I have too much STUFF! So starting Sunday I decided to minimize my life in the fashion of "The Minimalists" Basically I'm working my way into a "Packing Party" where you box up everything you own and put it in one room (...if it fits). As you need things you go and get them out of the box. These things are the things you keep. At the end of a set amount of time whatever remains boxed up gets donated to a thrift shop or charity. Sight unseen. If you needed it, you'd have used it already. If you see it... you may be tempted to save it for that 'just in case' feeling.
So on Monday after work I decided to start with my disastrous kitchen. I'm sort of wishing I'd taken a before photo, but I'll be honest, the embarrassment kept me from snapping that particular moment in time. So I'll just tell you what my kitchen was like. I work a minimum of 68 hours a week. I'm tired by the time I get home so I don't always feel like cleaning. I lived alone with my dog. There's no one to complain at me for being a slob... so the dirty dishes had piled up in the sink... and on the counter... and the stove... on the bar... and complete disclosure, I even had dirty dishes in a box on the floor when I couldn't balance any more on the counter. The whole house reeked of rotting produce and the flies were enough to drive you insane. It was filthy, disgusting, and I couldn't stand myself!
So I brought in encouragement in the form of Chris who is a fantastic cheer leader. I brought in extra space, my Mom's adjustable folding table... and I emptied the dishes from the sink to the folding table so I could begin washing them. THREE hours later I finished washing dishes. It took me nearly another hour to box everything up and move it to my living room. My packing party's room of requirement if you will. After that I cleared off one other counter which was filled to overflowing with pyrex dishes and small appliances. Then I went to bed satisfied with what I had accomplished in one evening.
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| The CLEANEST I've seen my kitchen since move in day. |
This morning I had to work but after I returned home I dug right in where I'd left off and took nearly an hour and a half to clear off the bar height counter and the shelves above the stove. I then worked my way through the cabinets under the counter and emptied the drawers... all into boxes.
I still need to remove the (organic) cleaning supplies from under the sink but I'm saving all that mess for last so I can easily access anything I need to clean up the surfaces that were buried in the junk and stuff that's been ruling my life since September.
After achieving my cleaning goal for the day I tackled my physical activity goal for the day by going on a hike in the woods. It was beautiful and I couldn't help but smile as I walked softly so as to not startle the deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and wild turkeys. I could hear water running, my heart beating, my lungs sucking air. And in the moments in the deepest of quiet when I stood still in wonder... I could hear the soft popping sound of growing trees... almost like the soft pitter patter of rain on leaves.
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| Peek - A - Boo, I see you! |
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| The part of the trail where I first heard the trees growing. |
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| I'd never seen this flower before, but I thought it was B-E-A-U-Tiful! |
I was saddened by the other hikers though. Loudly talking on cell phones, smoking and then leaving cigarette butts on the trail, running down the trail startling ME as well as the wildlife. There was even one girl walking with her headphones so loud I could clearly hear the lyrics to the rap music she was listening to. Rap and wildlife... ok then. :D
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| Fungus on a fallen tree, thought it looked weird and cool :D |
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| Stairway to Heaven? |
Eventually the fireflies came out and snapped me to the reality that it was already past my bed time and I'd not eaten any supper. So I drove home.
So now here I sit at a completely empty counter with a freshly scrubbed floor softly reflecting the light from the sink... the empty, wiped clean and dry sink... waiting on my supper to bake on the one cookie sheet that's been recovered from a box. This is going to be fun. I think the next 'room' to attack will be the hall and closet. But that's another post for a different day.
Good Night and God Bless.
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