Remember when we were teenagers and it was so great when our parents would leave and we’d have the house to ourselves? A part of me is evidently still a teenager, because my husband left early yesterday morning for a week of wonky policy-type stuff in the east, and I’m all atwitter over having the house to myself.
Don’t misunderstand; I have a vibrant, happy marriage. When I’m on my own for a bit, though, I try something different, I get to sing louder than usual, and my mind spins free into a new orbit or two. Here is what I’ve been doing so far: marveling over the food in the kitchen and the clothes in my bedroom. Clothes first, as always for this conflicted clothes-horse; food will be Part II.
The more I examine and organize my clothes, the more rich and abundant they seem to me. I’ve cleaned out my armoire (a tall bureau) so that each drawer and shelf is now no more than half or two-thirds full. (Conversely, my bag going to Goodwill is pleasingly plump.) I can see all the items at a glance now, so it’s much easier to pair tops and bottoms and get dressed. Right now I’m wearing black leggings (I actually own two pairs, it turns out), a kitten-soft sweater with lyrical embroidery I got at a Naked Lady clothing exchange party, and a short Nia skirt. I feel comfortable and cute (my two main criteria for all clothing) — and this outfit is a completely new one to me, despite my having owned each of these items for many months.
Come to think of it, this same expansion experience around what I already own happened on a larger scale last year when my friend Jean Baumann (of Jean Goes Green With Clothes fame) came over. She went through my whole closet and armoire with me and energetically threw skirts and jackets around into cool new combinations I would never have thought of on my own. Some tops were too big in the shoulders, unbeknownst to me: off with their heads! i.e., off to Goodwill. Wine and dinner were the only things Jean wanted in return for her wardrobe-expanding artistry, leaving me with a virtual new wardrobe without my buying a single new thing. Community seems to work like that.
No wonder I feel so enchanted with what I’ve got. I’ve got a lot, and giving unneeded things away just adds to my sense of abundance. So here is a possible plan I’m cooking up: I could try buying no clothes or shoes of any kind for six months, and instead just focus on enjoying and caring for what I’ve already got. Before the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun arrives — winter solstice - I’ll announce my intentions. In the meantime, I’d love to hear about any way in which you are enchanted with what you’ve already got.
Related Posts:
- Jean Goes Green With Clothes
- Unclothing This Horse
- Best And Worst of Alice B. Toeclips
- She’s Naked Under Those Clothes
- The Connoisseur of Commuting Returns To Carpooling
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I love mixing and matching clothes!
I’m always enchanted with what I’ve already got, I buy very little really apart from second hand books…..
What i do when I have the flat to myself, especially at this time of year is make greetings cards, i spread myself out and just have to hope its all tidied away when my partner comes home!
Ms. Poet, your card-making sounds excellent . . . whether or not it all gets cleared away by the time your partner gets home
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I’m definitely enchanted by what I already have. All the great people in my life, number one! And, I must mention our four adopted dogs. They help keep me energized (and fit) without even trying: their pure enjoyment of moving and being “out” gets me out on the beach and in the forests running with them every week. I think sharing one’s life with another species helps connect us to the idea that simply being alive is a miracle, and we’d better enjoy every moment!
Colleen, I share your love of other species. Judging by her blogsite, Crafty Green Poet does, too. My four chickens are not as cuddly or charismatic as your dogs (though their delicious eggs are a compensating charm). And like you, I am enchanted by the great people in my life, you and Thad being some of them.