Simplifying Life - Mark II

ceridwen

FREE MONEY FOR TRANSITION TOWN GROUPS - YAY!

Good on ya Firework - passing on that stuff where it will receive a "warm welcome". Re colour of bedroom - errr...mine has been white for a while now - it was a nice colourwashed peachy colour - and hadnt been for long when the roof went (and my bedroom decor with it:mad: - as water flowed through my ceiling..) - so it got painted white...like most other rooms in my house. My definition of simplicity when it comes to "what colour shall I paint the walls?" extends to "oh...blow it....white again...now which shade of white shall I use this time":D. Guess it would be even simpler if I just used the same shade of white everywhere - instead of retouching being a case of "Did I use jasmine white, barleywhite, brilliant white or what in that room?"

Well - anyone following the Transition Town Movement as it grows at a rate of knots - might like to follow our newsletter:

http://!!!!!!!.com/transitionnewsletter

(for some reason those exclamation marks came up - that was supposed to be "t i n y u r l" (no gaps between letters). Well - you can get to the newsletter by clicking on the Co-op Free Money link below - and then click "March 2009 newsletter" in the banner at the top of webpage.). Just typing in the link above manually brings you to a page to sign up to get the newsletter regularly.

A couple of pickouts from that:

FREE MONEY:beer: - though at present only for people hoping to start up groups in South West England (hopefully the Co-op will broaden out on this and offer it to other Regions in Britain)

http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/co-op-offers-transition-grants/

so - thats a bit of seedcorn money for anyone wanting to get a group up and running in their area and wondering where the money is going to come from. Once you've done the initial getting-going - then events, as far as I can see, cover their own costs - as you just ask participants for donations at the time (if need be - literally wave the hat at them ).

And - a bit that might be interesting to any Christians reading this thread:

http://www.cafe-worcester.org.uk/work-of-the-diocese/doc_lib/JS09PeakOil.pdf

(for some reason this link doesnt work - so go to the March 2009 newsletter - its in there - go down to the paragraph "Book review - let us be human" - the link to that booklet is in that paragraph.)

(MARDATHA - just close your eyes and "skim over that":D - but anyone else interested might like to read a Christian perspective on this.)

mary43

wmf - slow down...........you're wearing me out...................lol
Sounds like you've been really busy..................I'm afraid I'm one of those who enjoys a bit of clutter around as long as its 'organised' clutter and has a home on a wall or shelf............it's when I'm knee deep in it it all starts to drive me potty.
As for colour............well I'm not a huge fan of white but am venturing towards the 'beige' tones..............chappy coming to do the landing and stairs on Tuesday in a sort of 'beige' shade.............kitchen is a pale sage green but it's a long kitchen and can take some colour. We did have it white once but neither me nor OH really liked it.

Not done much at all in the way of simplifying anything.............but have been doing a scrapbook for mums photos (at least got the pretty paper and stuck it on the pages. Sorting out the photos will come later)
And I started a cross stitch someone gave me at christmas...........it's a tea cup and I want to turn it into a coaster for MIL for her birthday in June (plenty of time) Can only do a few rows at a time as it's so small I think my eyeballs will fall out.

Bit of an achievement this morning -ex foster daughter took me to a boot fair............just a small one. I was dreading it feeling I couldn't walk around easily but I did...............and just for a change I didn't feel the urge to spend, though I did buy 3 plants that were quite pretty. Normally I'd have filled a bag with all sorts of 'stuff' but nothing really grabbed me so I've more money left than I might have done a year ago............I'm learning I think......................lol

firework - good idea, donating things like that to a worthy cause. Well done -wish more people would do that instead of thinking 'how much can I get for this?'

ceridwen - hated those 'shades of white' -they all seemed to look the same to me so gave up on them few years back.
In many ways it makes sense to go for magnolia or white.............you can always find those going cheap...........the minute you want a colour the price zooms............such is my failing !!
Currently having on going battle with Royal Mail after my sons birthday shoe box didn't arrive............I won't win -does the small person ever ? - but still, worth giving them some grief over iit. Wouldn't be so bad but half my easter cards didn't arrive either !! - well not yet anyway, apart from the one for baby grandson -just as well, there was a cheque in it for his dad to get him an egg or something as I couldn't get out to get one for him -he'll probably have far too many anyway.

So, that's me so far. Improving by the day I think. Off to doctors next Friday just to check things over.

Have a Happy Easter all :easter_os

mardatha

good that you're feeling better Mary

mary43

mardatha - thanks. Apart from having a mouth ulcer over the weekend and a bloodshot eye together with serious attack of the 'trots' that kept me up half the night.,,,,......................honest, I'm getting there bit by bit.
OH got me some cream for the mouth ulcer so that went, today he got some pills from the chemist for the 'trots' and so far (fingers crossed) they seem to be working apart from dreadful stomach ache...............ain't there always something

Painters are here doing their bit so things are looking positive in that area at least. Tomorrow it should be all done:j

Sons birthday parcel arrived :T only a week and a half late...............lol Still he got it and was really happy with it..............:j

ceridwen

How goes it today Mary?

and how goes the simplifying for everyone else?

I'm remembering a lot a phrase quoted at me by a good friend of mine some whiles back - in which she said "If all you can do is survive - then just do that" - as in implying that "you SURVIVE if you're not up to doing any more than that - and resume LIVING when you can".

I've worked out a few basic routines for the "everyday" side of things - like bodycare and housework - the word "routine" still makes me cringe at one level. The last thing I want ever is to be hidebound by routine - and I think one must keep things flexible enough that if a better offer or something more urgent comes up - then there is leeway to drop the routine and do that instead. But it helps to have a few basic routines in place (of this flexible variety) in order to ensure that the "basic" side of life gets dealt with whatever else is happening and whatever one feels like. Then when I dont want to put one foot in front of another - I can tell myself "right - you know what the Basic Routine is for today to ensure that everything keeps functioning okay. So - JUST DO x and then JUST DO y". So - on days feeling particularly low - I tell myself "I'll JUST DO my shower". Having done that "I'll JUST DO my teeth" and keep going that way until the basics are done for the day and then I can do what I want and/or it doesnt matter what I do for the rest of the day. I think it was keeping a long list running constantly through my mind that was offputting - the "oh heck...I've got to do this and that and the other and...and...and" which made it difficult to get started at all sometimes.

mary43

ceridwen - love the quote -makes so much sense.

Well, I was in and out of bed yet again all last night - seems this bug or whatever it is, likes me so much it doesn't want to leave me !
Got enough tablets from the chemist for the rest of today - not sure what to do about tomorrow. Daren't make doctors appt. -might not get there without any 'mishaps'.......:eek: so can do without that worry. Got an appt.Friday anyway so am hoping things will have improved by them.
Painters are back and getting on with stuff very well so thats something.
I'm even more limited to what I can do now with dust sheets about, tired through lack of sleep etc. Still, suppose I should look on it as an opportunity t have a darn good rest:o

ceridwen

Well...I guess the thought for the day is "Middle-aged women rock". Anyone who hasnt yet gone into YouTube and searched for "Susan Boyle" from the latest "Britain's Got talent" tv show would do well to spend a few minutes watching that. She's 47 and look at her go..I still get a few tears in the eyes watching it (several views later) - even though its not my sort of music. You go gal...and an object lesson to us all....think this is where the phrase comes in "hiding ones light under a bushel" (ooh whoops...Mardatha will be sitting there squirming again at another biblical reference....sorreee....Mardatha..:D).

mardatha

Its ok, I don't know the bible at all so I didnt recognise the quote !!

mary43

ceridwen - haven't seen her on youtube but read an article about her in the paper. Good for her :T
Didn't realise 'hiding ones light under a bushel' was biblical -thought it just meant not revealing all your talents/abilities.

Well, to bring you up to date............I've been 'skipping to the loo' most of the week'.........cancelled appointment to have my hair done -daren't take the risk..............lol
Painters have now finished......well near enough. They would have done sooner but young lad realised OH had bought black gloss for the window and had the foresight to ask about it. Early closing day, OH was at work, he'd got the receipt so no chance of changing it on Wednesday ! So,back he came yesterday by which time OH had got the right paint but it was so windy then started to rain we sent the lad home. Not much left to do and OH said he'd do it (scratched head -wonder when ???)
But it all looks nice and fresh..........stairs and landing look lovely too.
Back at the doctors today - been signed off for another month to get my strength back. He reckons to think about counselling once I'm physically stronger and thinking about it maybe he's right. Time is a great healer I know. Brother sorted out the ashes today so thats another thing done.
Bit by bit I'll get there.......................:o

ceridwen

Indeed Mary - "Rome wasnt built in a day" and all that.

"hiding ones light under a bushel" does indeed mean hiding/not using ones abilities etc.

Mary - you do want to see that YouTube clip about Susan Boyle. It isnt my type of music - but, even so, I've watched it several times. The combination of that wonderful voice/unlikely appearance and the way she obviously knows that she has that combination (but without having an ego about it) and is so clearly thoroughly enjoying herself...makes me get a bit tearful and have a grin on my face each time I watch her (as one has the impression of her being a nice person - but nobody's fool - at the same time).