Pack a Bag, We're Taking a Trip!

I haven't mentioned decluttering lately...two reasons...(1) I haven't been decluttering myself (2) everyone I talk to is consumed with how busy they are trying to keep up with the pace of their lives.
Both reasons - sad commentaries. If life is a journey, we are driving down the road at such a fast speed we are not noticing all we are missing along the way. Once upon a time, people used to take long relaxing drives for the fun of it. No one has time, gas money or the inclination to deal with the highways and back-roads anymore. I miss leisurely drives.

So, Friends, let's pack an overnight bag and hit the road to ridding ourselves of the excess and clutter of our lives. Pack light...that's our motto! Live light...our goal.

So as not to be weighted down by a cumbersome stack of luggage (possessions) to drag around, we'll use our trip as an analogy for our decluttering.

The days of make-up cases are far behind us, let's leave it there.  
I have decluttered my make-up and toiletries to the barest of necessities and love it! I was a 'keeper' of all things make-up no matter how little was left. If I could shake a can and hear anything, I kept it. If it required a Q-tip to dig out the last of the eye shadow, I kept it. No more, Friends! I threw away everything (most older than dirt anyway) but the 1 bottle of foundation I use, 1 tube of mascara, 1 make-up brush, 1 blusher, 1 eyeliner, 1 loose powder. 1 eye shadow (I rarely use anymore anyway, it's on the endangered list) and a small mirror. All these go into my make-up bag, where they live, no longer taking space in drawers and/or counters and ready to hop into an overnight bag when I leave town. I LOVE IT! Same for mousse, hairspray, etc. I have 1 of anything I consider a necessity and if I don't use it regularly, it must not be a necessity.


Start with a clean slate.
Travelers start with an empty suitcase, and select each item that goes into it. Take a similar approach when decluttering: empty the entire contents of the drawer, closet, or room you’re working on. Then carefully consider each item, and decide whether to return it to the space. Choose what to keep, rather than what to toss. Here's my confession...I tried this with the first of my many junk drawers in the kitchen. Emptying out the drawer onto the island was ok, sorting and inventorying all that cr..er, stuff was ok. Deciding what to keep was ok but allowing myself to throw away all the other stuff...EKK! I left it on the island for days because I got crazy & could not make my arm wipe it off into the trash can! There, I've said it! My confession!

Here's a partial inventory list: 5 allen wrenches (really?), 2 compasses kids use in math, 1 protractor, a cup full of misc bolts and screws, a baggie full of batteries (alive or dead, I don't know), several eyeglass cleaner wipes, candles of various size, 1 pair of adult & 3 kid size scissors, 2 screwdrivers, packets of peppers from Pizza Hut, it goes on and on....you get the picture! Once I did push all that cr..er, stuff into the trash, I felt SOOO much better! This brings us to the next point I want to make.

Question every item. In a small carry-on, every item must pull its weight. Demand the same of your household possessions: have a conversation with your stuff, and ask what value it adds to your life. If the answer is “not much,” get it out of the house. I know, I know, easier said than done but worth it when it's over.

Live on the edge. The light traveler addresses her needs as they arise; if she runs out of deordorant in Spain, she simply buys some more. Adopt a similar philosophy at home: instead of stockpiling stuff or holding on to “just in cases,” acquire things on an as-needed basis. This is how I now approach my make-up, toiletries, pantry staples, linens, most everything. An extra set of sheets is fine, but when it takes a closet or chest to contain them, chances are you've got too many. I realized we have 5 comforters, 1 bedspread, 2 quilts and 1 duvet cover...we only have 2 beds. I had several sets of twin size girly sheets and no twin size bed or girls, I gave those away to someone that could use them...the sheets, not the girl. Same with full size linens. Do we REALLY need 6 packs of toilet paper? Would that fit into a sleeper car on a train trip on the Orient Express across Europe? Pack light, live light!

Think versatility. To save space, light packers favor items that do double- or triple-duty (like clothes that can be dressed up or down, and layered for different climates). Use the same principle in your home: choose versatile or multi-functional items (like a sleeper sofa, or all-purpose saute pan) over single-task ones. Reducing my knife stash has worked beautifully! I now have 2 multi-purpose knives, including the ceramic one I tried to declutter my thumb with, and 6 steak knives.

I had a revelation a while back. I kept all that extra stuff thinking we'd need it when we had guest, family celebrations, etc. Well, fact of the matter is, our homes should be geared for how we live today, not how we would live if someone graced us with their company. If we added up the number of days we actually had guest in our homes, subtracted it from 365 X # years we've held on to the extra stuff, we would be amazed at how much time and space we allot to things we rarely use. Sure, it may be handy on those few days but it adds little-no value to our day-to-day life. We surround ourselves with stuff we rarely see or need and pay to store it in environmentally controlled homes. It's a lie you know, the saying "the one that dies with the most toys wins." I'd rather die on the road of life with my small overnight bag than be buried by mountains of stuff that have little meaning to me anymore. I want to live life, not dust it. 

Falling Leaves and Quality Time

I cannot believe October is almost gone! I have had my head down as I worked to finish the book I was working on and when I looked up, October was almost gone! I love October... and November and December, I do not want to miss all of them as I did October. Please, friends, if you happen to notice I am missing in action, give me a buzz and ask what is going on!

Part of living the Simple Life is making more room and time for the things you love. Yes, I love writing the books but it is also my work, my job, my labor...doesn't really count only as doing what I love. It is a blessing that I am able to DO what I love for a living but it is still work and I tend to get hyper-focused sometimes. Irony is that other times I can't focus at all..LOL Where's that balance I'm always talking about when I need it, huh?

I started writing a new book today; I'm excited, I'm pumped, I'm rarin' to go. I also want to make sure I do not repeat the same mistakes and miss the whole fall season. In whatever you daily, do it well and with a happy heart but make sure to leave time and energy for the things and people you love. When we leave this earth let it not be with regret for all we missed doing: for kisses not given, for the "I love you" not said, for walks not taken. Our accomplishments are not so much measured by quantity but quality. Take time to live a more simple life of quality. We'll all be blessed for it.

Woman, Know Thy Self!

Our kids came for a family gathering this past weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It had been some time since most of them had been in our home and we were discussing some of the changes we have made in our never-ending remodel/redecorating quest. One of the daughters-in-love commented that she didn't have the 'decorator gene' and wouldn't know where to start. I told her she just needed to know herself, everything she needed to know was inside her. Asking a couple of probing questions, we discovered she liked the decor from the 60's & 70's. Ah ha! Now we know she likes Retro! That's a great first step. Her face literally lit up when she said that. Sitting across the room, my son, her husband, looked  skeptical. I informed my beloved son that the sooner he acknowledges the inside of the home is his wife's domain, the happier all would be. My Honey knows this and has come to trust my taste and judgment. My son would be well served to support and nurture this in his wife.

My Honey brought up that I liked to watch decorating shows and read design magazines. This is true, a wealth of technical information and inspiration can be gleaned from both, but the bottom line is in knowing what it is that brings out the inner you. Our homes need to reflect our personalities, our tastes and be a safe haven we can retreat within for comfort and peace. I learned I cannot be 'settled' in a room that does not feel right to me. In spite of my eclectic, Bohemian-esque style and love affair with intense color, when broken down, my decor is steeped in traditional style. That's not the first impression you get when you look around the room but traditional elements are everywhere when you dissect the room. I have never been one to follow fads and current trends. In fact, I avoid them on purpose, always have. I think a guest in our home should be able to see more of who I am, not what someone in a magazine or TV show tells us we need to have to be "in style" this season. I do not want my rooms filled with things that everyone up and down the block can run to the local big box store to make their rooms look just like mine, either. We are individuals, our homes should be, too.

This does not mean we cannot appreciate a style or design choices others make. I love mid-century design and decor, though it is not a part of my home. Over the years light wood tones have come and gone, I admire them in other people's homes, I've considered incorporating them in mine...I never do. I am emotionally drawn to warm wood tones, red oak, mahogany, etc. Bottom-line, I go with those, they touch a place in my soul that says "home". I'm not into matchy-matchy furniture either. If you love something, really love a piece, it will fit in some where if your home is reflecting you.

Our entire kitchen remodel was inspired by an antique oak breakfront I bought shortly after we were married. The piece sits in our family room, which is open to the kitchen, with a flat screen TV on it. Not, perhaps, how one might first think to use that antique, but it is the inspiration for the whole area. My kitchen has many brushed nickel elements juxtaposition against the red oak cabinets. There is a cool toned blue-gray along with the warm red-orange of the cabinets, antique piece and the wall color below the chair rail and on the accent wall. Our floors are a terracotta color, and it might surprise you to know it is considered the neutral in the room. Sound odd to you? Perhaps, but thinking about it, analyzing the room, we find blue and orange are opposites on the color wheel. They are complementary colors, and will always look good together. The various (analogous colors, side by side, on the color wheel) shades of red-orange found in the aged oak blend the warm colors of the lower walls, accent wall and floor. It is the balance of the cool and warm in the room that keep either from being overbearing. Balance plays a large part whether or not a room feels right. Balance is vital in my traditional look, though my color choices are not traditional at first glance. This may sound complicated but it is not. A look at a color wheel can help make daunting choices simple. Knowing the colors that 'feel' right to you is the first step.

When my sons were infants, I loved Oriental decor, not the stereotypical red and black combo of Chinese restaurants, but the blue and whites. Today, 30 years later, our master bedroom has an Oriental bent. The blue and whites have been replaced with shades of sage green, gold, silver, and accented with small touches of red. It feels elegant, even though the room is not complete. Why is it the bedroom is the last to be decorated? Or is it just me? The point I am trying to make is that the things you love, when they are a part of you, do not go in & out of style. My words to my daughter-in-love about knowing who you are inside are the best decorating tips anyone can give you. How can your home not feel like a retreat from chaos when it reflects you? Your inner sanctuary determines your outer sanctuary when you are true to yourself. Woman, know thy self! Welcome home.   

Help! I've Found the Enemy and It's Me!

I have a confession to make...I am sabotaging myself today in my efforts to live a simple life! Here is how this came to be: our kids, some of them anyway, are coming out tomorrow for lunch. I invited them. I am excited they are coming. The old "pre-simple life me" would have gone to great lengths to prepare a large meal because... well, I'm a cook and that's what I do. Due to my resolve for that simple life, I decided to make a simple meal, no fuss, no muss. I'd rather spend the little time with my family visiting...not cooking, serving, cleaning, etc. "Simple it is!" says I. Crispy tacos, Spanish rice and Borracho Beans for lunch with Key Lime pie for dessert....yummy and SOOOO simple.

Old habits are hard to break, OCD decidedly one of them, Perfectionism another...admittedly, I spent a stupid amount of time in finding the perfect bell pepper - one bell pepper - for the simple Spanish rice I am making. It seems my perfectionism raises its ugly head most often in the produce department...don't me why. Anyway, perfect in size, color, etc bell pepper located and purchased! This morning, as I am preparing the food for tomorrow, I am taking my own sweet, stress-free time and enjoying the process....at least, I was until I could not locate my bell pepper when I needed to add it to the rice. At this point in time, I have searched and researched my fridge, emptied the grocery bags of 'paper stuff', cups, etc, checked the pantry because one cannot be too careful in one's dotage and even called my Honey at work to see if I might have left it in the trunk when I got home from the grocery. I am a mess and have no one to blame but myself. I continued to cook the rice because I was too far into the process to stop. It's ok, only ok...needs a stinkin' bell pepper!

Let me say it is not an easy transition to move to a simple life when one goes about making life harder than it has to be. Did I mention I started slow roasting 10 pounds of meat at 5:30am (today) for tacos tomorrow? **SIGH**

It's a Matter of Time

One of things I least like about myself is that I have trouble finishing a task completely. For example, we loaded the car with some things in the dark of early morn to take to the donation center. That is, in light of our quest to rid ourselves of excess, a very good thing. The not so good part is that the stuff has been sitting around since July. It feels wonderful to see space, just empty space where the stash had been. Why, of why, I ask myself, didn't we make that happen sooner?! It's not like we didn't see the cr...er, stuff, every day! It was taking up space and making the living room less attractive since July. Yet, we did nothing, other than talk about getting rid of it, for months. Does this make sense to anyone?

It occurs to me that I run out of steam and enthusiasm for whatever task I am working on just short of the finish line. This is a mindset I want to eliminate. To successfully eliminate this bad habit, I must process and understand why I do that. Any suggestions? Any one have a thought to contribute?

I find I work better with a deadline. If I have 2 hours, it takes 2 hours. If I have 30 minutes, it takes 30 minutes. I read in one lesson of a workshop I am taking, that a task should take no more than 10, 20, or 30 minutes. It said that if it takes more than 30 minutes, it is a project rather than task. By breaking tasks down to small slivers of time (10, 20, 30) they are not as daunting as thinking you have a huge project before you. When I actually had regular routines, it reinforced that we can do anything for 15 minutes. A timer was vital to stay within the 15 minutes because it took away the urge to keep looking at the clock to see how much time was left! You stop when the timer went off. Easy enough.

So, I'm working toward establishing a new way of thinking that works with my writing schedule, a major priority, rather than beating myself up for not accomplishing what I 'think' I should (thus stealing my peace) when I am writing. My homework is setting a time limit on tasks and leaving projects for days when writing is not on the agenda. My goal is live a simple life that works, for us, rather than having tired, old mindsets dictate life to me.

Write back and share what you find works for you!

Chill Out and Live

Hallelujah, cool weather is upon us! Being an allergy-ridden sort, I deal with the irritating condition all year long but this time of year when you can draw back the drapes and open the windows, I do it in spite of the hoovering allergens floating around waiting to get me. Nothing inspires and excites me like a chilly morning. We left the windows open overnight, so it was delightfully nippy. My energy level soars on these morning and I want to dance and frolic about. However, I have a deadline for finishing the book I'm working on, so all chilly morning frolicking must wait. My best brain time is early mornings.

So, you may be asking, what does any of this have to do with living a simple life? It is, I believe, a core element of simple living. It is conservation at its best. As I mentioned, my best brain time is early mornings. Writing requires a lot from a brain, making it wise to use my best brain time for that purpose. I would be cheating my work, myself and my readers if I committed words to paper (or computer screen) when I was lagging mentally. The creative process excites and inspires me, though there is no getting around the fact that I am often left semi-brain dead after a long writing session.

Fortunately for me, little brain power is required of me to wash and hang out a load of laundry. Same with cleaning the kitchen, or dusting and vacuuming (dang allergens, again). These are all necessary and important tasks, but they do not drain me mentally as does the writing. Using wisdom, we relieve unnecessary stress where we can. It is wise to save the best brain time for that which requires the most brain power. Living a simple life means we control our environment rather than it controlling and dictating to us.

I have been guilty of adding stress where it was not necessary by including tasks on my To-Do lists that should not have hit my priority radar. By adjusting my attitude and mindset, I am learning to objectively look at the "Big Picture" and see if the things I'm stressing over really make a difference or not. If they do not, I drop them like a hot potato. This has not been an easy transition for a detail person, let me assure you. However, I find I am enjoying life more now that I have determined to live a simple life.

For example, I've spoken often of our ongoing state of semi-construction in our home. For years now I have avoided having guest over because I wanted things to be finished first. All I've accomplished with that thinking is cheating myself out of the pleasure of having friends over. My real friends do not care if my house is ever finished. They are not coming over to inspect or critique our home, they are coming over for friendship and fellowship. I made the choices that caused me to lose out on entertaining, to fret over things not done instead of simply enjoying life in the here and now. How goofy is that? No more, People! I have determined to live life each day to its fullest regardless of circumstances and to remove all the self-imposed restrictions that hindered that goal.

Today, look for one attitude or restriction you've put on your life that hinders your moving forward with living a simple life. As for me and my house, we're going to live a rewarding, enriched simple life on Hacienda Hill. Morning, World, here we come!  

Going to the Dogs

Can one live a simple life if one is not given to making the occasional walk rather than drive to the mailboxes? I think not! Thankfully, cooler weather is making its way to south Texas and walking can become a consideration once more. Assuming you stick to early morning, at least for now. I made a trek to the mailboxes myself a bit ago. I can hear the cardio doc applauding in my head...can you hear it?

There is not a lot going on in our village this time of day. People are working, kids are schooling...not much to see but a plethora of dogs. We are, by all visible and auditory evidence, a village of dog lovers. In our home alone we are out numbered two to one.

I avoided any hullabaloo from my own canines by exiting out the front door. This is my writing time of day so they are sequestered in their respective doggy yard and/or puppy daycare for the duration. I made a clean get-away. Of course, half way down the driveway, our neighbor's penned canines started alerting their cronies I was on the move. And so it began...

Though we reside in the country, it is still a country neighborhood, and the 1/2 mile trek to the mailboxes passes yards and fences of many a neighboring dog; all of which were compelled to extol their (assumed) joy at my passing by. My first sighting of a live person was almost at the top of the hill to the main road (huff, puff) and he was kind enough to call his rather large and loud canine friend to his side as I passed by their open gate. We are not supposed to have free roaming animals in the village but try telling that to the dogs, they do not care. We waved a cheery 'hello', mine full of gratitude, his in acknowledgment.  

Finally at the mailboxes, I deposited my envelop, my mission complete. We have a friendly man in the village that lives across from the mailboxes and he greeted me as he waited for his 'bus' that takes him to the Senior Center for his daily visits. He's a little 'slow' but always waves, you have to love that. The mailbox corral was being thoroughly investigated by a teen-aged pup that looked like a chocolate lab mix with beautiful green eyes. He was eager to make my acquaintance and sniffed me accordingly. I was found suitable, in spite of the lingering smell of our dogs...or maybe because of the lingering smell of our dogs...and the pup proceeded to walk me home. In spite of my many efforts to shoo him away, he would not be deterred. At one point along the road, he wandered in an open gate and I hoped he would be intrigued long enough for me to get out of sight and mind but, as soon as I thought I had made my escape, he came galloping up behind me.

We were approaching the driveway of my friend, Mina; I hoped she was home, so I could duck into her house for a bit, long enough for a some girl talk and for the pup to forget all about me. Alas, she was not home. Admittedly, although I do not believe in 'drop-in' company, I was hoping to rest at her house because ...well, her house was closer than mine!

Additional efforts to shoo away the pup proved just as fruitless as the first and he rankled the vocal chords of every dog between the mailboxes and my driveway. I knew he would be most unwelcome by our hounds and they picked up on him without even seeing him. Thus began the mournful howl that inspired my term of endearment, 'the hounds', in the first place.

Curiously enough, it was the fearful dashing of kittens that scared him as he approached the steps to our front deck. These are the progeny of the feral cat that graces us with her presence...as long as we do not try to get too close. It amused me that this obviously delightful and enthusiastic pup was deterred, not by any of the barking or shooing, by two little kittens running as if their tails were on fire. So much for loyalty!