In my journal a year ago I wrote about silence and solitude, but barely mentioned simplicity. This year, simplicity is continually finding it’s way onto the pages.
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.
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.