long as she can be by me, she is fine and content but the time she spent in the wilderness alone has taken a toll; she was out alone during the time Hurricane Hermine came blowing through here. As her memories of that fearful time fade, I'm sure she will grown in confidence.
Today I am ready to get back to my mission of minimizing the material things that seem to have taken over our home and life. I'd like to take this time to say again that reducing clutter and possessions does not mean you get rid of everything near and dear to you. It simply means you get rid of everything that is not near and dear to you or that you do not really use in day-to-day life. Here's the criteria I use...if it does not bring a smile to my face when I look at it, I do not love it and/or I have not used it within the last year, it is gone! If I have more of any one thing than I can reasonable use, I pare down to the essentials. Who needs 7 spatulas when they only have 2 hands anyway? I finally threw away the old rusty metal spatula I have had longer than my sons...they are 30 now! 'Nuff said.
Re-purposing items can bring back life and functionality, as well. For instance, I had an antique 'gentleman's' chest of drawers that has resided in what is now 'my room' AKA the guest room for years. This is the room where I display all my treasures from various mission trips and it has something of an exotic feel to it. I have mosquito netting hung from the ceiling over the bed, the colors are warm and earthy. The room just flat out makes me feel good when in I am in there. It has a memory foam mattress on the bed that is good for my achy joints, thus the claim of 'my room'. A good friend recently gave me an antique wardrobe, which would make its home in that room. I had a couple of pieces too many to bring in the new piece so I had to make choices and decisions per the rule: Bring something new in, something old has to go! I gave the old wardrobe in the room with which I was not emotionally attached to a friend that needed it for storage. She was happy to get it! I took that gentleman's chest and cut it in half, making two night stands out of it. One for the master bedroom and one for 'my room'. Having re-purposed the chest, I now have furniture that serves us well from one that no longer met our needs. Love it more now that it is better utilized. And, the new wardrobe is making itself useful while adding to the wonderful atmosphere of the room. That is what motivates me, making the most of what I have and love while eliminating that which no longer brings joy. (Things I love ((minus -)) things I don't love) + less clutter to clean (you cannot organize clutter) = Simple Life on Hacienda Hill. Ahhhh.....
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