Conviction in the form of a graduation cap...
I read this last night:
"Accumulating mountains of yarn, stacks of cookbooks, and boxes of art supplies will not automatically make us accomplished knitters, master chefs, or creative geniuses. The activities themselves - not the materials - are what's essential to our enjoyment.... We also identify with stuff from our past, and hold on to certain things to prove who we were, or what we accomplished. How many of us have cheerleading uniforms, letter sweaters, swimming trophies.... As we examine our things with a critical eye, we may be surprised how much of it commemorates our past, represents our hopes for the future, or belongs to our imaginary selves. Unfortunately, devoting too much of our space, time, and energy to these things keeps us from living in the present. And heaven forbid we throw away that high school mortarboard - it'll be like we never graduated."
This from 'The Joy of Less', a minimalist living guide, by Francine Jay.
Powerful stuff, especially when I take stock of how much yarn I have sitting around, how many cookbooks I've bought over the years, boxes of paints and brushes. I still have our kids cheerleading uniforms, letter jackets, trophies. I seriously have ALL the items she mentioned in the book.
Even the high school mortarboard.
Anyone need a good costume for Halloween 2012?
I even had one painting in my home, that I'd done 15+ years ago. I hung onto it to remind myself, and others, that I could paint. Smacks of pridefulness and insecurity - don't love seeing either of those in me.
My husband took a truckload - literally a truck loaded to the gills - of stuff. When he pulled up to the Salvation Army they told him, 'this is good stuff, it can go right into the store.' Well, hurrah for that at least. At least if I was not a good steward of our resources, and I finally cast off all that is sitting around here unused with good intentions and little else, at least it can turn into blessings for others. Maybe someone else will want my painting. Then again, they may take chalkboard paint and spray right over it - it had a nice frame.
So I'm still mucking out - it's amazing how, once you open your eyes, you begin to see what has been surrounding you for ages, but never quite came into focus.
I downloaded Francine's book on my Kindle - well worth the read if you're in the mood to have your eyes opened up a bit.
Oh yeah, I got my newly-blonde hair cut off short. I'd been growing it out for quite awhile, and smart planning would have been to go gray then grow, but I wasn't that orderly in my planning. I decided what was there was brassy looking and felt like straw, so I went into the salon and asked them to cut it short and messy. Hoping this will be a good path to growing it out to something that doesn't require much work. I do not love the blonde, it doesn't go great with my skin tone, but is what is. It's just hair.
"Accumulating mountains of yarn, stacks of cookbooks, and boxes of art supplies will not automatically make us accomplished knitters, master chefs, or creative geniuses. The activities themselves - not the materials - are what's essential to our enjoyment.... We also identify with stuff from our past, and hold on to certain things to prove who we were, or what we accomplished. How many of us have cheerleading uniforms, letter sweaters, swimming trophies.... As we examine our things with a critical eye, we may be surprised how much of it commemorates our past, represents our hopes for the future, or belongs to our imaginary selves. Unfortunately, devoting too much of our space, time, and energy to these things keeps us from living in the present. And heaven forbid we throw away that high school mortarboard - it'll be like we never graduated."
This from 'The Joy of Less', a minimalist living guide, by Francine Jay.
Powerful stuff, especially when I take stock of how much yarn I have sitting around, how many cookbooks I've bought over the years, boxes of paints and brushes. I still have our kids cheerleading uniforms, letter jackets, trophies. I seriously have ALL the items she mentioned in the book.
Even the high school mortarboard.
Anyone need a good costume for Halloween 2012?
I even had one painting in my home, that I'd done 15+ years ago. I hung onto it to remind myself, and others, that I could paint. Smacks of pridefulness and insecurity - don't love seeing either of those in me.
My husband took a truckload - literally a truck loaded to the gills - of stuff. When he pulled up to the Salvation Army they told him, 'this is good stuff, it can go right into the store.' Well, hurrah for that at least. At least if I was not a good steward of our resources, and I finally cast off all that is sitting around here unused with good intentions and little else, at least it can turn into blessings for others. Maybe someone else will want my painting. Then again, they may take chalkboard paint and spray right over it - it had a nice frame.
So I'm still mucking out - it's amazing how, once you open your eyes, you begin to see what has been surrounding you for ages, but never quite came into focus.
I downloaded Francine's book on my Kindle - well worth the read if you're in the mood to have your eyes opened up a bit.
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