People are clutter too.

In my last post I was saying about gradually paring down until you get to the things you really love - well perhaps you shouldn't stop there.

Other blogs on Minimalism say that it is people who are important not things and of course that is true but people can be time wasters too and often the time spent with people who are not on your wave-length can be very frustrating.  Not all social intercourse is good for you and I find a lot of people talk about very trivial things: TV, the weather, clothes, food etc.

This can be a constant dribble of clutter into your mind and your mind needs to be clear and clean as well as your habitat.

It got me thinking about certain Asian old men who will live their lives normally then when they get to a certain age they cast it all off, family as well and go off into the wilderness.  That is difficult in our culture but perhaps by gradually not having so many interactions with people our lives can become quieter and calmer.

Shopping, it's great isn't it?

Today was very wet and windy but went shopping with a friend as she had to buy a cardigan for a relative.  We went to one of those shopping outlets where everything is supposed to be cut-price.  It was heaving even in this weather but of course it is nearly Christmas so everyone is out trying to get bargains.

I noticed first of all that mostly there was a lot of  out-dated stuff that nobody had bought so it was being sold as a bargain buy.  Then I noticed how shoddily-made other stuff was.  There was a dreadful Christmas-stuff only shop selling really cheap, horrible, garish decorations and trees and it was full to the brim with people.

My friend couldn't find what she wanted so we carried on and finished up at one of the big supermarkets, again heaving with people.  I thought I may as well do a bit of Christmas food shopping but what a disappointment.  The so-called bargains were not and the choice was dismal but of course it is so much easier to do all one's shopping in one shop, isn't it?

I bought very little, got no bargains and soaking wet to boot.

I have now decided to stop buying into the Christmas craziness and buy sensible food that will be eaten and enjoyed, not rubbish that will make us all feel sick Christmas day afternoon.

Christmas? Bah humbug!!!!!!!

Minimalism makes you think

Now that I have given up my job and gradually getting rid of my stuff, I have a lot of time to spare,which is fantastic.  In all that new-found time I can actually think - I can sit quietly and let the sounds outside run over me or I can actively (or should that be non-actively?) meditate, I can plan in my head what I am going to do this week or I can simply day-dream.

When I had a hectic, busy working life there was no room for thought.  Every day was the same - get up, dress, go to work, work, come home, make dinner and then vegetate on the sofa.  The only talking I did apart from answering queries at work, was discussing last night's tv or idle gossip.  I find that I am no longer interested in these things any more and even though I do have less to think about I love having an empty mind.

When your mind is empty you really do feel part of the greater universe.  I do not want to sound like a new-ager but it is true. When not bogged down by trivia your mind can soar.  Try it and see.

La creme de la creme!

The great thing about being minimalist is that you are constantly paring down your possessions and that means that you eventually end up with the best of the best or la creme de la creme!  All your clothes are the most beautiful, best-fitting, flattering garments that you wear and your books are an absolutely amazing  read, your music makes you feel wonderful and your furniture (what little you have) is comfortable AND great looking.

Well, that is hopefully what I will end up with but meantime it made me wonder - why do we put up with sub-standard possessions?  Why do we wear clothes that don't fit properly or don't flatter us? Why do we sit on ghastly-coloured sofas and look at garish wallpaper? Is it a question of taste or do we buy what is advertised because we do not know our own minds?

There is an advert on TV for a sofa company (no names) which has the most ugly sofas I have ever seen but act as though you must be gagging to buy one. Perhaps you are and who am I to tell you what is nice or not?
Perhaps an orange leather squashy sofa with purple swirly cushions is your idea of heaven?  Good for you.  I must mind my own business but remember me in a years time when you are fed up with looking at it.  On the other hand you could go the other way of a certain designer and have everything in taupe (I think I prefer the orange and purple).

To go back to my original thought - why do we own so many things of dubious quality - I can only think that it is because for most of us quantity is better that quality and perhaps that has to do with fear of losing our stuff?  Is it a wartime mentality? My mother-in-law always bought two items when one had been used so that her kitchen cupboards were a menace to open in case lots of cans fell on your head!

Anyway, onwards and upwards with the paring down until you reach sanity.

What is it with kitchens?

Most of my home is pretty nearly clutter free but however much stuff I chuck away the kitchen always overwhelms me!

It is not very big although large enough for a dining table and two chairs.  I hate wall cupboards and have two free standing butcher slab-type units that I had especially made for me, which I love.  They have one shelf at the bottom and very sturdy drawers and on top I keep the kettle, food processor and related items.  I have a tall free-standing open plan unit which houses all my food stuffs and crockery and a larder fridge and large freezer.  Also a washing machine, so a lot of furniture in one room, but however I look at it I cannot see that I can do without any of it. I considered buying a fridge-freezer but quite honestly my freezer is always full up as I tend to do large shops as unable to shop every day, which would be the ideal.

I love the photo of Joshua Milburn's minimalist flat at www.theminimalists.com but you cannot see a kitchen.  Now I have heard that in America dining out is very reasonable and lots of people do that all the time (which would be heaven!) and also cuts out a lot of space and things needed for your home but I live in the UK and although a take-away is nice for  a treat I would not like to live on them.  Perhaps hard-line minimalists eat fruitarian which would certainly cut out having an oven, pans and baking equipment?

I always cook an evening meal from scratch so that I have to have a lot of ingredients about and as I am vegetarian and my son (who lives with me) is not, that makes for even more supplies.  I do not have a dish washer from choice as I think they are unnecessary and take up room but still I struggle every time I visit the kitchen as it always looks a mess.  Having two cats and a dog does not help as their food takes up a lot of room and I can't really chuck them away!

I am down to four dinnerplates, four bowls, three pasta dishes and (sorry) lots of mugs.  (They seem to multiply for no known reason!)  A cutlery tray and utensils which I use all the time, kettle, very small food processor and a sandwich toaster.  Only three pans and a milk pan, all of which are used, two cake tins and three baking trays.

I am constantly trying to eliminate items that are rarely used but I think I have done all I can.  I would love to know what you all use and what you think is unnecessary and also I want to see on minimalist sites photos of kitchens and wardrobes or hanging rails not just their lovely, tidy, minimalist sitting rooms.

How to live a calm, unworried life

I have lived a very hectic life for the past five decades and am only now seeing the absolute nonsense that we all subscribe to.  In my life I have attended six schools, lived in eight houses and had five different jobs - not a lot, I know, by some standards, but enough to keep me confused!

I have now voluntarily given up my job, eight months ago, in order to get some calm into my life.  It has not been as easy as some bloggers would have you think but I know I have done the right thing.  I am currently going through the period of self-doubt and worry ie. what on earth have I done? - but know with certainty that I will come through this period a better, stronger person.

I have had a lot of help and advice from reading the blogs of people like Leo Babatuo  and the Minimalists and knowing there are others out there that do not follow like sheep is of a lot of help to me.

In the past eight months I have had a huge clear out of clothes and stuff.  The good thing about not going out to work is that you do not need so many clothes and I have got mine down to a small hanging rail and a chest of drawers.  I am going through all my kitchen equipment and chucking items that I seldom if ever use.  I haven't yet got down to 4 plates, bowls and cups but getting there quickly.  I know friends will think I have gone nuts and if my mother-in-law was still alive she would be bringing me lots more china because she would think I can't afford to buy any!

That in itself is a problem - trying to explain your new mind set to friends who have known you for a long time.  Why have I suddenly changed?  Why do I not want any Christmas presents?  Why do I not want to buy new clothes?

At the moment all I can do is try to explain that I do not want to exhaust the environment by buying needless rubbish and that I am happy to do simple things with my time like gardening, walking and reading and do not wish to go to the cinema and on big shopping sprees. 


So that is where I am at the moment  - still cutting down on possessions and still trying to spend less and less.  But I feel so free!