simplelife

Someone left the freezer open while we were traveling last summer. The food is covered with white snow. Now, in March, our son empties the freezer contents into bags, knocking off the ice. W cleans it out and helps me put things back. One shelf for him. One for me. One for the son. And the bottom for vegetables and fruit. I cleaned for about ten hours Saturday. Where did all these papers come from? I filled another binder with decor sheets; over the past months I've ripped out the pages I love and tossed the magazines. That means I have to take time to sort and put the clippings away. The doctoral texts taken from our room go into the guest bookshelves. The bedding is aired outside. The Roomba whirls around our bedroom. Three times, to make sure it's clean. I love Auntie Molly's pink velvet drapes (bright fuschia!) in our room. One kid takes a bulletin board. Another takes an old set of dragon dominos. We freecycle a hammock we never used, another whiteboard/ corkboard, and...

Last year in Malaysia, I bought 30 yards of sheer window fabric. If I sew correctly, I will have a few little strips and 2 yards left over, which I might use to cover two little windows by the front door. So I may have nothing to store. Before I sew the drapes, I have other work to do. After my job today, I'll have to play piano for choir practice. I'm thinking my lunch break would be a good time to cut out the lengths. Then I have to take my sewing machine down to the long dining table so the fabric doesn't bunch while I sew. I'm dreading 14' matching of squares and the great gobs of white mesh. But it will be great when it's done. The ribbons that wrap up the winter drapes are ready and waiting to keep the pleats crisp in storage. And we are two big bookbags lighter - I took aquarium and bird books to the science department and dropped a stack off for the library sale. It's one thing after another. The house feels like it's beginning to breathe.

While I'm gone at R's bridal shower, W disassembles his office and gets rid of half of his things. There's a loveseat in pieces in the living room. I stop by the school to help hang the art show in the library. When I come back, my office is still in shambles. This morning, I took everything out of one closet and put about half back. Gifts on one side. Art supplies in another. But what to do with the rest? Someone is coming tonight to get a big cardboard trifold, a 2'X1.5' whiteboard, and a big bag of matboard pieces. It's a start. We bought dozens of yards of fabric when we were in Malaysia last year. I'm hoping to sew sheer window coverings in the next week or so, part of wedding prep and getting ready for summer. I'll need a place to lay out 13.6' lengths for the tall front window. Guess I'll be sorting and tidying the office throughout the weekend. Between church and studies, of course!

My husband is hobbling around. This week is the university's Spring Break, and W decided to tackle the front courtyard. We've had bricks stacked up since June last year, and paid our son to lay the courtyard while we were gone last summer. Long story short, each brick has to be laid individually because they are old and non-standard sizes. T got the sand down and leveled, but only got about a third laid before summer was over. A Mexican laborer who didn't know what he was doing whistled through a few courses that had to be relaid later. So after two days' work, the main area has only a few dozen bricks left to lay, and W is actually excited about getting the side yard done as well. Most of the stash of bricks is now flat on the ground, and it's time to call for more at www.freecycle.org. With the wedding on the May horizon, I am thankful for progress. If the weather is nice, it would be great to have an outdoor option! Jono got inspired and is laying 8"X16...

Today, in spite of snow on the ground and really cold temps, W was outside laying paving bricks. We have a wedding coming to the house in 2 months. The courtyard has been in process since last June. I'm excited to see progress! Wouldn't it be great to have the option of being outside by the fountain in May if the weather is good?

We picked up a 5'X5'X5' U-shaped bookcase a few years ago when the bookstore remodeled. Five wood shelves wrapped three sides, about thirteen feet of storage on each tier. Perfect for collecting stuff in a temporary home. I've been redefining the principle bedroom to be about sleeping rather than containing bits of all of life. We had current study books, bedtime snacks, electronic gear, etc. stashed on it. The shelves had to go. (We have six 2.5'X7' bookcases behind the bed. That ought to be enough book storage for a bedroom!) I showed the unit to my daughter-in-law-to-be yesterday. "Sure, I'll take them." In no time, the shelves were bare. Stuff on the bed. Stuff on the floor. Stuff left from previous pare-downs and several declutter sessions, waiting to be sorted. W knocked the shelves apart so Rebekah could put them in her truck and haul them off to Jeremy's. She likes to build, so will have them together in a jiffy. Plus, the couple is com...

I was introduced to The Orchard near Cambridge during a long walk across the meadows with our Tuesday afternoon tour group. Several times during our stay in England, my husband and I cycled the meadow to Granchester to sample the wonderful tea garden fare. We loved the laid-back sling-back chairs. We'd take our trays to sit under the old apple trees where the lines were penned, ' Stands the church clock at ten-to-three And is there honey still for tea?' We hope to recreate the look: we found some Adirondack chairs which we'll put in the back of the house, our own meadow under the trees. Can't wait for spring! Clearing space makes room for things that we love - someone is coming to pick up an old IKEA sofa and four people have come to get corals, even tidying the reef into an orderly environment. What can you clear away so that you can bring in the new and fresh?