Sunday Morning

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moths & vermin destroy & where thieves break in & steal."

Matthew 6:19

Do any of you have a bit of a struggle with this verse?  I do from time to time, especially when I have to dust or I bring home something new & I'm trying to find a place for it.  Yesterday was one of those days.  First off, I recently bought a food processor.  Not a huge one ... just a Giada model from Target.  I also bought 2 omelet pans.  I only wanted a 10" pan but for $10 more I could get a set of 2 pans ... 10" & 8".  I looked at the 8" pan & if I bought it separately it would've cost me $25 so I figured I couldn't pass up the deal for both of them.  When I got home I looked around my kitchen wondering where in the world I was going to put this stuff.  My kitchen isn't a huge one nor is it tiny.  It is, however, rather lacking in efficient drawer & cabinet space.  I decided that I needed to have a look around to see what I haven't been using & have no intention of ever using again so I could free up some space.  I cleaned out 3 cabinets & the pantry & I still feel space deprived.  I put a deep fryer & a hand shredder/slicer/chopper into a yard sale box, disposed of some out-of-date food, & rearranged things a bit but it's still a very inefficient setup.  I will tackle the other cabinets today but all I kept thinking yesterday was "we need to move ... I need a bigger kitchen."

Yesterday John & I watched a travel video where the hostess took us to Japan.  She showed us where she was staying during her time there & it was totally devoid of any type of clutter.  There was maybe 1 vase of flowers but no knick-knacks or other such decor.  There was a lot of wall space & floor space & it looked like such a calm place to be.  I glanced over at my kitchen which in the midst of my trying to find space for everything has stuff sitting all over the countertops &  thought wow, those Japanese know what they are doing.  From what I have read the Amish have a similar focus on things.  If it's not something that serves a purpose, they don't have it.  No prim Olde Lady Morgan dolls, no grouping of old sifters or enamelware on top of their cabinets, no crocks filled with old wooden spoons or paddles or kitchen gadgets "just to look at," not even any pictures or signs on their walls except for the pictures that are on a calendar.  I don't know if I could go that far but it makes you stop & think.  I'm sure the original "primitive people" ... the pioneers ... lived a similar existence having basically only what was of use to them.  

Last October I had a total hysterectomy.  I wanted to "be prepared" so I wrote out a will & put it in an envelope for my husband should something go wrong during or after the surgery.  As I was writing out my instructions for him I actually included an apology for leaving him with all this "stuff" of mine.  What a mess he would have had to contend with if I had died.  Neither of my children are into prim things.  My son actually said once that if John & I died at the same time he would just put an ad on Craigs List for people to come take what they want.  I told him he would be missing out on making quite a bit of money if he did that.  He then decided he'd charge everyone a dollar to walk through the door & carry out whatever they wanted.  

I admire people who do not "store up treasures" yet I continue to add to mine.  I keep thinking there must be a happy medium somewhere ... but where?  Our house is not large compared to some (2300 square feet) but it definitely seems to be "too much" for 2 people.  Even so, we have no room for everything.  The garage is packed, the closets are stuffed, & there are boxes of things piled against walls because there's nowhere else for them to go.  I don't even remember what is in half those boxes.  I keep thinking I need to go through them & downsize but it's such a daunting job that I keep putting it off.  

I hope that one of these days I will find that "happy medium."  For now I'm headed back to the kitchen to continue what I know will be an inefficient rearranging of things.  With any luck I'll at least find something else for the yard sale box.