Simplifying Life - Mark II

Lula-Hula

Hello,

I've only just discovered this wonderful thread full of like minded simple ( was going to say simple-minded but that sounded wrong ) pagans & earthfolk & would like to join please. I'm currently working my way through page 9 but it seemed rude to carry on without saying hello.

I usually reside over on the DFW board but have been searching for a place to come for respite & lovely people who will keep me motivated to return to my (pre credit card mania) simple & very joyous life. Not that DFW's arent lovely & supportive because they all truly are & without them I probably wouldnt be here now but... there is more out there

Going back to finish reading now,

Lula

ceridwen

Hi lulahula

Consider yourself "joined" and welcome...but 'tis not necessary to be a pagan and/or "earthfolk" to be here.....all welcome....:D

.....still progressing with my "earthfolk" hat on....am now having a blog conversation with rosengarten at the moment (ie a Swedish gardening blogger) about matters very "natural" - ie natural fertilisers for growing food:

http://indoorgardener.blogspot.com/

if anyone wants to join in.

Aril

Hello virtual friends:j
Hope all are well and hugs to all those who have recently suffered redundancy or are possibly facing it. I think you have to have gone through it [and come out the other side thankfully] to really understand how it feels.As some one quipped...redundancy is a recession until it happens to you and then it's a depression. I know that I have my job for another 18 months but then if we don't get the government contract renewed then I shall be going through the cycle again. Although it worries me [I am now the main breadwinner] I also know that if [and that's if not when] I shall deal with it as I did last time. In a strange way a lot of good came out of OH's redundancy in 2005 as we were able to overhaul our life and make the changes that we'd often spoken of. I've also learnt that you can make a little money go a lot further than I'd ever imagined
My sister is now adjusting to living within her means on a much lower income [we bought fab chrissy presents for all the kids on an agreed £5 max] and rang me last week to ask me about the £25 breadmaker she'd seen in Lidl. I had a triumphant text from her at the weekend to say she'd cooked her first loaf in it and made parsnip soup in her newly acquired SC [courtesy of freecycle] and that at the moment it's just like The Good Life in her household:D:D
One of the ways I tried to make the stress of the redundancy more manageable was to always make sure that I always had something to look forward to and I really became mindful of the good things that happened to us on a regular basis. I've retained some of that and at the moment I'm reaaallly looking forward to the copy of India Knight's book Thrift that I've ordered from the library coming through. I know I should perhaps get out more:rotfl::rotfl:but ooh I do so love all those books in the library or Waterstones [but without my purse being about my person for that one in order to avoid temptation!!]
A couple of positive quotes to leave you with
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way [Mr Brown take note:eek:]
John Maxwell
And this one which I think typifies the whole feeling in the face of economic doom and gloom on the oldstyle board as people offer support and encouragement to others
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as foes
Martin Luther King
Bright Blessings
Aril

Lula-Hula

Thanks for the welcome :j

Just finished reading this thread & now slightly daunted by all the simplifying I need to do. Not sure whether to start with the chest in the living room ( 9 drawers that are rarely opened, so what on earth is in them ) or the 3boxes of photos that I've been meaning to put into the lovely recycled albums I bought nearly 2 years ago .

On a positive note I did clear out all last years paperwork at the week end ... & added it to the box full of stuff to be shredded that's been sat next to pc for as long as I can remember .

Thanks all for the inspiration to just get on with it :rolleyes:

firework

hi lula-hula

sure you will enjoy it here and find the calm resolve to simplify and de-clutter. my lovely old aunty used to say "see a job and do it" and i have made this my new mantra. procrastination is the thief of time ( i think thats how it goes) and it's my nemesis, so i'm trying to escape it's clutches... not only do i put off doing things i don't want to do - i've also started putting off nice things too... i'll have the family round when i've cleaned the house top to bottom... redecorated... re-arranged everything... etc etc.

i'm even mincing around retyping this post over and over instead of just typing what i think and posting it - so here, here it comes.................

firework

i once saw a programme about a woman who was a serial procrastinator ! she never finished anything, the house was never tidy, she never had enough time... the psychologist who had several sessions with her determined that ultimately the woman was a perfectionist (yes - even with a mega messy house) because she spent so much time on the tiny details, ie folding socks, lining up books on her bookshelf, lining up the soup tins in the cupboard (don't know anyone who does that ...ahem) she had no time to deal with the bigger picture.

a dear old lady i knew, 93 at the time and now passed over to a new adventure, on seeing my newborn son, told me to enjoy him while he was little, make the most of him while i could and she blessed me with a few simple words of wisdom which I still try to keep in mind...

" you can polish spoons when you're ninety"

ceridwen

Thanks for quotes - both Aril and Firework - and good ones for us again. A very good point about trying to always have something to look forward to - thats one that I have often used myself - even if its along the lines of "at the weekend I promise myself I am going to go for a nice long walk somewhere attractive".

Good point about perfectionism - sometimes one just has to make a start on something - even if all the necessary resources of time/money/whatever arent available yet. Yep - been there, done that....or not done that to be more precise;)

I still quote to myself a phrase from Shirley Conran (of the "Superwoman" series of books)...."Life is too short to stuff a mushroom"....for those times when I cant deal with all the "details" I would like to ensure are done of some piece of housework/project or whatever. I guess there is a time and a place for the "broad brush" approach on the one hand - ie one clean sweep sortout of the basics. On the other hand sometimes one can deal with the "fiddly bits". If time/energy is short at the moment - then its the "broad brush" approach. I guess I'm thinking right now of my approach to my blogs (particularly the gardening notes one) - I start with the "broad brush" approach of getting in the basics of the points I wish to have on there and then go back and fill in details/put on a bit more on the same topic/check for typing errors/do the "twiddly" bits (like labels, etc) when I have a bit more time (thinking - "well at least the basics are there for now - the rest can come later").

rosieben

some of you may remember that I said I found things got even more chaotic for a while as I started decluttering and simplifying. Well, I've moved house then and decluttered severely (twice!) but I feel like I'm still living in chaos

I've been ill and not able to do very much so all my long 'to do' lists have gone by the by but I'm trying to spend a little time each day sorting out one small area/thing. I've thrown out so much stuff in the last few weeks but still cant see any improvement, though I know it will come. I'm spurred on by the thought of my dd and dgd visiting from Oz in April. I think I need to visit this thread regularly and the decluttering thread to get some motivation!

mary43

lula - welcome.............I got in a total muddle a year ago trying to de-clutter my little den (just shows who's the messiest person in out house !)In the end I followed a bit of advice and did one corner at a time..........much easier and I felt I'd achieved so much even if it was just one set of drawers. You'll get there. Good luck. A year ago I decided to reorganize my photos - knew there was no chance of doing it mid de-cluttering so that was my first 'winter project' for this year.

firework - oh dear.........I think I'm one of those people who never seems to get something totally finished.........well I do with some of my craft projects, but then I find that very theraputic. Housework does nothing for me hence I have a long list of 'stuff to do'. Mum always had a 'day' for everything - oh if only my brain were that organised OH isn't much better so between the two of us we're not a lot of good,,,,,,,,,well not yet, but we're working on it,
Mind you, I don;t fold socks or do any of those other things...........:rotfl:

ceridwen and aril - love the quotes.........especially the 'life's too short' ones. They really do make a lot of sense.
This recession is a real 'downer' for a lot of people with job insecurity etc. but may it'll give a lot a people the chance to look at how they live, a sort of learning curve. Money can affect many people in many ways but I always feel its a problem that is solvable......so many others (ie health) aren't.

rosieben - sorry to hear you've been ill. Don';t worry about 'to do' lists..as you say, it'll get done. The visit from Oz is good inspiration for you. Just take your time. I've had a few days this week when nothings been done (well nothing to speak of). Had all good intentions yesterday but our lad was off school, meeting in the afternoon then my eye started feeling really sore -thought a stye was on its way. Still sore today and I'm off to the doctors tomorrow - apparently a lot of people round here have eye infections !:eek:
So I'll join the queue and hope for some eye drops/pills/miracle cure.........anything will do.

pagangirl

Hi Lula-Hula - welcome to this thread - it's grrrreat !:hello:
The best way to start is baby steps - one thing at a time i.e. pick one thing - either recycle/charity shop/shred/bin as last resort, or is is a keeper? If it's a keeper - put it away (sounds a bit simple, but it does work for me)

Not much simplifying done here today - still got chest infection - back to doc's tomorrow as week is up - more antibiotics:question: Hope your eye is gonna get better soon Mary - let us know how you get on.

Has anyone got a pattern for crocheting shopping bags from plastic supermarket bags.? I saw a kit advertised and all that was in it was 1 crochet hook and instructions - well I'm not paying for that - I've got full set of crochet hooks and plenty of plastic bags - all I need is the how-to's! Apparently they'r supposed to be virtually indestructable :j