Minimalism creates opportunity

In my last round of cleaning things out, one of the things I decided to get rid of was the bedroom television.  For one thing, it had a set-top box that cost us monthly.  For another, we only watched it twice a year--when one of us was sick.

In donating the television, I was left with a decision on what to do with the cabinet.  The lower half is useful storage for me and as a piece of furniture, it balances the room.

Several years ago when John's Aunt Willa died, she left me her prized Japanese doll.  Though precious to me, I was never really sure what to do with it since it doesn't fit my decor. For years it simply sat on top of this cabinet parked in the corner. An awkward add-on.

Letting go of the television allowed Willa's doll to move into the place the television had occupied.  It now looks featured in the room.  I love it that its position honors her. It now looks special, just like she was special.

Minimalism makes things possible that simply aren't when you are overflowing with stuff.

Random Updates

This is stream of thought...

- I am actively looking to purchase an affordable used scooter to put my new Class M to good use.

- As of this morning I am 8 lbs down from when I first posted "The Weight Game" post. (Why yes, posting your weight and unflattering photos of yourself on the world wide web IS motivating to stick to a 1200 calorie a day low carb vegan diet.) The Livestrong app is making a big difference in how I'm able to stay on target.

- I am reading a lot of really good books lately. I tracked down Indra Devi's book from 1950. (She was the first Westerner to study with Krishnamacharya and took yoga practice to California in the 1940's.)  I'm also reading Rod Stryker's "Four Desires." (More on that later.) Also in the middle of Jonah Lehrer's How We Decide.

- My mom is in a nursing home and it is looking to be much longer term than we'd originally hoped.  Diabetes has compromised her legs and she is in a wheelchair. I will get to see her on Friday to find out more.

- Have been spending a lot of time contemplating what minimalism looks like in a modern day life.  How do we let go of "things" and their related responsibilities and entanglements to make more room for what God actually wants to do in us?

Never say never...

This weekend, I did something I never thought I'd ever do.  Ride a motorcycle.

I enrolled in the cycle training course to learn to ride a scooter. (You know. Little things that go slow.  Like a slightly faster bicycle.)

But when there were no scooters available, I was given a Honda Rebel. And though I was super intimidated when I started the class, by the end I was having fun.

A LOT of fun.

And while I have no plans to run out and get a Harley, it is a cool skill to have. (And, as of 9:05 Monday morning my drivers licence class is now CM.)

The Cornell Herons

Watch live streaming video from cornellherons at livestream.com

I have become really enamored following the Great Blue Heron nest sponsored by Cornell University at livestream.

It is amazing how peaceful and joyful it is to watch the parents care for their babies and see them grow. I also like following the chat feed to see the questions people ask and the answers.

Getting this closeup view of something so beautiful is amazing.

Adventures in dehydrating food for travel

After reading  321 Stop: stop running and start living I did a massive clean out.  Yes, I know this is typical for me, but there was another layer of the onion to peel off.

In doing so, I listed my dehydrator on Craigslist.

Then Monday night at the library, I ran across another book. Another Fork in the Trail: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for the Backcountry.

The book covers dehydrating food and assembling into meals so that it can be easily packed and stored--which for a girl who just packed a whole weekend of food for a trip to New Mexico sounded amazing. Dehydrated food is lighter and doesn't need refrigeration, and the book has really amazing recipes that take it way beyond kale and banana chips.

I was inspired to test it out.  Over the weekend I made some particularly yummy chili beans--pinto beans with a bit of garlic and a sauce made of tomato and a ton of chile seco. I poured the mixture onto the dehydrator sheets which took about 12 - 18 hours to completely dry.  I then put the mixture into ziplock baggies with a note as to how much was there originally before I dehydrated.  (I put 1 cup chili beans on each tray, so I would know that.  When rehydrating, you don't want to add more water than was in the beans originally.)

And you know what? It worked!

If you've ever eaten a "cup-a-soup" you've experienced rehydrating a meal.

A friend of mine sent me some blogs and I read further. It seems like a really viable option when traveling--because almost every place I go has the ability to heat water. (Some of the recipes even rehydrate cold.)

So needless to say, I took the dehydrator off Craigslist. (And thanks to the 321 Stop-inspired clean-out, I now even have a completely empty cabinet so it has a place to live.)

Exploring minimalism

There was a time when I had closets full to bursting, drawers that wouldn't quite shut, hundreds of books for which I didn't have shelf space and furniture that was a little too big for our house.

I'm not sure when I was introduced to the idea that I didn't need it. That the world wouldn't stop--and in fact my life would get better--if I let it all go.

I just read Lorilee Lippincott's book 3-2-1-Stop which explores this idea. She takes it beyond the physical world of "stuff" and into time, money...and even yourself.  I wish I'd encountered this book 15 years ago.

If you've ever been interested in living a little bit freer, this book is for you.  It isn't a big complex read.  In fact, the style is as simple as Lippincott is encouraging you to live.

It is available on Kindle (the way I read it), in PDF, or paperback. Worth your time...and in fact, may result in freeing up more of it.

Imposter Syndrome

This week on ThisIsIndexed I saw a drawing I had to look up...

Wikipedia says..."The impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. It is not an officially recognized psychological disorder, but it has been the subject of numerous books and articles by psychologists and educators. The term was coined by clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978." (Note that the Dunning-Kruger effect is when you are blind to your own incompetence.)

It is interesting to me how often I feel I have to "wait for the grown ups."  Somehow this year it hit me that when you are in your forties "we are the ones we've been waiting for."

In what areas of your life do you need to get over the imposter syndrome and own what it is you are responsible for?

Even people who are really good sometimes fail.  But you have to actually be doing something to risk failure.