Simplifying Life

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

That reminds me of a phrase I loved when I home educated my son for a couple of years, 'Share what you know, learn what you don't know.' I don't know where it came from but it a useful motto for those of us caught up in what is becoming known as 'The Great Turning'.

I read on a blog this week that some journalist in America had written 'All that America needs now to create a full scale recession is for people to start growing their own food'...Huh? :eek: Is the mighty food industry that fragile ? The Great Turning is already turning heads, it would seem.

Personally - I am inclined to think in the "Alice in Wonderland" state of the economies of most countries today that they are run on a belief that "confidence is all" - as in "confidence" in the country's Economy (never mind any realistic assessment of its state) - hence the injunction in America (in the wake of the "Twin Towers" episode) to "go shopping". Huh! Major disaster - and they were told to "go shopping"!!!! One could understand people being asked for relief funds or to pray for those in trouble - but shopping as an answer to emergency situations - huh!? Maybe this is the thinking behind that comment about people growing their own food creating a recession. Nuts! in a word. Personally - I fully believe in people growing however much of their own food they are in a position to do and - all round - doing whatever tiny bits they can to be as self-sufficient as possible. Why be at the mercy of your country's economy any more than you can help?

Personally - I find it very uncomfortable sometimes to try and see things "as they are" - but I believe its the only realistic way to look at things and means that I personally am best placed to adapt to a (very) rapidly changing society. I dont believe in false "optimism" - I believe in taking as objective a view as possible of how things are - in order to assess how to adapt to things. To me - what is the point of wishful thinking. Confidence yes - and I am well aware that the area I live in engenders a particularly confident outlook in many of the residents here (but there is some basis in fact for this - as we have, in our time, been an area that was widely regarded as an "ideas factory" place) - and there are benefits to that. But - realism/look straight at the "monkey in the mirror" is the way to go in my personal opinion.

mary43

ceridwen - you do sound well organised. Like the idea of post it notes in the diary............never thought of that...........I tend to jot down things on the 'notes' section at the back of mine and as a result, it seldom gets looked at till after the event.
We buy bulk items too, like loo rolls, (must have enough to start a small shop) but OH says, get them while they're on offer cos we always need them. Mum always did that sort of thing as well...........why buy one item when you can get two and save having to think about it the following week.
Makes sense but sadly my brain doesn't always work like that. OH is far more organised about that side of shopping then I am but then, I get christmas and birthdays sorted out well in advance so neither he nor I have to worry about them later on................least thats what I did last year and trying this year to get organised a lot sooner so I can actually enjoy the run up to our so called festive season.

On the de-cluttering side of things my main aim at the minute is to get my photo albums in some kind or order so if I want to look at a particular photo be it grandchildren, our garden, holidays, whatever, I can find it without wasting time going through all of them.
Oh. also need to de-clutter kitchen cupboards of excess plates that never have and never will be used, least not by us but OH has said the kitchen being his little kingdom he'll do that...............I wait with baited breath............

Beccatje

Thanks you guys. ..

My kids are aged: 3, 9, 12, 15.

And the amount of stuff they have and the amount of clutter and washing they produce is staggering!

I try to keep things as simple as I can, and do things that need doing as I'm out anyway... but still.. I find my life is much to busy.. maybe just a side affect of being a working mum with a big family.

I'm keeping at it though and will make a note of all tips given.

Thanks

Becca

mary43

Can't be easy being a working mum Becca - but you'll get there. It's taking me ages and I seem to have to do it at a slower pace but one that suits me.
For a start I was trying to do all rooms a bit of a time where it ended up better for me to concentrate on one. So, one rooms now exactly how I want it............still a bit of sorting out in the way of photo albums but everything else it done. Just the rest of the house now.................lol

Having painted my cupboards gave me a real lift yesterday and now I think I've found a design I'll use for Dads old tray...........little things like that make me feel more positive and then I'm more likely to go on and do a bit more.
Everyone has their own ways

ceridwen

hi Aril <waves>

Still trundling off at intervals scouting for blogs of interest - found one you might like and mentioning it here (as I know many other pagans read this thread):

http://quakerpagan.blogspot.com/

(not exactly simplifying theme! but some of you will like it)

EDIT: Shes just put on the 10 May entry since I put this post - so I guess you might like to "avert your eyes" a bit on that entry - there will always be some people who dont quite "see things through the same eyes" everywhere and sounds like she has encountered some of them.

Aril

Hello virtual friends:j
Thanks for the blog link Ceridwen. I shall look at that later on. It's a shame to see the division she's encountering in the latest entry. I know it's part of human nature to all think that what we believe is the right way but sometimes I wish people wouldn't try and put others into boxes. Yes I am a Pagan and very proud of it but I also personally believe that others should be allowed to follow their own paths or not as they wish [so long as it doesn't harm anyone] without being judged. I am very aware that my chosen path wouldn't suit everyone but then that's what makes us an individual. Life would be very dull if we were all the same and perhaps part of the simplicity process is learning just to be yourself.

I hope you've found some of the tips useful Beccatje. It's quite a juggling act to keep all the balls in the air when you're trying to run a home, be a Mum/spouse plus other roles and work. I know I quite frequently drop some or end up in a bit of a heap. Out of interest do your husband or your children help out atall? I would not be able to manage aswell as I do if we weren't all on board. Right from the age he could toddle I got my son to help my tidy away his toys downstairs and now aged 9 he is expected to put his dirty clothes in the linen bin, dry up, make his own bed, put his clean linen away and tidy [or should that read hurl everything under his bed] his room so I can vacuum the floor. Really for me have a regular routine works and keeping my husband in the loop has made a real difference. He knows what needs doing when so he lends a hand. I have the menu on the fridge and a notice board where he can note down anything we've run out of which I don't know about. With regards to looking smart for work I have my hair cut into an easily manageable style every six weeks, I don't paint my nails except for special occasions, I have a simple beauty routine and I make sure I don't go to bed too late. Everyone suffers the next day otherwise as I morph into a screeching harpy whilst the other two duck for cover:D
Sarah Ban Breathnach in her book Simple Abundance suggests the following rules for partners and children for maintaining some kind of order within the home:
If you take it out, put it back.
If you open it, close it.
If you throw it down, pick it up.
If you take it off, hang it up.

The following is on a homemaking theme and also comes from Simple Abundance:
"There is an Indian proverb or axiom that says that everyone is a house with four rooms,a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person"
Rumer Godden

I personally probably don't spend enough time in the spiritual room...too busy trying to be a perfectionist and getting caught up with domestic trivia:D
Aril

ceridwen

Hi Aril

Hope the studies are going well.

As you say - shame about the way things have been provoking that last entry on the blog. But then - as you will have gathered long since chez ceridwen the motto is very much "each to their own".

Can only agree about the quote on visiting the four rooms each day - and it would help if I always did so myself:D

mary43

Hi Aril - love the quote and how very true it is. Something we should all try and make a habit of doing...............unfortunately I think I dwell too much in the 'emotional' room at the moment but am trying very hard to get out of it.........for a while anyway.
You''re right about beliefs..............I think they're a very personal thing.......each to their own and who are we to judge others (as you say, unless they cause harm........different case then)
You;re lucky with your children being so organised..........mind you, if I remember right, mine were a lot more organised than I was and it rubbed off on me a bit at the time...............now they've long left home and OH is as disarranged as me, we can be our own worst enemies in that area but we're both trying we really are, if it is only one small step at a time.

ceridwen - good link...........thanks for that. May take me some time to plough through it but some interesting reading there.
Good to see you back :T

ceridwen

edited out - sorry

mary43

ceridwen - beautiful link............thanks for that. If more people followed that concept we'd behalf way there to being a far better people.

Well, beautiful day again.............been out and enjoyed the local boot fair, came away with a few plants and was given a slow cooker by ex foster girls sister ! I never really class plants as clutter...............they give me such pleasure and the slow cooker will certainly be very useful.

Been trying to form some kind of 'bond' with my brother by friendly, chatty e mails but he doesn't respond in the same way so I have to accept that the kind of relationship I'd have liked just isn't going to exist. But at least the 'hate' feeling has disappeared..............now I kind of feel a little sorry for him. His outlook on life, his attitude to those less fortunate than himself -somehow I feel he is missing out on an awful lot. Still,his choice.........I will get on with my life,difficult as it can be sometimes -found a little quote I quite liked and one worth remembering ......well for me anyway

"Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway."