Love working

Has it really been a week since I last posted.  Wow time does fly.  I have been trying to slow down a bit.  I have taken time to read daily; sometimes my Bible, sometimes just a book.  I just finished reading The Telling by Beverly Lewis.  It was predictable story, but since I had read the first two in the series I wanted to read this one to finish up the series.

I have gotten a couple of canning books from the library.  I have just scanned them, but they look like there are many recipes I can use.  I will see if I want to invest in purchasing any of them.  I do love to can.  It is a lot of work, but not unenjoyable.  My mom helps me and it is a great time of just talking a spending time with a woman I love a great deal.  She has been there for me through it all.

I enjoy working around the house. I would hate not being able to do work.  It is a blessing to be able to work.  I can see where I am a much more contented person when I am doing something to help my family and friends.  The way it works with a simple life it that it completes my life, not competes with my life.  One of my new favorite verses from the Bible is James 2:26, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

I do need to get back to getting the "stuff" out of my house.  I actually have a couple of boxes of books and 3 more bags of clothes.  I just need to list the items and get them gone.  Our local SPCA is having a book sale starting soon, so I will take the books to them and the clothes will go to Goodwill.  That is my project for this evening.  For today I will be baking bread and just general straightening and cleaning.

Simplifying Grocery Shopping

Today I spent exactly one hour in the grocery store to get groceries for the next two weeks.  I had a budget of $154 and spent only $136.  I am planning on cooking tomorrow and Saturday.  Then I will not have to do anything but pull stuff out of the freezer and get it ready for dinner.  I have things for easy lunches and breakfast items too.  It is my goal to not eat out during the next two weeks.

The nice part about the shopping was that I was able to print a map of my local store.  Then I highlighted the sections I needed to go to and had my grocery list set up in sections like produce, frozen, dairy, meat, etc.  It worked like a charm.  In this store the customer even bags their own groceries, so that hour included my time to get everything out of the cart, have the cashier check it, pay for it in cash, and bag it back up.  I was amazed that with just a little pre-planning it was so quick.

I will get fresh produce on Saturday from our local produce co-op, but other than that I am done with buying groceries.

My first real step in simplifying life was to organize my grocery shopping.  One down and about a hundred more things to take care of to get my life simpler.

Saying Goodbye to an old friend

Tonight I am sleeping with my old dog.  She is 16 years old and I knew the day was coming when we were going to have to say goodbye.  Today and tonight are those times.  Hannah is resting now, but her legs are no longer moving and she has quit eating and drinking.  She looks so peaceful.  Her breathing is smooth and even.  She does not seem to be in any pain unless you touch her somewhere on her legs.  I have shed tears for several hours, but am now coming to terms with what I know tomorrow will bring.

Life has a beginning and an end here on earth.  Do dogs go to heaven?  I sure hope so because Hannah had a rough beginning.  She was nothing but skin and bones, covered in fleas and ticks, but there was just something about her when she hopped into my mom's car 15 years ago.  She sat there as if she knew this was the family that would be hers and she immediately became a part of it.  While she did live with my mom, we live 3 houses away and all our pets are part of both houses.  My mom is currently on deployment with the Red Cross in southern California near Mexico because of the earthquakes.  She is shedding many tears tonight too.

Hannah you will forever be in our hearts.

Rain, Rain Go Away

It has rained on and off all day.  And not just those little April showers, but huge down pours of water.  My poor garden is getting drowned.  I'm sure I am going to have to replant my peas and beans because it has gotten so cold too.  The mountains surrounding us are covered in snow.  It's April for crying out loud, not January.  We just don't get this kind of weather here.

So anyway, it is my birthday today too and I do love the rain, so I guess it is my gift from God that I have gotten to sit here by the window and look at the rain all day.  I had to run a few errands, but was able to do that without rain each time.

One of my errands was to drop off 2 bags of clothes.  So below you can see my updated chart.  I have several more things that I need to catalog and bag out of what I have pulled out of closets already.  I am ready to get my life simpler and the junk out of my bedroom at least.

Cleaning and simplifying

Well, I started getting a list ready of what I need to do in my master bedroom.  I have been reading a couple of books and I'm ready to start. The one that has really gotten me excited was For Packrats Only by Don Aslett.  It really has shown me how my life is totally out of control because of stuff.  So I started a game plan and I am working on my master bedroom.  I already have two bags logged and ready to head out the door.  I have enough for at least 4 more bags and that is before I really get into my closets and drawers. 

Living in an older home, they really gave you lots of storage space.  Well I have totally used up every inch of space in all the rooms and I have stuff piled because it either doesn't have a home or there is no more room in the area I set up as the home for that type item.  Yikes!!  I never really thought about the things I have held on to or even why.  A lot of them are because I feel if I get rid of it, I will need it someday or I paid good money for that, so I need to keep it.

Reading this book really got me to thinking about what was controlling me and to not feel guilty about getting rid of the stuff and organizing what we will keep.  I have a long way to go with the clutter, but already I feel like I am getting in control.  Having gone through Financial Peace, I got my spending under control and I don't shop like I used to.  Everything I buy now has a purpose, but trying to put that into a house that is full of things that no loner have a purpose for us it not working.  Yes, most of the things others can use.  It is time to let things go and move on.

Taking time

I got several things into the garden on Saturday.  I planted some peas and beans, to add to the squash, tomatoes, and potatoes that are already in the ground.  We got a surprise rain today, so they got a good soaking without me having to go out and water. I was really happy about that because my allergies have decided that they are going to run wild on me today.  I think I have been through a whole box of tissue.  Thank goodness for the soft lotion ones I bought the other day.

So what did I get done today?  I got a lot of laundry done.  Pulled a few clothing items out of my closet to get rid of, I still have the box from last week that I did not get to charity, so I will definitely try to get that one and another one out the door this week.  I am trying hard to get my house in order and simplify at the same time.  I found a book on simplifying your life.  I am going to look at it and see if it will be something I can make a plan off of.  I did not recently buy the book, but found it on my shelf just waiting for me to come back to it.

I have started to take time to slow down.  My son and I played a game called Tilt.  It is an old game of marbles and the board game has to balance and moves as the marbles go from one side of the game board to the other.  Sometimes it is a good thing for your marble as it gets you closer to your goal and other times it practically takes you back to the start.  It is dated from 1974 and really was fun. 

We also played the old dice game of Yatzhee.  And yes it was an old game too.  I know you can still buy it, but this one was from my grandmother's things. He had a great time winning both games.  It was really nice not having the tv on and just enjoying time together.

Slowing down towards simplicity.  I am loving it.

Good Friday

Today started out good, then got bad, and ended the way it should.  Going to church and remembering who is really in charge and what He did for us.  Good Friday is not the beginning of the end, but the beginning of the beginning.  He died for our sins, so that we could worship Him.  He gives us life and purpose to love Him.  So many times we get wrapped up in situations that are hard, or even painful, that we forget our purpose.  He taught us the way to handle life's little problems and to rejoice in the true meaning of our mission while we live in this world, but not of this world.

My journey to simplicity is also a journey of learning to live according to what I have heard in the Word.  That spiritual simplicity; that living life within His teaching; learning to give it to Him.  That is probably the best goal in learning to live a simple life.

I hate weeds

So I started working in the yard today.  The weeds have totally taken over.  I got an area about 4 feet wide by 12 feet long weeded and planted with some potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, squash and marigolds.  I don't know why, but I have always put marigolds near my tomato plants.  My potatoes are planted in a potato bag.  My mom bought it for me from Gardern's Supply Company. You can see it here at potato grow bag.  It looks nice, but boy am I tired. I hope to get out there tomorrow too.  I want to put in some more veggies.  It is getting late to plant here, so I am just putting in plants from the nursery.  Not nearly as economical as seeds, but we should get a good harvest anyway.

As for my 41 bags, I have another one ready to go.  I hope to take it to charity tomorrow or Saturday, then I will be down to just 39 more things to get out of my house.