sarij

A List of Lists: Who Doesn’t Like Lists?

March is International Women’s month, did you know that? I had every intention of writing a blog post over the weekend about women who have inspired me, but you know what happens to the best laid plans… I ended up with the flu and in my fevered state, I found myself rambling and darn near writing a book. Yes, I will write a post by month’s end, though homework also interrupts my writing more than I care to admit. For now let’s celebrate National List Day. I am a day late on this too, must be the story of my life.

I love lists! I love making them and I love checking items off my to do list. As I draw a line over a chore or errand I feel a sense of accomplishment, even if I have done nothing more than mopping my kitchen floor. Lists make me feel more organized, in fact my lists may be the only thing I am good at organizing. I am fascinated with other people’s lists, as if I am learning a great secrete about that person. Books with the word list in the title hold a special place in my heart, and books about lists? Oh how I love them.

So, just for fun and a chance to get to know each other better, I have compiled a list of my favorite lists and hope you, dear Reader will share yours with me. So here we go!

Reading Notes:

Whenever I am reading, whether the book be fiction or non-fiction I keep a note book by my side (of course for my e-books I have a built in note feature) . On these lists I have words or phrases I want to look up, people or events I want to know more about and if I am reading a book to review, a list of things I want to talk about in post. I even have a separate list of quotes.

Book Lists:

Like most readers I have a list of future titles I would like to read. My list is broken in two; one is for books I am willing to buy new, and a list of used books I would like. Now that I have an e-reader, I have added one more list to the pile. I also list the books I have read over the year, though I have to be honest and say towards the end of the year, I don’t add to the list like I should.

Shopping Lists:

We all make shopping lists, because there is nothing like coming home from the store only to find we have forgotten an important item. This usually happens to me when I am preparing for a dinner party. Not only do I make shopping lists, I note how many of each item I will need, as if I am afraid once I am in the store, I will become brain dead and cannot think for myself. I know my weakness, so when I go shopping for clothing I make a list of what I want. I can easily become distracted by clearance signs and bright shiny objects.

Chore and Errand Lists:

Every Saturday morning I make a list of things I need to do over the weekend. This can be anything from cleaning to doing certain homework assignments. This keeps me on track ,as it is way too easy for me to sit in front of the computer for hours on end, or lose myself in a good book. I also have weekly lists. Just today, I knocked two things off my list; I sent out the Frank Delaney books and returned three library books. Speaking of the library, yes I have a list of books I want to borrow.

Christmas Gift Lists:

No, surprisingly I don’t list gifts I want to give, rather my Christmas list is made up of gifts I have bought. I started keeping this type of list after one Christmas of buying way to much. Four years ago I started my shopping early and did not keep track of what I bought. When I sat down in early December to wrap presents, my son’s pile looked like he had won a shopping spree. I vowed not to go that over board again, so not only do I keep a list, I make sure I have a box to put his gifts in. When it starts to become full, I know I am done.

Over the years I have listed things I like about myself, things I would like to change and once, a list of qualities I wanted in a man. I find having things down on paper help me commit to action. Sometimes lists help me make decisions. Many of my life’s big decisions have come down to pro and con lists. For whatever reason, a list is one the best ways I know to gather my thoughts or clear a path for my next goal. No wonder I love lists, looking back I can see every step in my life’s journey has started with a list.

So now it is your turn, tell us about your lists, or if you don’t use lists, why. I love to hear from my readers.

Sari

Minimalist Living; How I Was Able To Clean Out My Home

A few weeks ago, while cruising through Flipboard I came across a new to me magazine titled Minimalist Living. To be honest I am not sure if it is an actual magazine or a collection of blogs dedicated to living a minimalist lifestyle.

The articles talk about everything from living with less, to finding peace within. Each article reminds readers that we are more than what we possess. Admittedly some articles do not seem to have anything to do with being a minimalist, but they do offer insights into better living. One, titled Give it five minutes, is a lesson on taking a deep breath before acting. The author, Joshua Becker, shares his past as a hothead and how he learned to rein in his knee jerk reactions. He has learned to be calmer and think before he acts. Becker shows us there are many ways to simplify our lives.

Since I found the iPad magazine I started to notice other sites that talked about living minimally. Just a few days ago The Huffington Post had an article on the subject. The comment section was laugh out loud funny (like most comment boards). Some people boasted of giving it all up, moving into their back yards and foraging for food, while others whined they just wanted more counter space. The majority of the comments talked about how hard it would be to give their beloved knick knacks up even as they feel overwhelmed with all the stuff in their homes. Giving up stuff is not as hard as you may imagine, it is keeping things from sneaking back in that tests our commitment to minimalist living. Yes, I said our, because you see, I am in the minimalist camp.

3 1/2 years ago (how time flies) I was rushed to the emergency room on a Friday morning and spent 4 days in intensive care with congestive heart failure. The doctors decided I needed a pacemaker and when that did not help, I was sent home to prepare for major heart surgery and to possibly prepare for the inevitable. I was born with a congenital heart condition that may not allow me to live a long life, on the other hand, I have lived a lot longer than predicted at my birth.

Lying in bed a few nights after coming home the thought of death kept me awake. I have a son and mother whom I love very much. As my thoughts drifted to them, it occurred to me that if I died, they would be tasked with cleaning out my house. The more I thought about this, the worse I felt. How could I ask these two grieving people to clean out my junk? I mental walked through my house, looking in closets and drawers. I always prided myself on not having a house full of stuff, but the more I mentally took my tour, the more I realized I hold on to some rather silly stuff; did I really need a pink piggy bank with sunglasses?

For the next week I went on a purging spree. I started with the top shelves of my bedroom closets and ended with my over stuffed junk drawers. My son followed me from room to room as I asked, “do you want this, does this mean anything to you”? “Ah, no”? was his bewildered reply. Many things he did not want went to Goodwill, some went in the trash, and to my neighbors surprise, many went out in to the driveway in boxes marked Free.

As I decluttered my house, I found my mind becoming clear, and as I found space in my home, I found space in my heart and mind. When I was done I realized I felt lighter, I had no idea i was mentally carrying so much! The things I kept were things that meant a lot to me. Now as I tour my home, I look upon my stuff fondly. Everything has a purpose, even it that purpose is nothing more than to make me smile.

I still have a long way to go. Walking in my garage is almost as bad as walking into hoarder’s house. I have way to many Christmas decorations, even after giving my son two boxes for his first apartment. I have stuff I could not get rid of. Who would guess it would be so hard to sell a swimming pool filter in a state that hits over 105 degrees all summer? When did I become that person who keeps empty boxes?

Getting rid of my stuff was easy, keeping it out, now that is the hard part. My mother tried to give me yet more Christmas decorations, but I was able to say no, even though she has some great stuff! I no longer haunt garage sales and stay clear of clearance sales. Yes it is hard to keep things from trying to come in, I better read some more articles.

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