Having less

The amassing of fugitives, coming to Europe, made me think. They definitely less, than they had, when it was not dangerous to live in the homeland.

Now here, in our western world, even people who have less, than the rest, often have more, than those people. That is the point, where I became ashamed. Because I definitely not only have more, than I need, I have more, than about four people have.

So I have started to declutter. I started that last November, but it is an ongoing process. Still, I have a lot of stuff, that I do not need. So I gave some away, and sold some and some things could only be thrown away. Anyway, I am not yet finished and may never be, as long as I love to shop.

Than I developed a liking for couponing, though here in Germany, that is not something, that you can do and pay nothing. Anyway, you can get some things a little cheaper, than the usual prize. And I found a new way, well several ways in the same direction:

-  I shop at the farmers market for my vegetables, fruit and fish
-  Meat, eggs, milk and butter a buy in a small shop, that buys, what it produces itself
-  I do not buy food in tins.

The latter is more due to my allergy to histamins though, but since I stopped that, I don't regret it. Reduced my shopping bills.

The last thing I do, is watching out for shop brands and brands from unknown, not established.

Then I started to have a cleaner in. She comes ones every month now. So I only have to keep up her good work and can spend the rest of the time (usually spent in thinking about cleaning) with further decluttering and taking care to not buy much more. But there is one shopping-weakness left:

e-books: one can have them relatively cheap and you don' t see them lying about. So you can buy them and they are peacefully on your e-book, awaiting your pleasure. I love it. Lately I've been buying a lot of e-books, though I did get some of them by voucher, given to me for my birthday.

The latest books I wrote were about elegance, decluttering, reducing stuff, that kind of thing. I have times of special interest, and now it is elegant decluttering. Well, that's the title I came up with.

I have just finished Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott. Highly reccomended. I already bough the next book of hers - At home with Madame Chic - and I will get the third book, but forgot the title. I is about Poise though, that much I know.. AH : Polish your poise..In "Lessons from Madame Chic" there was one senctence, that I liked and that reminded me of a song I have from Ella Fitzgerald. I can't get it on here, due to rights, but this one by Fats Waller ain't half bad either..(I don't own it).

It certainly gives the message: It isn't about what you do, it is about the way you go about it!

Make it special, make it fun, don't look at it as a chore, but as some fun thing to do. This way

you get it over with faster.

That said: I find that hard to achieve, but sometimes I manage it. It's fun, when I get into this zone.

So, next time you do the dishes, try to get some enjoyment out of it. :-) 

And it is finally fall

Some of you may wish to hang me, but personally: I LOVE FALL.
Yes, even though it rains and is windy and maybe even clammy. But it is just so much better than the heat we had last summer.

Very possibly, I am one of the very few chosen ones, who prefers the Fall. I love the rain and wind and clamminess. And then:

... getting in something cozy, plus a pair of woolly socks, making a cup of tea, getting out the cookies, and sit in my favourite settee reading, knitting, watching films, listening to an audiobook,
while candles crackle and outside the rain knocks on my window, the leaves move in the wind and
people passing on the street hope not to loose their umbrellas.

Therefore, the following music (that I of course do not own) is for fall-weather lovers like me.
If you know even better music: go ahead, show me. :-)

Then today the following, sung by Bobby Darin came up and seemed to fit with the water masses: 

Also, though it is past the "due"-date .. it already is september, after all

But this one does not seem to fit for me:

And that's enough wisecracking from me. Cheerio and make Fall cozy for you. :-)