Saturday, November 23, 2013

Oh, My Heart

I laid in bed last night thinking about all of the stuff I need to do this weekend to get ready for the Thanksgiving week. The party we always have, the day and dinner itself. My thoughts mostly focused on my kitchen which of course is the heart of everything, whether of party or feast or just daily life in general.
It is so cluttered. Just filled with stuff and more stuff and mostly stuff I don't use but yes, stuff I do use, and I have got to do something about that. Let stuff go. Let...it...go.

I obsessed about all of that for half the night. This morning I've already thrown away a bunch of microwave popcorn we're never going to use and of course that did nothing except to make a token stab at it. But anyway, after breakfast is over (and I appear to be fucking up the cooking of oatmeal- I swear to you- how do you fuck up oatmeal?) I plan on putting on my overalls and getting in there with garbage bags and going nuclear on it all.
That's my plan.

And of course there's laundry that needs to be done and the chicken coop needs cleaning out and there are forty-two other rooms that need clearing and cleaning.
Yeah. It's going to be a good weekend.

But maybe, just maybe, if I can create some order and serenity in the heart of the house, perhaps my own heart will be more at ease.

I'll let you know.


12 comments:

  1. Nothing like a gathering to make us hyper critical of our very own nests! I'm exactly the same way. I'll kill myself with cleaning just to make it look like the whole shebang was effortless. It's stupid. They are coming to see you, not your popcorn. (Or dog hair, as is my case.)

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  2. How do we do it? Who the fuck knows.

    I've been fucking up the making of peppermint tea. Yeah. I'm blaming it on the tea. I think your oatmeal has a problem. You are perfect.

    Good call on the microwave popcorn. Bad shit.

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  3. It feels good to purge doesn't it? And how quickly stuff gathers? For instance I had to buy yeast becase my old yeast was finally done and I washed that little brown jar and kept it and then I asked myself what the hell? I don't need the little brown yeast jar. (But it's so cute!)
    Yep. I've messed up oatmeal.
    xoxox

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  4. Try something called the "Rule of Ten".
    It mostly applies to a workshop, but other places too I suppose.
    It's simple. When you go out and come back in, try to put away ten things. Or maybe, throw away ten things? Either way, it can be a struggle.
    Good luck.

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  5. heartinhand- At this point, it's more a matter of SPACE. Space to cook and to set things. It's ridiculous- I have a large kitchen and only a tiny space on which I can actually work. So it's practical as well as esthetic.

    Denise- Yes! On the popcorn! I took the rest of the oatmeal and made bread with it. So there you go. I suggest you throw the tea away and go with a different brand.

    Madame King- Oh, jars are so hard for me to throw away. Glass is somehow still magical and valuable to me. I cannot bring myself to throw away pimento jars or those tiny jelly jars. They do come in handy and I don't have too many as I hardly ever buy pimentos and those tiny jelly jars rarely find their way to me. Those are what I put my husband's vitamins in his lunch when I pack it. Perfect.

    Bob- My goal is to throw away hundreds of things. I swear to you.

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  6. The nuclear option! Do it! I like the rule of 10 idea....

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  7. Mrs. Moon, You may or may not remember me from a couple of years ago, when I started following your blog. I lived in Jacksonville at the time, and I commented a few times. I moved to California and haven't commented for a while, but I wanted to let you know something that might amuse you. Over a year ago, I printed your blog and shared it with my mom. She loves it. She won't use the desktop shortcut I set up on my dad's pc so she could read you daily, but every week, I print your blog and mail it to her, from Cal. to Gainesville, FL. She adores you and wants to live next door.

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  8. Betsy- I have about seven filled bags of trash that I culled. Feeling pretty good about that.

    Elizabeth Oakes- Oh my god! That's hysterical and wonderful. Please, please, tell your mother how much I appreciate that and please know that I really appreciate you printing out my blog and sending it to her. Golly.
    And by the way- I'm not much fun to live next door to. Ask my neighbors.

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  9. Mary, you know I love you, right? And your desire to purge your kitchen/house is my dearest fantasy too. The only problem is my PARTNER who is a slob and because of that she can't find things she needs to she just goes and gets more!!!! ARGGGHA!

    Well, maybe a wee bit of inertia on my part too might be the problem. I DID clean out the garage, even taking the hazmat to the the hazmat place and boy, do I feel righteous, at least temporarily.

    your fan Beth

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  10. Wow -- how much do I love Elizabeth's comment above!! What a compliment to you, MM!

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  11. Beth Coyote- My sweetie tends to hold on to shit too. Not saying that I don't but he always thinks we'll be able to use shit that yes, he forgets he has and so he goes off and buys more. Same-same. You get an award on that hazmat thing. I swear, you do.
    And guess what? I love you too.

    SJ- I know! I'm tickled pink and I'm not kidding.

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  12. I like your term that you are going all nuclear and shit on the house. Sounds good to me.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.