Hellos and Goodbyes

We've been sorting through so much stuff.  De-cluttering --again!  Grammy is visiting, and a friend has come to stay for a while.  We needed to create space.

I might have mentioned it here before, but we have so many books. Four overflowing full-sized shelves, and stacks of books just lying on the floor in almost every room of the house.  So how to decide which books to keep, and which books to say goodbye to?

I've had to devise a system consisting of key questions, each of which run through my head quickly as I hold a book in my hands.

Have I read it? If not, will I?  If I have, will I or anyone else in our house read it again?

If the answer is no to all, it goes.  If the answer is yes to the final question, it stays.  So far.

I've not managed to rid myself of many using this system, so I can see myself needing to become more ruthless.

We've managed a few goodbyes this week to friends as well as books.

Coo played a game of Busy Bee with Holly, who is off to university this weekend.

She had some treasured times with her buddy Lizzie, who is also on her way to university.

And Grammy? We have a fun-packed four weeks ahead of us, with many trips and days out planned.  Staying at home the last couple of days with Grammy has been no less exciting.

I'm so thankful for the chance to make memories every day, no matter which family members or friends are around.

Catching Up... Sort of!

No, I'm not suffering from writer's block; I've just had no time to blog!  

We've been taking trips to the park, de-cluttering, going to the library, reading, enjoying visits to and from friends, tidying the garden, preparing to say September goodbyes to a few people who've been part of our community, de-cluttering, enjoying sporadic sunshine, trudging through puddles and bursts of rain, visiting the science museum, planning future science museum trips, de-cluttering, having multiple passport photos taken [Aack! Forgot how expensive those were!], studying for a UK citizenship test, and squeezing a few moments out of the day for knitting and personal reading.  

A few highlights of our days out, de-cluttering, and other fun stuff...

Simplicity

Dan and I are currently re-reading The Irresistible Revolution, by Shane Claibourne. 

"When we talk of materialism and simplicity, we must always begin with love for God and neighbour, otherwise we're operating out of little more than legalistic, guilt-ridden self-righteousness.  Our simplicity is not an ascetic denunciation of material things to attain personal piety, for if we sell all that we have and give to the poor, but have not love, it is meaningless [1 Cor 13.3]... Rather than being bound up by how much stuff we need to buy, we can [also] get enslaved to how simply we must live.  Simplicity is meaningful only inasmuch as it is grounded in love, authentic relationships, and interdependence." [from Chapter 6]

In the midst of our 30 Day Clutter Bootcamp de-cluttering adventure and intention to simplify what we own into a more manageable mess, the reminder in these words was very clear to me, as Dan read them aloud tonight.  It's not about our stuff, how much or how little of it we have.  We are simplifying so we can be more easily focused on our relationships with God, our children, and the people around us.

Slow Days

Er no, not really.  We've had a crazy few weeks.  But I'm intent on slowing down a bit now, at least for the next month.  Long-planned obligations are out of the way and my time feels slightly more free.

So what's next?  

We are steadily continuing our 30 Days of Clutter Bootcamp, currently floating somewhere around Day 4.  Dan and I work together on this one, and find ourselves making space for de-cluttering time about once a week.  Our last venture was my junk drawer.  It looks incredible.  I will try to start taking some before and after photos as evidence.

I'm knitting away, too... nothing but dishcloths, all knitted in beautifully soft 50% bamboo, 50% cotton.  

Finally, planning the purchase of a big stainless steel pot for soap-making.  I already own a stainless steel pot, called Kevin, but we can't use him for soap-making!  He's strictly for food only.

So yes, I'm thinking August will be soap month.  I've had all the ingredients sitting around since last November! Time to conquer my ever-so-slight fear of using sodium hydroxide and get to work.

I'll let you know how it goes.  Possibly with some photos, as my camera has now returned to the land of the living, alive and well!

Treats

• Vinegary lavender smell of freshly cleaned downstairs bathroom.  Not thinking about the upstairs one just yet!
• Sixty CDs boxed up waiting to be given away, in these first few days of our 30 Days of Clutter Bootcamp endeavour.  This was half of what we previously owned.  Books and music - that's about the sum of most of our possessions.  Fortunately, this is set to change!
• Noticing raw chocolate buttons in the "new products" section of my co-op book.  Typing them into my order.  Mmmm... can't wait! [why raw chocolate?]
• Finishing said order in time for the weekend, which is [surprise!] going to be busy.
• Brand-new cotton and bamboo blend yarn in moss green, damson purple, and golden yellow.  Knitting dishcloths, which is rather mundane, I know, but I cannot wait to start, especially with such beautiful colours and silky yarn. 
• Fighting off a cold, which is not a treat. Drinking a glassful of antioxidant rich, fresh purple juice right before bed is!  This was beetroot, red cabbage, cucumber, carrot, and apple, with a handful of blended blueberries added.
• Looking forward to the prospect of spending half of tomorrow with no other kids but my Coo, on a girls afternoon out.
• Going to bed before 11pm!

Two Things

First thing. We've just returned from listening to Rue Royale make some music for a polite, quiet crowd at the Yardbird again.  I know, I know, I always go on about them... but they deserve it.  They're good!

Second thing. I've hinted at the possibility of drastic stuff-reduction measures looming on the horizon, but so far we've done nothing more radical than a few small clear-outs of clothes and toys.  To be honest, we don't have a huge amount of possessions; we're just feeling the need to reduce the amount of things we do have to the minimum. So... we're on Day 2 of our massive de-cluttering binge, with the help of a book entitled 30 Day Clutter Bootcamp.  Take it from this speed-reader; I've given the entire book a quick once over and it's amazing! I am the type of person who loves to read instructions for everything.  30 Day Clutter Bootcamp gives me exactly what I want with minimal fuss and no complications.  Each day has it's own specific set of items to focus on: music, books, photographs, etc. All clearing-out sessions are timed to avoid burnout, and there are many useful tips to employ along the way. 

There was probably a third thing.  But it's really late, and I've forgotten it.  Tomorrow promises to be a very long day, as usual, and I need to stop all this thinking.

I'll leave you with some Rue Royale.  Can't resist! 

Amsterdam Acoustics - Rue Royale : Blame from AMSTERDAMACOUSTICS on Vimeo.