Simplifying Life - Mark II

ceridwen

sarahs999 wrote: »

Ceridwen, I think for me that's true, and there is also still quite a strong tug back to the consumer world for me that I have to fight,. I've grown up with it all my life, so it can't just disappear overnight, even though I'm older and wiser now.

Your post reminded me of going to the Big CHill festival this year. It was really interesting, because the Sunrise festival, which is normally separate and attracts completely different people, was adjoined to th ebig chill, because their own festival had been flooded out a few months before. The Big Chill kindly said that Sunrise could hold thier festival attached to the Big CHill, adn that CHillers and Sunrisers could visit both festivals.

Well. I've always been a festival head, but this really opened my eyes. There's the big chill, with its glitzy stages with huge sound systems and big-brand-booze sponsored HUGELY expensive bars, nice but vastly overpriced food and revellers who are lovely, but all togged up in the latest cool festy gear.

And then you walk through a gate into Sunrise. Teepees, chai, no booze (I guess they didn't have alicence), people selling handmade stuff, political stages, stalls with alternative technology info, lifestyle choices, GREAT stuff for the kids to do. THe Big CHill prides itslef on being a family festival but five minutes at sunrise made me see that I'd forgotten what festivals should be. Big Chill had a fairground, sure, but you had to pay £1.50 a ride - having already paid £140 a ticket each to be there! How is that family friendly in any way? In the sunrise bit there was a very hippy and slightly bonkers but nice woman who had set up a little space draped with scarves and sheets, lots of found items, broken stuf that people had thrown away, and made them all look nice nad enticing for kids. My son and my friends' children spent more time in that little space just playing with stuff they found and enjoyuing it more than in the rest of the BC combined.

So guess whose family ISNT going to the Big CHill next year? LOL. It really was a case of two worlds colliding. The price of everything dropped once you stepped over the threshold as people weren't there just to make a huge profit.

Sunrise sounds a lot more like my kinda thing than the Big Chill. I wouldnt actually fancy the Big Chill at all - but Sunrise on the other hand....hmmm...provided I could have something to drink other than chai:D. I know what you mean about some things just being out to make a big profit - and it sorta detracts from being at them in my opinion.

Charis

ceridwen wrote: »

Sunrise sounds a lot more like my kinda thing than the Big Chill. I wouldnt actually fancy the Big Chill at all - but Sunrise on the other hand....hmmm...provided I could have something to drink other than chai:D. quote]

I was at the Big Chill/Sunrise Festival on the Sunday and this YouTube video http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nrHGd2Geni4 gives a good sample of the craziness, the laid back, safe feel and even glimpses of our lovely local scenery. The only thing I couldn't stand was the Rizla area, absolutely deafening.

Charis

Rowan9

Simplifying here - cooking a big veg curry at the moment which will give me quite a few meals, then I won't have to cook. I have potatoes, onions, courgette, parsnips, cabbage and lovely dark kale in it. Yum. I'm also planning to do a big pot of spicy lentil stew and freeze portions of that as well. The kitchen is lovely and warm and the dogs are looking hopeful. They love carrot peelings so they feel they have had some treats.
I see that flylady (not our one, the US one) sent a message saying to declutter for 15 mins. I think that was yesterday so I'm off to do that today. This is the way I have cleared out loads this past year - a bit at a time. If I don't do it this way, I get swamped and confused and wish I'd never started.

Hope everyone is having a peaceful weekend
w

mary43

Oh wmf - I do envy you're way of being able to de-clutter a bit at a time -something thats impossible here at the minute due to oncoming festive season - and now you've made me feel hungry into the bargain............lol
Overslept this morning till 10am !! Woke up to a blanket of snow but lovely warm house thank goodness ! Suns shining now and I think the snows on its way to becoming slippery slush/ice before tonight............good reason to stay snug and warm.
I was getting so organised.........finished off creating shoe fresheners for teenage grandson and promptly knocked over a mug of coffee............plus side, it did clean the pine table a bit................lol:rotfl:
So, thought I'd set to and print off some family history stuff -but printers having none of it ! I've spoken to it kindly, swore at it a bit, threatened it with a lump hammer but no way will it function.........keeps telling me paperts jammed when theres none in it..............I've had the back off, done all the things it says to do.........so now its switched off in the hope its memory will go and it will have forgotten its little hiccups !
So..........meantime, am trying to feel calm about it and point my brain in the direction of maybe doing something else that doesn't involve any form of technology.......................lol:rotfl:

Have a good day all and stay warm

Justamum

I must be unusual in that I don't have any unnecessary "clutter". I suppose that's because we rent, so having to move so often (and cart the stuff ourselves! :eek:) we don't tend to keep what we don't need. It's the only "positive" I can see to renting though :rolleyes:

ashia_2

Justamum wrote: »

I must be unusual in that I don't have any unnecessary "clutter". I suppose that's because we rent, so having to move so often (and cart the stuff ourselves! :eek:) we don't tend to keep what we don't need. It's the only "positive" I can see to renting though :rolleyes:

I rent and I have loads of clutter, plus all the stuff still at mums. Working on it though

mary43

Until my gran died in the 1970's my house was never cluttered - just the things we needed. But with grans cottage being disposed of plus the items in it and no-one in the family wanting them I must have had a sudden purge of nostalgia.....plus I had just moved to an old cottage.....perfect for her old pine table and a lot of her bits and pieces. I didn't keep them all but it seemed to start me off if you know what I mean. I'm at the point now where I am able to 'let go' of some of those sentimental things that really when I think about it, didn't mean that much. Now I just hang on to the things I like to look at, that give me pleasure. Other bits and bobs of my Dads (he was a massive hoarder!) I keep in a box to take out and drool over when the need takes me. But it has been hard ...........not an easy habit to break plus I'm a boot fair/charity shop freak and if the price is right it becomes a 'must have' if I'm not very careful. I ration myself to going out into town once a week now (if that) then at least I can see so I can't buy !

If I had to choose a few pieces to keep I'd be hard pushed to make that choice but there will come a time I know when I'll have to.

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

ceridwen wrote: »

Sunrise sounds a lot more like my kinda thing than the Big Chill. I wouldnt actually fancy the Big Chill at all - but Sunrise on the other hand....hmmm...provided I could have something to drink other than chai:D. quote]

I was there on the Sunday and this YouTube video gives a good sample of the craziness, the laid back, safe feel and even glimpses of our lovely local scenery. The only thing I couldn't stand was the Rizla area, absolutely deafening.

Charis

Hi Charis

The Sunrise one or the Big Chill one? Errr....I can't see a link to click on for that there You Tube video.........

Well...Charis ...we live and learn....we've probably both been thinking the other one wouldnt go to summat like that - and we coulda been sitting next to each other at one:D Is this "Aging hippies of the world unite" time here?:D Altogether now and in tune "All we are saying is Give Peace A Chance"....:whistle:

So - I'll look out for a woman that matches my mental picture of you shall I then if I ever do end up going anywhere the Buddhafield or Big Green Gathering Festivals? LOL

ceridwen

Maybe I'd better just stick in a little thing here - having just noticed summat they are doing that looks worthwhile to me and could do with a helping hand:

http://www.buddhafield.com/land.html

mary43

ceridwen - that certainly does look worthwhile............will have a better read later on.

Having just had another lot of photos done of our little 'veg in pots' and other bits of the garden (wild life area etc) I thought it was time to pop them in the relevant months. I'd done the write ups on what was flowering when, how minute the carrots were.............lol Just needed a photo to go with it to complete this years record including notes about the weather. That way I'll know next year what we planted, how well/bad it did, when it fllowered and any peculiar weather conditions.
Thats my bit of simplifying for today......oh and I did clear some drawers out........needs must, looking for printer instructions which frankly helped me not ! Still, at least the drawers are cleared so out of bad can come good...............lol:o