Simplifying Life - Mark II

ceridwen

,,and a good point again Aril....

I guess the ideal is to mature nicely (I tell people I'm maturing like a "fine wine" - well on a good day!) - but stay open to new places/people/experiences. I guess getting old mentally is something I visualise as having a mind thats fossilising (ie getting set in stone).

So - my idea of a good evening......a small, low-key social event with likeminded people - where theres healthy food (and a couple of new things for me to try), a few "old faces" to catch up with and a few new people to meet.

mary43

Aril - good to hear from you again. Like you I have some 'special' bits and pieces that every so often, particularly if I feel a bit 'down' I like to go through and look at - they bring back memories, some are silly little toys the kids once had, a touchy-feely piece of material, pictures of course and letters from close friends and my sons that always bring a smile to my face. Its important to hold on to those 'good things' in my book.

And why shouldn't you have a dolls house ? I've got a few teddy''s kicking around that I just love and can remember who bought them for me or where I bought them from.........we've all got an 'inner child' and should never try to push it away.

Bit of worrying news this morning - OH's mother had a fall yesterday and is now in hospital waiting for replacement hip operation as she broke her hip. She has brittle bone disease plus heart problems and to be honest I can't see her going home as she lives alone and I'm not sure she'd manage at all. We live miles and miles away which is frustrating for OH as he feels so useless but at least his older brothers live close by.
Fingers cross everything goes ok with the operation.
As for my Mum, well, she's bright and awake one minute then drifts off again apparently. Big Bruv is coming back on Oct.16 for about 3 sweeks he thinks but he's bought an open ended ticket as he's not sure.

OH went to great pains to 'de-clutter' the other day filling two charity bags only to find that they left a load of stuff behind ! Sort of put him off a bit so thats come to a stand still -for now anyway.

Pleased to say I'm ploughing through my christmas 'creations' and bit by bit they're leaving my little 'cluttered' den and making their way to the spare room. Looked in there this morning :eek: I really must sort it all out -who's having what - after the phone call about OH's mum, then not knowing what will happen with my Mum if I'm not careful I'll get in a real panic should anything happen. So, come Tuesday afternoon when youngest lad has gone to see his Mum I'll make a start :j

ceridwen

Sorry to hear of O.H.'s mothers fall - hope all works out okay on that.

Re the decluttering - theres a new site "Dont Dump That" - as well as Freecycle where things might usefully be rehomed.

mary43

ceridwen - I use the don'tdumpthat site a lot and have got rid of stuff on there that wouldn't shift on freecycle. Sadly, no one wants my defunk vaccum cleaner.............thought someone might want it for spares but its still in the cupboard. Got three portable t.v. sets as well that might work if the right person came along.............
Still, you never know.............I put old wine bottles on there and plastic plant pots -they were there for ages and all of a sudden two people wanted the bottles and the woman who took the plant pots came back for more..............:j

beemuzed

Ceridwen, i have so enjoyed the other thread (although I still haven't quite finished it!) so am delighted that it will continue albeit as a Mark11 version. My life feels much too full - and very cluttered in all senses, but I am slowly realising that as long as my full-time job (I'm a headteacher ducks quickly to avoid brickbats etc.) continues to occupy me from 7.30am - silly pm when I crawl into bed, I just have to go with the flow until I stop - in December.
So for now, I'll make little lists of all the good ideas I'm reading....and one day I'll have time to join in properly. Keep up the good work!

ceridwen

Thanks beemuzed

....well...its not long now...presumably December means retirement? Best wishes for a long and happy one:D

mary43

beemuzed - good to have a 'start date' to plan towards and it'll be winter so you''ll have plenty of 'indoor time' to sift through all the stuff you want or don't want. I cleared out my den and bedroom and kitchen and lounge earlier this year - couldn't believe how much stuff I got rid of. Afraid to say I am now full up again but this time with christmas stuff so I know by the end of the year it will be gone and hopefully, be clearer than it looks now.

Quasar

ceridwen wrote: »

A basic essential for the simple life - indeed any life - and I found an article today that might be helpful to those people plagued by noise in their own home:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/23/healthandwellbeing.pollution

That's an interesting article ceridwen, and you posting it gives me the opportunity to say that I occupy a flat in a converted old house - pretty to look at but with 'walls' that are as soundproof as cardboard. Also, althoug I live on a rather quiet road, there are often intruding noises from outside, particularly foxes shrieking in the night. The double glazing helps, but I have found the perfect solution.

Three years ago I bought a Marsona sound machine, from Marpak UK. It is the size of a normal telephone, and produces 'white noise', ie indefinite, various sound frequencies that mask any noise around. This white noise is overlaid with soothing sounds such as surf, waterfall, heavy rain etc. and also has options of eight further overlays - ie seagulls calling now and then when you play the surf.

The noise is continous and the volume adjustable. I got used to it in a couple of days and I've never had a disturbed sleep since. Also during the day it can help concentrate on work or study or reading, or just help relax.

I shan't post a link because there are many companies selling the Marsona sound machine now, and the specific one I bought 3 years ago is no longer featured., but there are many such machines available, including from Amazon. A quick google for Marsona sound machine will come up with lots of results. Not cheap though - but well worth every penny imho.

A really cheap way to do it is to set an analog radio on an 'empty' frequency so that you get constant static - that sounds very much like heavy rain. The snag is that often in the middle of the night some nearby station signal encroaches and you get a sudden wake up call.

ceridwen

Thanks for that Qasar....any other contributions anyone has re maintaining peace and quiet at home welcome. Noise is at present a steadily worsening problem in our society - so anything that will help deal with that - be it neighbours or the general environment (cars, planes, etc) is welcome.

I did read a year or two back about this inventor (German I believe?) who had invented a device that would sort of "echo" back any music/tv from next door back into their place - rather than the quiet neighbour having to suffer it. It sounded like it would sort of intensify the noise of the "culprits" - but it would be the "culprits" who would feel this - the quiet neighbour would just have peace and quiet. I thought at the time "what a great idea - I'm having one of those when they become available" - and havent heard a thing since about them. Anyone know what happened to that?

I think an equivalent device for noise coming in from the general neighbourhood would also be extremely useful.

I know myself how I want my home environment to have total silence (apart from anything I am doing) - though I enjoy "natural" sound - I like hearing rain, wind, birds. Its the "unnatural" variety that can be a nuisance sometimes.

I often think if I were able to have some "impossible" wishes - one of them would be an invisible "sound blanket" surrounding my home and garden - that only "natural" sounds could get through - well one can dream....

annie123

ceridwen you've got me thinking now.....

the last time it felt quiet here in south east London was when it snowed last year, Only lasted a couple of days but I remember waking up for work looking out of the window and running into the garden in my Pjs dressing gown and wellies:rolleyes:
you could hear the silence if that makes sense. it was lovely:D


My fav quiet sleep was in Thailand on a beach in a small cove, boring story how we ended up sleeping there so I will skip that bit, but it was fab.
Narrow cove with high cliffs either side pitch black except for our head torches, just me and DH, the sound of the waves echoed all through the night due to the cliffs and woken at 4.30am by the dawn chorus and later moneys, it was lovely, only natural sounds, smells and sights.

Now I listen to traffic, sirens, helecopters, people in the street, neighbours talking quietly, background tv noise, aeroplanes, even if I cant pinpoint to one sound there is just a feeling of noise.

Why do I live here I just asked myself......I have no idea? Dont need to be in here any more all kids now left school, I dont have a job here any more:rolleyes:
off to talk to DH about this!