There comes a point when it seems as if something big is about to happen. A whiff of change on the wind, a green sprig of possibility, an opening of sorts. Spring can bring this feeling – there is an age old practice of ‘Spring Cleaning’ (though for all witches, all the celebratory times are times of cleaning out the old to make way for the new) which carries with it more than just a good sweeping. For us, this year, we are feeling the call for a more minimalist life. If you know us, you can stop laughing now.
It’s true, if you knew me (in particular), you would know that I love to look for treasure. My grandmother used to work the auction circuit when I was a kid and I would join her – traveling from one pie sale with ornamental glass to another (ha!). And she was a collector, too – it’s no wonder I have an eye for nostalgia. But it’s not just that, I also have an appreciation for things that were ‘made better when’. Of course, that is not everything (one look at how this house was stapled together as its 60’s upgrade can show you), but many things were not as mass produced out of plastic, as they are now, and so I collect them thinking that they will please me better. And most do – though I have many treasures that I harbor ‘just in case’, and that, my friends, is what drives my spouse a little crazy. With the current renovations we are doing, much of my stash is now piled in other rooms to get reorganized. Josh is hoping much of it goes back out into the world.
I have to say, I might be right there with him this year. I do love to collect things that might have been-made-better-when for some future maybe-I’ll-need-it-someday but I also need some space lately. Some thinking space, some doing space, just some space. I have so many options for so many activities that I don’t get to do any of them, and to be honest, my tomorrows are starting to be less than my yesterdays – I’m not sure I have enough time to really do most of these activities (my sewing skills are atrocious, do I really need four 1970’s sewing machines? when will I do mehndi again – I have jars of henna and plastic wide-tip hypodermic plungers? am I going to ever find a good place for a mosaic wall of all the broken dishes I keep? And what is with all the creamers?).
With all that said, this Tuesday I’m making a list of the activities I want to focus on – and everything else needs to find a new home. This Spring, some serious cleaning needs to be done. Let us not go so far as to think we will showcase any earthy clean Scandinavian lines around here – we’re not stable enough for that, but I think we can do better. I think we can find some new space around here that will renew our energies. I just had a birthday (to which my lovely child made a stunning cake and Nana brought over a Sushi buffet – yay! Thank you! And D was very happy to hit the ice cream place by the river for a first season cone!) and though we went ‘antiquing’ I was good and didn’t bring home anything that couldn’t be immediately used and enjoyed (I got us a new family popcorn bowl). Not only did I try to be good, but when I was ‘shopping’, I just didn’t feel that I needed anything. I think my brain is catching up to my lifestyle – ha!
I hope you find some easy breezy changes for the better coming your way.
Rock Bottom Homestead 