Simplifying Life

mary43

Bob - I haven't read any of her books -to be honest I hadn't heard of her till you mentioned and just the title 'Recipe for a Rainbow' is inspiring enough for me to want to have that one.
Love the quote from the back cover..............much needed today !!
Banks !!! Our debit card was starting to be a bit 'fragile'...........went into the bank on Monday and ordered a new one, asked for one for OH as well. Next day they arrived !! OH got all excited and popped his into his wallet (without really looking at it) Off he goes today to the hole in the wall and cards rejected. Instead of going into the bank he comes home and has a winge about it so I end up phoning up, going through endless push button whatever, type in sort code date of birth etc., sec. number...........explained to man at the other end then while I was telling him about it noticed that they'd sent me a debit card and sent OH a card for a savings account we no longer have !!!! Confused............angry, frustrated.........you name it and I was !! Still, problem resolved and OH's new card should be here in a few days.
Now we're laughing about it but at the time I was busy doing something, OH hates making phone calls so its down to me............oh well, jobs done now.
Spring bulbs are flowering............some late daffodils are about to burst forth so life really isn't that bad. Why is it it seems to be the little niggles that get to me the most ? I'll never know.........................

boredofbeingathome

Hi Mary , I can sympathise my OH is exactly the same at times, however he is getting better at sorting out the mundane, niggly stuff.
I hope you like the website i mentioned, i must say i have taken to heart some of the things she has had to say. I think i will mention one funny quote via Dolly Parton about enjoying and seizing the day.
"Some people my age have gone to seed, they don't want to do anything. Me I would rather wear out than rust away."
A great way to look at life..verydown to earth and so encompasses the way we should approach every day.
I have just returned from a trip and we meandered into the lake district on the way back..Have to say the daffs are in full bloom, i just love looking at them. It was also getting towards dusk, and the song of the birds in the evening just makes you want to get up and go..absolutely lovely.

mary43

Love the quote and oh how true...............trouble is you get to a certain age and things start to become more difficult to do.....the the feeling of being useless come into play...........can't do this, that or the other etc.
Still, I may not be able to do a lot of the more physical stuff but I like messing about with paints, making cards and stuff like that............long as my brain keeps going the rest will surely follow, albeit it at a slower pace.

boredofbeingathome

mary43 wrote: »

Love the quote and oh how true...............trouble is you get to a certain age and things start to become more difficult to do.....the the feeling of being useless come into play...........can't do this, that or the other etc.
Still, I may not be able to do a lot of the more physical stuff but I like messing about with paints, making cards and stuff like that............long as my brain keeps going the rest will surely follow, albeit it at a slower pace.

I feel that you do have the right attitude. We are all nagged with little doubts about abilities to do things etc.
I must admit i have been reflecting on things quite a bit, and i also have my own little tales as i am sure you and everyone here does.
My youngest daughter has been in and out of hospital all her life, and after one particular operation I had gone for a quick brew thinking her fast asleep. I got back to the ward after about half an hour to find her playing in her bed, with toys and things. she was laughing and wincing at the same time. I asked the nurse to check her out and she said she was fine, (obs every 30 mins at that point) she said it often happens with children, as they know they are in pain, but it doesnt stop them from doing what they want! The body will tell her to stop when she is tired, just to make sure she doesn't get out of bed.
I have to say, it wasn't just her doing this..a lot of other children would drag themselves into the play room the day after ops, and really they kept their parents going at times by showing such positivity.
So i suppose my long winded point is never let a bit of pain put you off, after all you are doing something which you enjoy..the longer it lasts ( no dirty comment meant) then the better your satisfaction will be at completing it.

mary43

Thats very true. We can learn a lot from kids but sometimes its easy to forget that.
If I have a day of having a good clear out I find the next day I'm not only physically exhausted I'm mentally drained as well, particularly lately as it's been a lot of family stuff I'm trying to get rid of. So its a case of one day 'doing', one day having a bit of 'sitting down' activity.
Today, I just might check through my family history stuff...........been a while since I really had a look at it.
Talking of kids though..........watched a programme last night about 'cotton wool kids' - those who are taken to school and back every day even in their teens,not allowed to go out and play and get dirty like we used to and constantly made aware of danger to the point I'm sure half those kids will grow up suspicious of anyone and everyone, and not daring to actually experience 'life'. Their parents seemed more intent on buying them yet another computer game to prevent them actually going outside the front door.
Very sad...............I know we live in a bit of a dangerous society but the 'cotton wool' touch isn't the answer. Make kids aware by all means but not to the point they become paranoid.

Totally off 'simplifying' topic I know and I must get back to clearing my head today if not my house.................lol Tidying up my family tree folders should do the trick..............easy to do and satisfying.

Charis

Sorry if this is has been mentioned before but while surfing the Woodland Trust website I came upon a link to the Green Metropolis website.

http://www.greenmetropolis.com/

They 'buy' paperbacks at £3 and sell them at £3.75 plus postage. (They offer them for sale like the Amazon reseller system). Looks like a good way to pass on those you have finished with and make a few quid. Profits go to saving trees by recycling the books and also to planting new trees via the Woodland Trust. Woodland Trust membership can be 'bought' using Tesco Deals Vouchers if anyone is interested.

My used books have mostly gone to the local charity shop but even so this site is worth looking at to find others that have been recommended to me which may not turn up locally.

Before the 'great declutter' I would be on there right now filling my virtual shopping basket

mary43

charis - found that site last year and it certainly is a good idea...........dont know why I didn't think of it when we cleared out books out.........mind you some of them had been so well read I don't think I dare have tried to sell them..........lol
Trying to have a bit of de-clutter this morning on the shelves above my cupboard up the corner of computer room and not getting very far.
I've three box files and six shoe boxes all full of stuff, including dads diaries and I had the idea of putting them upstairs in his old suitcase. Made the mistake of having a quick read..........an hour ??? First one I picked up was the last one he wrote..............quite upsetting and I've now gone right off doing the rest. I've emptied them out...........tiny bag for charity shop, even smaller for 'chucking out'............the rest of the stuff is now on the kitching table with a big 'don't know' hovering over it. I don't want to put it all back where it came from..............at least if I do, not on the shelf but in the cupboard at the bottom ...........general idea is to swap and put the photo albums currently in a cupboard thats hard to get at on the shelf. Box files and boxes can go in the cupboard as they're so seldom looked through.
I;ve ended up in a bigger mess than I started with.
I should have just picked them up and put them all in the cupboard without looking to see what was inside.
Found four Punch cartoons (think I meant to frame them but not anymore), four place mats (I think thats what they are) with pictures of borage and morning glory on - OH says not to get rid but what do I do with them ?
Also found rather grotesque early pictures of Alice in Wonderland.....think they'll have to go.
My pieces of art work and poetry are staying put but I don't need to see them every day.... Or do I .............???
Does everyone get this problem ? I've given it a rest for now and have another go this afternoon when OH comes back. I can see it all going back though...............oh dear me. Oh well at least I'm being firm about dads diaries...............makes sense for them to be in his suitcase with a few other bits so at least they're dealt with.

Next chore will be to sort out all the photo albums in some sort of order...............makes my head twirl to think about it....................lol

Aril

Hello virtual friends:j
Thank you so much for your kind words it meant a lot.
I'm back to my usual busy self but thought I'd share a small highlight from the week. My friend and I abandoned our respective kidlets with our husbands [which we do twice a year] for the afternoon and went out for a walk [and a cup of tea and a very oversized bun:D ] last weekend. Part of our walk took in the local RSPB reserve...there weren't a great many birds around but we were very privileged to see a male and female adder basking in a sheltered spot in the sun. I will willingly admit that snakes aren't perhaps a favourite but their markings were so striking and they were so much smaller than I had expected [I think I was thinking more Boa Constrictor:rotfl: :rotfl: ] Anyway for me it was a real treat.
There hasn't been a great deal of sorting out going on as of late as have had other things going on but I have today turfed out my OS file...file pah my foot....read that as A4 level arch file with unsorted bits of paper with precious scribblings on hurled in and never to see the light of day again. I've left it out somewhere very prominent where hopefully I shall keep tripping over it. That way I'm hoping that it'll annoy me so much that I sort it out and use it:D
A short quote today as am still at work and this is the only one I can remember!
"Life, like studying, needs a little practice"
Octavian Waldo
Aril

mary43

Aril - sounds like a lovely time was had with your friend (not sure I''d have liked the reptile encouter!). Mention of birds there reminded me of a couple of entries in my dads diaries. One day he made a bird table............next days entry............'Bird table's first visitors -sparrows and friends'............lol

No good............sitting here and have decided..........get photo albums out, put boxes and box files in bottom cupboard whether they're empty or not.........least then I might feel I'm getting somewhere. I'm trying to work my way round this room and so far done two drawers and the bookcase ! Not good !!
Aril how did you manage to throw out a folder of 'precious scribblings' ??


Love the quote too.............another one to keep. Thanks for that.

boredofbeingathome

Very true Aril, i like the quote.
I have no suggestions Mary-about the photo albums and things, i have the same dilemma at times.Although dd1, has been offering to but me a digital photo frame, which will allow me to put loads of photos on and if i wish i can just press a button and it will play them like a slideshow for me. A very nice way to display photos still lurking in the depths.
Regarding diaries, i can understand how you feel, i have some dating back years, mostly mundane stuff but intriguing non the less. I also have a folder of cards which have precious memories, and script on from dear departed family members..I will never get rid of those. I keep mine in a pretty box, decorated and labelled for the occasion, i may not go in too often, but it is a comfort to read at times and i love looking at witticisms wrote in them as well.
Bob x