I resonate with this essay! So many of our things come from loved ones and so are hard to part with. Especially handmade or art items. Our home is warm, inviting, and hopefully interesting visually. I like the idea of minimalism but can't quite get there with so many things carrying memories.
After my mom died, my dad decided to give most of his possessions away and live like a "monk". Nearly 8 months later he realized he hated living in a home with very few warm and memorable things so went around to family members and asked for some of his stuff back. Less that when he started, but enough to satisfy the need to live with reminders of one's history.
Margi, that is so true. My home is filled with my life, for over 36 years of a failed first marriage, the joy of raising two amazing humans, travels, hobbies, mementos, family artefacts I have inherited. Hand me down furniture, some dating to 1704 and earlier! I do not have a magazine0styled home... it has all been a part of living a life. Thank you for that reminder. Still, I can empathise with your dad, the whole journey of it. Thank you so much. I am so glad you are here!
Aww, thank you! I'm glad to be here though I'm not as consistent as I'd like. This is a great and supportive community you've built. Thank you for letting me be a part☺️
Thanks for sharing some of your fascinating journey! As for your question, there is an acronym in the quilting world (SABLE). It stands for Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy. It basically means I am surrounded by fabric, which brings me much joy.
On the other hand, I now volunteer at a church thrift store. I have used this as an opportunity to go through my house and find lots of things to donate, which also brings much joy.
Two comments now about donating things... seems like a very good idea. And boy do I know about SABLE... I've been a knitter, (and worked as a knitwear designer for years), for most of my life. I have destashed most of that accumulation, though. I knit solely for pleasure now, and very slowly. :) thank you so much, Jutta.
Over the years I have periodically taken a layer of clutter away so that it didn't engulf us as we acquired new things... one year I took photos of all my art school projects that I had been keeping but not actually ever looking at and then got rid of them. I don't miss them. I recently read a book "Goodbye Things" by Fumio Sasaki, a book about minimalism. While I will not be minimalizing to the degree he did, the chapter on excuses we give ourselves to not get rid of things rang true and made me laugh. My husband and I continue to get rid of layers of "stuff" (all those dishes that never get used anymore that are just sitting on a high shelf, leftover parts of projects that can easily be replaced if ever needed, tools that were once used but the vibe has passed and they sit unused, clothes that are past their prime or never seem quite right, extra storage boxes "just in case", etc etc) and each time it is liberating. If anything is in question, we can box it away and see how we feel about it later. I have no plans on making my home a sterile place but if we want to keep growing and discovering and buying new things, we have to shed some of the old to make mental, emotional and physical space or get buried. That said, when we travel I like to keep throwing things into my car "in case I want it", never needed to travel light, no backpacking for me :D
I enjoyed reading about your desire for simplicity. Is that right? Lovely thoughts of a basic environment.
I have always been a bit of a collector, just of things. Little mementos, unfinished projects. Eight years ago I moved into my partner’s condo ( now my husband & my condo!) and Christopher is a minimalist. It has taken time to mesh our styles, which literally included gut the place. Truly fortunate, yet still difficult for me to get rid of boxes in the basement! The benefit of this more minimal space is I feel calmer, cleaner? It creates a kind of peace. Not quite a Monastery, which sounds wonderful.
Somewhere buried in my notes, on my desk, is a story about packing away my possessions. Maybe I will bring it to my writing class tomorrow 😘
Judy, if you bring that piece to your class, send me a copy, too :) I had a similar experience of meshing two lives into one space later in life, and Rick is as much as a collector and saver as I am...although his share of the collection is not as full as mine. When he came to live here (hallelujah) he brought more books than anything and it was quite something going through both of our libraries and deciding what to keep and how to fit them all! We love books, what can I say? They feel like a great comfort. But I think we are both feeling the need for a little more "space" and not so many "things." Work in progress. ❤️
When my parents moved to a care facility, I had the task of clearing out their condo. Wow, what a job, nearly 50 years of stuff! We all got to save what we wanted and the rest was sol, donated or just tossed. My husband and I made a pledge to clean out our own flotsam long before we moved. It’s a work in progress. 🫣🤣
I have done that twice, for both of my paternal grandparents. They truly didn’t have too much. Both of my parents are really organised and have never been fans of clutter. I’m afraid I’m the first to bring the clutter 😂
-- Kateri, I am in love with your paintings. Last New Year’s Day, I published a piece about simplicity, and I still wonder if choosing a simpler line of thought can actually refine our emotions in a deeper way. Xo.
I would thinking moving is a great boon to decluttering. I remember you talking about it. (Books are always coming in. And I really am trying to use the library more!)
Loved this essay and I envy you your riding The Orient Express - have dreamed about doing that since watching the Poirot episodes!! Your paintings you share are just gorgeous!! Thanks for the uplift in the day!
I resonate with this essay! So many of our things come from loved ones and so are hard to part with. Especially handmade or art items. Our home is warm, inviting, and hopefully interesting visually. I like the idea of minimalism but can't quite get there with so many things carrying memories.
After my mom died, my dad decided to give most of his possessions away and live like a "monk". Nearly 8 months later he realized he hated living in a home with very few warm and memorable things so went around to family members and asked for some of his stuff back. Less that when he started, but enough to satisfy the need to live with reminders of one's history.
Margi, that is so true. My home is filled with my life, for over 36 years of a failed first marriage, the joy of raising two amazing humans, travels, hobbies, mementos, family artefacts I have inherited. Hand me down furniture, some dating to 1704 and earlier! I do not have a magazine0styled home... it has all been a part of living a life. Thank you for that reminder. Still, I can empathise with your dad, the whole journey of it. Thank you so much. I am so glad you are here!
Aww, thank you! I'm glad to be here though I'm not as consistent as I'd like. This is a great and supportive community you've built. Thank you for letting me be a part☺️
Dear Kateri,
Thanks for sharing some of your fascinating journey! As for your question, there is an acronym in the quilting world (SABLE). It stands for Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy. It basically means I am surrounded by fabric, which brings me much joy.
On the other hand, I now volunteer at a church thrift store. I have used this as an opportunity to go through my house and find lots of things to donate, which also brings much joy.
It's a delicate balance!
Two comments now about donating things... seems like a very good idea. And boy do I know about SABLE... I've been a knitter, (and worked as a knitwear designer for years), for most of my life. I have destashed most of that accumulation, though. I knit solely for pleasure now, and very slowly. :) thank you so much, Jutta.
i've been donating / gifting at least 3 pieces / items per week. it's working.
I really like that idea. I have stacks of books ready to donate. Cleaning out my shelves one by one. Thanks, Elena.
Over the years I have periodically taken a layer of clutter away so that it didn't engulf us as we acquired new things... one year I took photos of all my art school projects that I had been keeping but not actually ever looking at and then got rid of them. I don't miss them. I recently read a book "Goodbye Things" by Fumio Sasaki, a book about minimalism. While I will not be minimalizing to the degree he did, the chapter on excuses we give ourselves to not get rid of things rang true and made me laugh. My husband and I continue to get rid of layers of "stuff" (all those dishes that never get used anymore that are just sitting on a high shelf, leftover parts of projects that can easily be replaced if ever needed, tools that were once used but the vibe has passed and they sit unused, clothes that are past their prime or never seem quite right, extra storage boxes "just in case", etc etc) and each time it is liberating. If anything is in question, we can box it away and see how we feel about it later. I have no plans on making my home a sterile place but if we want to keep growing and discovering and buying new things, we have to shed some of the old to make mental, emotional and physical space or get buried. That said, when we travel I like to keep throwing things into my car "in case I want it", never needed to travel light, no backpacking for me :D
This was fun to read, Cindy. Inspiring, too. And car travel is different for me these days! When I have a car I take all sorts of things ;)
I enjoyed reading about your desire for simplicity. Is that right? Lovely thoughts of a basic environment.
I have always been a bit of a collector, just of things. Little mementos, unfinished projects. Eight years ago I moved into my partner’s condo ( now my husband & my condo!) and Christopher is a minimalist. It has taken time to mesh our styles, which literally included gut the place. Truly fortunate, yet still difficult for me to get rid of boxes in the basement! The benefit of this more minimal space is I feel calmer, cleaner? It creates a kind of peace. Not quite a Monastery, which sounds wonderful.
Somewhere buried in my notes, on my desk, is a story about packing away my possessions. Maybe I will bring it to my writing class tomorrow 😘
Judy, if you bring that piece to your class, send me a copy, too :) I had a similar experience of meshing two lives into one space later in life, and Rick is as much as a collector and saver as I am...although his share of the collection is not as full as mine. When he came to live here (hallelujah) he brought more books than anything and it was quite something going through both of our libraries and deciding what to keep and how to fit them all! We love books, what can I say? They feel like a great comfort. But I think we are both feeling the need for a little more "space" and not so many "things." Work in progress. ❤️
When my parents moved to a care facility, I had the task of clearing out their condo. Wow, what a job, nearly 50 years of stuff! We all got to save what we wanted and the rest was sol, donated or just tossed. My husband and I made a pledge to clean out our own flotsam long before we moved. It’s a work in progress. 🫣🤣
I have done that twice, for both of my paternal grandparents. They truly didn’t have too much. Both of my parents are really organised and have never been fans of clutter. I’m afraid I’m the first to bring the clutter 😂
-- Kateri, I am in love with your paintings. Last New Year’s Day, I published a piece about simplicity, and I still wonder if choosing a simpler line of thought can actually refine our emotions in a deeper way. Xo.
Thank you Thaissa 🩵 and that is something to be curious about, for sure. And how our environs affect our thought processes. All grist for the mill.
It’s tidal. Some comes in (books, mostly) and some goes out ( there are pluses and minuses to volunteering in a thrift shop.
Moving five years ago washed a tsunami of stuff away. I’m nowhere near the backpack stage, but I might be close to the back of the RSV - 4.
I would thinking moving is a great boon to decluttering. I remember you talking about it. (Books are always coming in. And I really am trying to use the library more!)
Loved this essay and I envy you your riding The Orient Express - have dreamed about doing that since watching the Poirot episodes!! Your paintings you share are just gorgeous!! Thanks for the uplift in the day!