
As far as material possessions are concerned, my life here at the cottage is extremely simple. Put simply, I use very few things. My hope is that I can carry this way of “living light” back to my home. No pun intended. Except for a few too many books, I can almost carry on my back all that I have carried up here. I bring enough food so I don’t need to leave the cottage to go to the supermarket. The clothes on my back (plus a few extras), a bag of books, my computer, and my pillows and cozy napping shawl, complete the list. So you can imagine, packing up at either end of my trip is simple.
I use the dishes that are here. Yes, the same seven dishes over and over again: I glass, I coffee mug, I soup mug, I large plate, I small plate, and 2 cereal bowls. And the same pieces of cutlery: 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, 1 fork, and 2 knives. I immediately wash up what I use and store them in the dish drain. That simple strategy keeps me from even thinking about doing the dishes. After all, they never pile up in the sink; they are clean before I know it.
Admittedly I am just feeding myself while I’m here, but just the thought of all the pots, pans, dishes, cutlery and kitchen gadgets that I have at home overwhelms me—many I haven’t used in years. What If I just had what I need in those cupboards, instead of what I might need? I’m not saying that that is the way to go, but I think it may be for me.