Hop to it

97 Replies

Four months ago, Nath at  Beautycalypse invited me to join her Blog Hop. I didn’t hop to it immediately because I needed to first complete a similar Blog Hop for  Sheri de Grom.  I completed Sheri’s Blog Hop in October and posted it as Finishing What I Started……then this happened, and that happened, and…w.e.l.l…..skippity hop, hop, here I am, weeks and weeks later, with still no proper response to Nath’s lovely invitation.

So, it’s time to knuckle down, RSVP, and, thus, put my  ‘blogging house’ in order .

Dear Nath, ~explorer of beauty as a philosophy of harmony, creator of BEAUTYCALYPSE, an ad-free blog about ethical excellence~

I accept your invitation to blog hop. Please enjoy my response.

Let’s hope that together we will continue to strive to live wisely and well, and with love, in 2015.

Sincerely Gallivanta

 

WHY DO I WRITE?

Why I write hasn’t changed much since I stated the purpose of this blog on my  About page in 2012.  However, for the next little while, this blog will have an additional purpose;  to keep track of myself, in practical ways, but also in practices of the soul, such as gratitude ~ and love, as epitomized in this quote from St John of the Cross.  “In the evening we shall be examined on love.” ( thanks Clanmother for bringing this quote to my attention  🙂 )

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

That is the big question! And this is the big answer.

Last time I answered this, I said I was working on growing younger. I still am. It has taken me a long time to reach my numerical age, so it will take a considerable number of days to de-age all my decades. As I work on resetting my spiritual age, I am also, as you are no doubt weary of hearing,

Oh, not that story again. Do I really have to listen? I would rather go outside..... please?

Oh, not that story again. Do I really have to listen? I would rather go outside….. please?

rearranging and sifting and sorting through and decluttering my physical environment.

It’s a huge task, often tedious, and always challenging. Readers’ supportive comments as I intermittently blog my way through the process are wonderfully sustaining.  And Nath, bless her, has offered sterling decluttering inspiration through her  Blog , too.  I am in awe that, in 2014, she managed to achieve her goal of discarding/giving away 5 old items for every new one bought. That’s a high standard to attain and maintain.

I would like to equal it but, currently, this is how the numbers stack up in my abode. In December and January, 22 items came into my home, either as purchases or gifts; some were new and some second-hand. All were delightful, of course, and welcomed with joy.  Here’s a sample of the acquisitions.

During the same period, I dispatched about 25 items to one of our city’s handy  Ecodepots   and to friends/neighbours/strangers. Before the end of this month, I hope to have a few more items, such as our second car, out the door, possibly via NZ’s  Trade Me online auction  site.

Not quite 5 to 1, but not too bad for a start. 🙂

 

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN THIS GENRE?

It doesn’t really, so I am going to recycle the answer I gave on Finishing What I Started.   ( Check the link in my opening paragraph, please. 🙂 )

WHAT IS MY WRITING PROCESS?

Again, I will reuse the answer given in Finishing What I Started.

Is this The End, you ask? Not quite.

I would like to invite Miss Marzipan to join the Blog Hop, but only if she has time in her hectic-creative-working woman-mother of two-marathon runner-schedule. Miss Marzipan, like Nath, cares deeply about sustainable and ethical living. Her choice of giveaway gift of Moonbear make-up bags reflects her commitment to helping the plight of the Moonbears via  Animals Asia. And the product she chose is from the Italian eco, cruelty-free, fashion label  Miomojo.  Miss Marzipan your caring lifestyle  makes a difference to me, as well as to all those creatures who cannot speak for themselves.

"In the evening we shall be examined on love." St John of the Cross.

“In the evening we shall be examined on love.” St John of the Cross.

Right, that’s enough cluttering of the page with my words and photos.  It’s back to work for me, filling up the de-acquisition box.

 

* Final Note

I am deeply grateful to Angela Namoi and  David Bateman Ltd for the heart-flutteringly beautiful Dawn Chorus. If we fail to live as caring eco-citizens of the world, the Dawn Chorus will become a song confined to history and legend.

© silkannthreades

97 thoughts on “Hop to it”

        1. Gallivanta Post author

          Let’s both close our eyes so we can’t see any of it! Close our eyes and dream that everything will eventually find its rightful place.

  2. Clanmother

    This is my third time around, Gallivanta, for you always give me something to consider before responding. Why are we bloggers? We write, upload photos, share ideas, encourage and support each other. We are indeed a community of like minded individuals. But I believe that blogging is first and foremost a personal journey. Once we have recognized our raison d’etre, we are able to fully engage and connect. I am so glad that you enjoyed the quote. It came quite by accident to me that day, and yet – is there really any such things as accidents? Have a wonderful week ahead. Still on my decluttering adventure.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      And I have come to your comment at least a dozen times. 🙂 Now it is time to answer it with something rather quirky. If I were inclined to have tattoos that quote would be top of my list to be marked onto my arm where I could see it every day. Not sure what St John of the Cross would make of that, although there are Bible verses (Exodus 13:9, and Isaiah 49:16 ~ Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.) which seem to embrace writing on one’s skin. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/tattoos/photo7.html

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  3. Letizia

    I love these photos of Jack and that apron is so cute! Your posts always leave me with a smile on my face and feeling more peaceful. You set forth good intentions and it shines in every word.

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  4. sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches.

    How wonderful to be back home to your blog. I can so relate to “keeping track of myself.” I believe that’s why I must journal. If I didn’t discipline myself to write everyday I wouldn’t know where I was accountable and what mattered and what didn’t. Please share about the beautiful dog in the basket. Your blog positively has 100% of everything that makes life worth living: exquisite colors, flowers, now the dog and he or she is fuzzy also, your photographer eye, the gift of arranging objects to reflect grace in the most ordinary of settings and most of all – you leave me with food for thought. “In the evening we shall be examined on love.” It doesn’t get any better than that. Thank you.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thank you Sheri for your very kind words. I admire your ability to journal every day. I used to keep a journal (not very diligently! ) but found, after a while, that it was draining me emotionally so I stopped. Blogging is a more calming activity for me. My little dog Jack, a miniature schnauzer, also keeps me grounded. On the few occasions that he has had to go to the kennels, I have felt as though my shadow were missing.

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      1. sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches.

        I’ve read your blog and didn’t know Jack. I’m surprised somehow I haven’t seen his picture tucked in here and there.
        I think we’ve talked about keeping a journal before. My grandmother started me when I was eight. Somehow it grounds me and especially after Tom became so ill. You are right in that it’s where I dump my emotions on paper. That way, I can go back and examine them and attempt to put them in proper prospective. Of course I cull my journals for blogging much of the time.
        I hear you about the process of putting Jack in the kennel. I haven’t had to kennel Prissy or Scooter in years but that’s been luck on my part. I normally mentor 3 or 4 college students and have one of them house-sit for me if I have to be away. Scooter is Tom’s dog and Prissy is mine. They both spend a great deal of time playing Dr. Dog and that’s a good thing.

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        1. Gallivanta Post author

          That’s grand that you have college students who can house-sit from time to time. Jack seems to enjoy the kennels and the company of the other dogs but he’s always delighted to come home. Jack has featured in some of my earlier blog posts. I am sure you will enjoy this one https://silkannthreades.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/was-my-journey-really-necessary/ I find it hard to get good photos of him because he always wriggles at the very last second. Sometimes when things don’t seem to be going well, or right, we can console ourselves by saying, “Well at least I did one good thing today, I loved my dog. ” 🙂

  5. Dina

    Great reasons for writing/blogging, Ann! A big *hug* for you and lots of pats for your gorgeous dog. 🙂 Stay a happy blogger.
    Dina xo ❤

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  6. cindy knoke

    I love the reasons why you write Ann!!!! YAY!!! After almost three years I have finally learned your first name!!! WOO HOO. I love you doggie too and your aprons. Kiss the dog, lose the car, and keep on bloggin cuz I love you too! ❤

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Kiss the dog, lose the car…love it. Mmmm…first name, not quite. It’s my third. I have 3 given names and one nickname. I love all 3 of my given names, and I don’t get to use them all, so it’s wonderful that Anne is getting an outing on WordPress. I expect because one can see it in SilkANNthreades.

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  9. Robbie

    DeAGE-now that is a great idea..hmmm..I am decluttering + now I need to deage-you inspire me!
    Love the apron + that cookie jar is pretty darn special. We got a “tardis” cookie jar this year that lights up + makes sounds! LOL. My hubby + kids(young adults now) are big Dr. Who fans..well, I became one after they got me watching it!
    Your cookie jar is a bit more to my liking:-) pretty:-)

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      A Tardis Cookie Jar; how amusing. My daughter would love that. Now, tell me do, does a Tardis cookie jar have a vast interior like the real Tardis? 😉 Do cookies get lost in there?

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        3. Robbie

          You sparked an idea for my next post about “remineralization”..shhh..the Dr. gave me an Old Gallifreyan tradition:-) I”ll give you a cookie- if you never tell!lol
          Happy Gardening!

  10. Steve Schwartzman

    Ah, a similar-sounding New Zealandism that I can add to dunny: pinny.

    On the subject of decluttering: for a few minutes each day lately I’ve been shredding old financial statements. When they’re gone, I’ll start in on the documents in the binders beneath them. It’s a long-overdue project (and a long, overdue project as well).

    I’m reminded of a passage from Thoreau’s Walden:

    “I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of. Better if they had been born in the open pasture and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in.”

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  11. Just Add Attitude

    An enjoyable article. I identified with it as I am decluttering at the moment. I am trying to whittle down my collection of books, but it’s not easy. I wish you well on all your journeys. 😉

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  12. April

    Your persistence is inspiring me. I have persistence, but it isn’t used when I try to de-clutter. I know that my life would be far less chaotic if I had less stuff to shuffle around…much of which is not needed.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Unfortunately my persistence has not been consistent this week. 😦 But I have had a painter here for a few days, and, whilst that has been great, it has put my normal routines out of whack.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Ah, GP, that is part of the problem…a lot of the unnecessary stuff here belongs to my children. They have left home and left everything behind for me to deal with. 😦

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  15. BEAUTYCALYPSE

    Wow, the second car project is impressive, dearest A.! Extra points for that 🙂
    Jack steals the show though I’m afraid 😀

    Joking aside, I’m super happy to see you answer the tag – thank you so much; and isn’t it great to see all the progress and gaining more and more space?

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Even more impressive (for me, the technophobe) is that I am selling the car online. Quite a learning curve. I will be pleased if I succeed with that. Ah, yes, Jack is a scene stealer and a heart stealer. He is always very curious when I rearrange things or bring new things home; he has to investigate! As for the extra space, one day I will post a pic of my organised wardrobe…it’s impressive. I look at it and beam. 😀 😀 Thanks for inviting me on the Blog Hop.

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      1. BEAUTYCALYPSE

        Aaawwww, you beam! That’s so cool. And yes, I’ve noticed the online auction. But hey, you, the technophobe, do have a BLOG. So I’m afraid to inform you that your technophobia might be in the state of getting cured 😀

        Hug Jack, the investigator, from me please 🙂

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        1. Gallivanta Post author

          Hugs given, plus a nice little bedtime treat. Hmmm…yes, a blog I do have. I just had to giggle that in the slave survey I was classified as a technophobe. But for sure I am being cured.

  16. Anonymous

    Hi, do you have an instagram account where we can follow you?
    We would be happy to repost your sweet pic of Nath with the Miomojo for Animals Asia cosmetic bag!!

    Claudia from the Miomojo Team

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  17. Juliet

    Congratulations on the decluttering. I’ve been doing lots of it over the summer. I have another box of art archive materials all read for the Auckland City Gallery research library – documentation of the women’s art movement through the 80s & 90s mainly, all sorted and labelled. They say I am an archivist’s dream! This is the second and final (I hope) load. In my car is bags of stuff for the Hospice shop, just waiting for them to reopen after the holidays. It’s so satisfying, but does take concentration. Nice to be back online again and catching up.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Oh what bliss you must be for the archivists. That is something I am yet to do, but I do have plans to give material to archives; something associated with the University of Canterbury perhaps, if they are interested. It is simply astonishing how much we accumulate without really noticing that we do.

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  18. Tiny

    Nice post! Your work is progressing nicely, Gallivanta! I am so impressed… and gathering inspiration from you to do the same. The room that badly needs decluttering is my home office. It’s visibly cluttered now, and much more so in all the drawers and other places where tons of old paper and other “stuff” is hiding 😦 Bumble also uses this room as he is my “work mate”, but he hasn’t complained as yet…but I feel it’s coming. Anytime now.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Perhaps Bumble can help you with some shredding. Jack used to love tearing up paper but, of course, that was with his sharp puppy teeth. Papa Osprey might welcome some paper for his nest. 🙂 Cupboards and drawers hide a lot of ‘sins’. I thought I was quite tidy until I started to open the doors. What I discovered was alarming! 😀

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      YC, Jack is much fitter and more energetic than he was a few years ago. He has 3 long walks a week with a dog walker. He is very frisky for his age.

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  21. utesmile

    You are doing well and going in the right direction. I have already another bag for the charity shop ready and found a site to sent old VHS off and even earn a little bit of money as they are no use to me anymore. Life is much simpler without so much stuff…. and yet I still got too much too. I digress, I do love that cookie jar , so you can show us what you will fill it with….. hmmmmm

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  22. restlessjo

    You’ve got me to wondering if I have anything recyclable, Ann 🙂 Most of what I horde is travel related. My clothes are worn to within an inch of their life, and because I’m such a clumsy clutz, chinaware, etc. tends to have chipped edges 😦 But I really should look 🙂

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Oh I am glad someone else wears their clothes to their last thread! Shoes, too?? I have a pair of shoes that I love. They are very worn, especially on the inner sole. I look at them and say, “Time for you to go.” Then a moment later, I say,” Well maybe I can get one more wear out of you.” And so it goes on, day after day. 😀 Perhaps you don’t have anything to recycle, Jo. You may have that sleek, lean lifestyle I aspire to. 🙂

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  23. womanseyeview

    Your commitment to decluttering continues to be impressive and you seem to be doing it so thoughtfully and methodically – examining items and determining your need for them. Love the two apron’s you shared – they happen to be a weakness of mine.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      I am trying to be thoughtful Carol, but sometimes the urge to just scoop up everything and dump it without looking is overwhelming. 😉 Aprons are fun. Have you posted about yours?

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Indeed. I learned from you about planting round the fruit trees. I planted wild flowers under my fruit trees and the fruit this season has been superb. Not huge quantities but very delicious. Also having the wildflowers protecting the soil meant I hardly had to water the trees at all.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Hmmm… I wonder what is the ideal setting! I very much enjoyed a recent interview with Clint Eastwood where he refers to the age he feels which is well short of his actual age. I can’t find the link to the interview unfortunately.

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  26. shoreacres

    Perhaps that could be a new aphorism to stitch by hand and hang on the wall: “Home is Where the Computer Is.” I suppose in these days of mobile devices that’s open to interpretation, but still…

    I don’t have a lot of experience in getting rid of cars, since I keep them so long, but I do grow attached. Yes, I’m a car-namer. Still, you can’t forget the added benefits of turning loose a car: no more insurance, license fees, etc. In short: fewer life details to keep track of.

    And that’s the whole point of decluttering, physical or otherwise: creating a little space. The temptation always is to start filling it up again (I think of my retired friends who spend more time in committee meetings now than they ever did while employed, and complain even more). But St. John had it right: the point of emptying isn’t to truck in “more” of our own choosing, but to see what life might have in store for us. That’s the exciting part.

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    1. shoreacres

      Oh – I was going to pass this along, which I received from a friend:

      “One of my librarian colleagues mentioned that when her mother died, all the ebooks on her reading devices were lost. Unlike print books, the licenses apparently cannot be bequeathed. I hadn’t thought about this kind of loss with ebooks.” Interesting, and good to know.

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    2. Gallivanta Post author

      Home is where the computer is, just about says it all. I have probably told you before but when we left for safer ground after the big 2011 earthquake, I took my family (including dog), my meds, my passport, credit cards, laptop and mobile and a change of clothes. Nothing else seemed important. Computers are almost our lifeblood these days.
      I haven’t ever been a car-namer but I do grow fond of my cars. My current car I have had for about 13 years and I would like to keep it for another 13. If I treat it more carefully than I currently do I am sure it will last another 10 years, at least. So I also don’t have much experience in acquiring or in getting rid of cars. 🙂 And, yes, the freedom from worrying about another car’s details will be wonderful. Wish me a successful sale.

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  27. LaVagabonde

    Good to hear your de-cluttering is going well. Getting rid of 25 things is not a bad start! Your doggie is adorable. 🙂

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      1. LaVagabonde

        Hahaha. Yes, I’m the total opposite of a collector, almost obsessive about not keeping anything unnecessary.

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        1. Gallivanta Post author

          Love it! Whilst I was clearing out a cupboard I found my old scrapbook full of articles and pictures from a Shaker village. I idolized their designs. I wanted my house to be like a Shaker one. Hmmmm…..not sure what happened to that dream. 😀

  28. Joanne Jamis Cain

    I love your decluttering strategies! And how nice to Blog Hop with others. Truly, that is a wonderful gift of being in the blogging world.
    I have cleaned out more in the last two years than ever before. But I know I have more to do. I can still see items that would be of better use to someone else. Thank you for the inspiration to keep going!

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      We are in this together! It is so wasteful to have useful things tucked away in cupboards and closets. By the way, I learned about Habit for Humanity’s Re Stores from you, and, now, I am delighted to be able to tell you that Re Store is opening up here. Exciting!

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  29. colorpencil2014

    I joint into the Blog Hop a while ago too and I loved it. This is a very beautiful post again Galivanta, so nice to get to know you a little bit better. Your dog is gorgeous…what is his/her name? xoxJohanna
    ps: what an excellent quote to live by, Thank you so much for that too!! Blogging can really be like passing on a candle and give the gift of light in every sense of the word.

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Johanna, I learn something new every day from other bloggers. We are a wonderful resource for each other. And, yes, we do give gifts of light. My little dog is Jack, which is a diminutive form of the word John. He’s not quite St John, but he is a precious companion, with a loving heart. You know how it is because you have your dear Charley.

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  30. Marisa @missmarzipan.com

    Thank you so much, lovely Gallivanta! And I will be sure to get on board this blog hop soon! Very happy that the little bags arrived and that they have a beautiful home with you in NZ. Happy to hear that you are continuing your declutter and organisational journey. Not a bad start at all! I am trying to push on with that stuff… it’s so hard though (especially with toddlers running around all over the place)! My very best to you! And thank you for the kind words! xx

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      The bags are very sweet Marisa. I don’t have make-up to put in them but I always find uses for small bags. I particularly like looking at the stars around the moonbears. The stars will act as a reminder that I want to learn more about our southern skies this year. There is no rush to do the blog hop. You have more than enough rushing on your hands and at your feet. 🙂

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    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Dear Heather, it is huge, but more from an emotional stand point than anything else. We have had the car for 10 years. It has really been my son’s car since he first got his licence. Letting the car go is an acknowledgement that my son is no longer around to need it; he has left home ( although perhaps not for good entirely, as his main computer is still here. 🙂 )

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