Wilderness Quilter

The reading for July 29 in Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach is titled The Home as a Hobby in which she quotes Arnold Bennett as follows:

“Nobody has the right to be bored in a half-made home.  A home which is not a fair expression of us at our best, a home which lacks what it might have, a home which is in any part more ugly or in any part more uncomfortable than it absolutely need be . . . a home which cannot be run without waste, a home which by any detail gets on the nerves of its inhabitants and so impairs the harmony of their existence  - something ought to be done about such a home . . . Why not make the perfecting of the home a hobby?”

Due to a variety of circumstances, I’ve been away from home the better part of the past few months.  And when I am here, I’m distracted (is the fire headed this way again?  will the smoke ever clear?) and feel adrift, in a holding pattern awaiting the next block of time away.  I think what I need is a new attitude and I think viewing my home as a hobby will provide that.  No doubt I can better use the time I do have in getting the extra little things accomplished - so, toward that goal, I guess I’d better remove myself from the computer!

It’s temporary, I know - but the smoke is gone!  Woke up to clear skies and not a hint of smoke anywhere -so the house is open and airing.  The fires are still burning all around - as of last night, 13 of the 27 fires within a 15 mile radius of us are still active - so I don’t know where all that smoke is going but it’s lifted from this canyon for a short while.

The sky is visible but the smoke smell is stronger than ever.  How did that happen?  Looked out and saw the sky and clouds so opened the window to air and cool the house.  Big mistake!  Thankfully we have a few more days of temperatures only in the 90s.  Starting Mon, we’ll hit 100+.  Hopefully we’ll have clear enough air outside by then to run the swamp cooler and open the house at night.  I’m not counting on it, though.

The fires are still burning on 3 sides of us but not close at all.  The smoke is our constant reminder that they are out there, however.  Can’t hang clothes outside, can’t open the widows, can’t run the swamp cooler - fortunately we’ve been blessed with temperatures only in the 90s.  Things are supposed to heat up around here in a few days so we need to get our most strenuous prep work completed by then or we’ll be really miserable.  Been at it a week and may take today off - everyone is really tired.  Then we can hopefully finish up the most grueling part in the 3 days of cooler weather we have left and save the fire line closer to home for when the temps hit 100+.  The good news is once this is all done, we won’t have to do it again and we’ll be set for fires in years to come with just a little maintenance.  Living surrounded by wilderness, it’s not a matter of if we’ll get another fire threatening our home, but only of when it will happen.

Continual smoke but no new fires that we know of - seems they’ve all died down a little with the higher humidity.  Didn’t get the expected thunder and lightning here yet but may today.  Work will continue toward readying for a fire.

After being snowed in for so long earlier in the year, now we’re fired in.  Good thing we always have enough supplies to get us through for a while!  We’ve had a week of continual smoke since the fires all started last weekend.  The fires are not close to us (about 6 miles away) at this point but more lightening is expected today and tomorrow so that could change in an instant.  Although the highway is closed and everyone in the area is under evacuation orders, we’re far enough north that the order doesn’t seem to apply to us.  We’re busily preparing to defend our place just like we did the last time.

My baby had her baby!  He was born May 14th and both he and his mama are doing well.  I know I’m biased but isn’t he just the cutest ever?  So I’ll be away from home for a while having way too much fun holding this little guy!

Though progress was made, it was not as much as I had hoped.  My list of 100 things gotten rid of is at 19 - some of those were multiples, however, but I’m still well below 50% no matter how you count.  Not that I had to have it done this week - but I sure thought I’d be working on a second list by now!  Did get some sorely needed cleaning and organizing done and am feeling really good about that.

My list of 100 must-keeps is also growing slowly - I’m at about 30% there.  Still haven’t established my criteria so am just adding as I think of things.

I’m also at about 30% on my 101/1001 project list.

Ran across all my wallpaper sample books (I only have about 8 ) while looking for items to include in the 100 things challenge.  Well, I can’t part with the wallpaper sample books.  I love looking at them and have made pretty stationery with matching envelopes from some - or course, who ever writes a real letter anymore?  So I was distracted from the task at hand and trying to think of something else fun and useful to do with them and I realized that gift bags might be it.  So I hit google and did a little search and guess what?  I found an 11 page pdf with very detailed instructions on how to make really nice gift bags from wallpaper!  And the instructions work for whatever size paper you have.  So I made a few.  Using one sample sheet, the bags are about 5″x8″x2.5″ (guess that’s the size gifts I’ll be looking for from here on!).  Then a little action with the hole punch, some yarn and they’re done!  So check it out and start making yourself some gift bags! 
http://www.wmsandco.com/resources/GiftBag.pdf 

Been making good progress on the 100 things challenge.  Actually I have 2 going - I’m getting rid of 100 things and also have started a private list of 100 things to keep.  Deciding which types of items are exempt is a challenge in itself!  And do you count a collection or set as 1 item?  (I am.)  Do everyday items (like alarm clock, hair brush, computer, ???) count?  Right out the gate, I exempted all sewing/quilting related stuff.  No sense even trying to limit that!  But what about books?  I’m mostly working on getting rid of 100 things but as I sort through stuff, I’m also compiling my list of the things that are absolute must-keeps.

This is an interesting exercise as it really causes you to think about the stuff that has accumulated, whether you really use/need it and if it’s actually important to you.  I’m finding there are just so many things I don’t need or want.  Why have I been hanging onto them?  I prefer open space but stuff has accumulated to the point where most every spot is taken.  As I don’t live alone, I don’t have total control over my environment but am taking action where I can.  And I’m going to make it clear that newly opened space is to stay that way - it’s not an invitation for someone else to fill it up!  Maybe the rest of the family will jump on board as well?

A major hurdle in this whole process is items that have sentimental value.  They need to go on the must-keep list but if I truly succeed in paring it down to 100 things, some of them aren’t going to make the cut.  And worse yet, are items that should have sentimental value - like something someone made and gave you as a gift that no longer fits your life.  Maybe I can pawn that stuff off on the kids?  Wouldn’t that be nice of me?  Let them store the stuff and feel guilty when they aren’t using/appreciating it properly and want to get rid of it.  You know, I’m running across quite a few of those type items that were passed on to me.  Don’t think I can burden another generation that way!  (Well, maybe just a little.)

I would encourage everyone to take on this challenge - from both angles - getting rid of 100 things and trying to compile a list of just 100 things to keep.  Just how much stuff do we all need anyway?