I am not normally a routined sort of person, I grew up with a lot of routine and structure and well, busyness. I’m quite sure I packed 40 years into my first decade, which perhaps explains my level of exhaustion.  As an adult I try never to schedule my weekends, I was the same when I fostered the children, our Mon-Fri was busy enough, our weekends should simply allow us to follow our feelings and needs. However, as of late there is one little routine I’ve sort of fallen into, a routine which is about rhythm, rest and rejuvenation.

Each Sunday afternoon at 3pm I take a nap. Usually by this point I’ve been to Church, swam, finished some work, done the laundry and cooked lunch and dinner for Mon-Wed.  At 3pm I am not normally itchy and I begin to feel my body get heavy, my back feel a twinge and my eyes need to shut. I usually forget all about having a nap until those well-known signs begin to show around 2:50; when I realize what awaits I practically become giddy. Slowly I fill the hot water bottle, get a favourite blanket, put Writers & Company on the radio and sink into my bed. Usually within a few minutes of hearing the dulcet tones and relaxing theme music and I’m on my merry way to the land of slumber. It is the only time in the week that sleeping isn’t difficult and while the nap doesn’t last long (30 to 40 minutes or so), it is a cherished part of my day and week.

There are many things I could be doing instead, in fact I usually wake up to dishes needing to be washed and several to do’s which need to be completed before Monday morn. But more than I have a need to clean or tackle my list, my body needs this little reprieve. And I for one am happy to obey.

So on this Thankful Tuesday I’m thankful for my treasured Sunday nap. I’m thankful I’ve learned the art of seeking balance by not over scheduling myself. And I’m thankful for small joys always there, you just have to open your eyes and see them.

Happy Tuesday to you all! What are you thankful for today?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about debt; I loathe debt and yet for a long while I didn’t realize debt wasn’t necessarily about money.  The truth is you can be in many types of debt and not even realize the effect it has. You can be in debt to sleep, work, dreams, goals, health, money, stuff, banks, friends, family, your home, blogs, email, yourself and your pets, to name but a few. Debt can either mean owing people something {time, money, correspondence or care} or being ruled by something {shopping, busyness, emotions, the internet, socializing or stress}. No matter what type of debt you are in it has the same consequences and causes the same sweaty brow that seeing a massive credit card bill elicits and the same stress as a phone call from a creditor! It is serious stuff!

Most of the time I think we are in time debt, not giving our body, our home, our family or our friends what we should because we are too busy. As I’ve adjusted to my new life I realize I’ve been in the debt of busyness, neglecting important people & crucial rhythms in my life and only doing the motions with my Bible readings & prayer. Sure I’ve sent the odd email here and there, I’ve said my prayers and read some passages, but to me that’s a bit like giving a minimum payment, it’s a coin in a very LARGE bucket and not really a solution to the problem. It is the beginning of a cycle it is nigh on impossible to break.

We are fed image after image of busyness, our success is measured by how much we’ve accomplished, what letters we have after our names, how big the size of our home is, what our wardrobe & accessories look like, the size of our bank accounts/retirement savings and how young we can retire. Only I often look at those things and think about what debt we had to take on in order to make those choices, what relationships did we not nourish, what time did we not give people we love, what visits to see family did we not take, what phone calls to tell someone they matter were we too busy to make, because one thing I’ve learned is you simply can not have it all. Too often we swap one type of debt for another, playing cat & mouse with nothing keeping us on track, when the truth is life is a trade-off and we need an anchor in order to keep our path straight or we are forever chasing that which we can not catch. Whether we believe it or not, we can’t necessarily accomplish in one area without neglecting another. And I’d rather neglect the areas that aren’t important and cherish the people & values that are most important.

My name is Frugal Trenches and while I get that life comes with ebbs & flows, the truth is debt {of any kind} is not my friend!

Today I became really aware of how polluted my life is by stuff - it isn’t something I like, in fact I hope it is something that changes drastically due to “the impossible challenge“. I look around and see DVD’s I don’t need to own, old CD’s which can’t be that special to me otherwise I’d listen to them. I see pillows and blankets I liked the style of,  prints that spoke to my artistic side and endless books. The one area of my life I have successfully changed is clothing, I’m pretty much down to three winter tops, three summer tops, leggings, 2 skirts and a couple of more formal things for work as well as one swimsuit. I’m also OK in the shoe department as I have one nice pair of formal heels, one pair of summer sandles and running shoes, yes that really is it! But I have too much underwear, socks, nightwear, scarves and handbags, something I hope to change this weekend. I think the biggest challenge to minimalism for me is paperwork, I have far too much paperwork. The bank statements, receipts, old letters, past utility bills & work contracts just take up too much space and I really want that to change. I have come to see that my home, is a direct reflection of how I see my life, it’s either simple or just too busy. When I moved to Yorkshire for my work contract, I loved having a room that was completely minimalist. I had two wonderful wardrobes which had ample room and some left over which fit in everything I brought with me! Now, I feel I’m yet again drowning in stuff…

I’m supposed to be cleaning this weekend but in fact I’m having a good hard look at myself and the objects I own, wondering whether they reflect who I am now and whether I could bless someone else with them rather than hang on to stuff that doesn’t add any quality to my life and instead takes something from my life. I am hoping by Sunday evening I have some large bags and boxes ready for the women’s refuge and local charity shops, I am hoping all this stuff will do a lot more good somewhere else, rather than simply collecting dust in my home & heart…

Are you a minimalist? What works for you in getting rid of stuff?

Edited To Add: One room now successfully “minimalized” –  magazines recycled or in the donate pile, DVD’s gone through and many in the donate pile, vaccuming done, dusting done, plants watered and any clutter removed!

2nd Edit: It’s 10:30pm and the kitchen is now done (dishes washed, cleaned sink, sweep floor, vacuumed floor, cleaned oven, dishes away, garbage & recycling taken out and I de-cluttered and found some things to donate!) Tomorrow morning I will wash the kitchen floor by hand as well as the hallway floor! I’ve also cleaned the bathroom, done a load of laundry and hung it out to dry!

For Today…

I am thankful for…everything I have, everything I feel, everything I see, everything I hear, everything I am!

From the kitchen…caramelized onion with chickpea, shredded carrot, cucumber, raisins, pumpkin and flax seed!

I am wearing…leggings and a jumper!

I am remembering…how good seeing the sun is!

I am going…to spend the afternoon completing paperwork for my new job, reading John, writing thank you cards, catching up on blogs (I am ever so behind!), making sunflower bread and knitting a blanket for a friend who is expecting!

I am reading…my Bible, Animal Vegetable Miracle, the Diary of Anne Frank , Saturday’s Times

I am hoping…my friend who lost her husband is ok, this job comes through (should find out in about a week!), the people of Chile and Haiti are OK and my friend who is fostering two babies under 10 months including a very tiny preemie is not too exhausted!

On my mind…paperwork and a huge number of phone calls I need to make (HR, car etc)

I am creating…a blanket (I hope!) and a peaceful heart

I am hearing…birds chirping

Noticing that…I need a nap!

Pondering these words…”Be the change you want to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi

Around the house…things need a good spring clean

One of my favorite things…semi-planning life!

A few plans for the rest of the week…paperwork, volunteering, hiking, cleaning!

More Simple Woman’s Daybooks found here

FOR TODAY
Outside my window…all is calm and quiet, spring is in the air! I can hear birds chirping and am watching a cat bask in the sunshine on the porch!

I am thinking…about the incredible feelings of peace I have right now and about the beauty that is found everywhere!

I am thankful for…so many things, but especially inner strength!

From the kitchen…wild salmon with potato, peas and a large rocket, grape & toasted pumpkin seed salad!

I am wearing…leggings and  a t-shirt, comfortable and simple!

I am creating…a gentle and flexible life (5 year) plan which feels very right indeed!

I am going…nowhere and loving it :0)

I am reading…The Diary Of Anne Frank, Animal Vegetable Miracle, The Bible and Peace With God

I am hoping…my friend who just lost her husband is OK!

I am hearing…peace and tranquility with the occasional interlude from Radio Four

Around the house…I washed and sanded the baseboards this morning, after sweeping, dusting and getting all the dishes done! I love a clean home!

One of my favorite things…is just taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air with my eyes closed while listening to the birds!

A few plans for the rest of the week: taxes, reading the Guardian, packing up boxes, walking, resting, more cleaning!

More daybooks can be found here

What are your simple pleasures today?

I read an interesting article yesterday via the BBC about internet usage/computer time and the link with depression; it led to my thinking a lot about internet usage in general and how it can either help or hinder the simple life.

I currently use the internet more frequently than ever before, partly because when job searching you not only use the internet to search for positions, but to submit applications. This has probably increased my internet usage twofold over the last couple of weeks and it is something I am very much looking forward to finishing! 

For pleasure, I use the internet pretty much for updating this blog, checking in on my blog friends and communicating with friends who are not local (about 95% of my friends).  I’m not on any forums or groups, don’t really blog surf (I maybe find one new blog a month almost always through someone commenting here), and my facebook page has been updated maybe 6 or 8 times (and not at all in the last six weeks!). I do enjoy both listening to my two favourite radio programs through the wonders of the world wide web and reading some of my favourite political magazine or newspapers, but usually this is limited to one day a week for an hour or so. Apart from that, it is email, I send a daily email(s) to my good friend Michelle (and her daily emails back brighten my day!), I probably send another 4-6 emails to friends worldwide each day (not the same friends each day, Michelle is pretty much the only constant daily email receiver!) and maybe an email to a blog friend, or a response to a question. In total, I would imagine I currently spend about 2 hours a day on the internet, one in the morning and one in the evening. Since I’m not working this is more than typical, but not over the top or in any way preventing my enjoying activities, volunteering, learning new skills or socializing. 

When I had the children staying with me, I had a routine of spending the first 45 minutes after they’d gone to bed online – I wasn’t blogging then so it was mostly emails. After that it was dishes, cleaning, bills paying etc. I didn’t ever go online in the morning because getting children up, fed & ready for school and myself ready for work 5 days a week did not yield any am down time.

I would like to get into the habit of having a complete media fast one day a week, making sure that day I don’t watch tv or go online. I think I’ll wait until I’m gainfully employed before adding in that little change to the routine, but it is one of the goals I’m working towards.

For me the internet is a brilliant tool to connect with people with similar values and interests to myself, it is a medium for learning new skills and being encouraged to try something I hadn’t thought of before! But I also feel that the simple life, for me, includes some self-control when it comes to the internet and I certainly notice the difference when I am online too much.  Time unplugged enjoying nature, craft, cooking, music, my violin and in conversation is also what my soul needs and deserves. It’s a delicate balance, but one well worth the effort, especially when you are in the middle of plan sparkle

How do you balance computer time with family time? Do you find your computer time gets in the way of everything else? How much is right for you?

p.s. my new post is up at the simple, green & frugal co-op! I’d love to hear your contributions!

:: When working hard all day plumping pillows (and the like), one must stop at 3:30pm for a spot of tea (in an Emma Bridgewater cup of course. Can you guess which one? Prize to whoever does!)

:: And a snuggle with a kitty

:: Followed by a quick dream of the sea

:: And finish with planning your weekend

[yes, my weekend plans include donkeys - doesn't yours?]

There you have it, the recipe for a calm and relaxed life

I’m feeling the need to pull back slightly; with guest for 2.5 weeks, which has included a good 2-3 hours in the kitchen each evening prepping dinner/making dinner/clearing up; not to mention breakfasts, lunches, teas/coffees, the laundry, cleaning and caring for my little man, I’m just on my feet constantly at the moment! In addition I’ve had to help a family member through a very tough few days and had busyness related to Haiti (supporting one of my best friends who is en route there in the next week, fundraising, attending charity events, driving others to charity events so they can attend) and trying to figure out what to do over the next few months, well I just haven’t had much time to stop, think, pray or reflect. My eating has suffered, my sleeping has suffered and my friend mr eczema is back with a vengeance :) So this weekend I will simplify, simplify, simplify.

My SMART goals are:

• Swim Saturday & Sunday
• Attend a Charity event to raise money for Haiti
• Walk along the beach
• Hike in the forest
• Read Exodus (OT) and Mark (NT)
• Practice my scripture memory verses
• Spend 1 hour in prayer Sat and Sun
• Provide a grocery shop for my mum
• Find the time to go to my mums & collect/wash/dry her laundry
• Attend a movie night with friends
• Spend some time making a pros/cons list about a big choice I’m about to make
• Drink 6 glasses of water each day
• Fast 1 meal each day
• Eat NO wheat
• Take photographs (oh how I’m yearning to be back behind the camera!)

Every now and then I find life physically & mentally just becomes a tad too busy for my liking and I need to get back to the quiet grace found in simplicity!  Sometimes it feels like you have to climb a mountain in order to get back to where you need/want to be, but I’ve got my hiking boots on so I’m ready for the climb!

There is something about this season that makes me want to spend more time in peaceful contemplation, giving quiet thanksgiving, seeing the beauty & grace that surrounds.  I’ve enjoyed three days in a row of much-needed hibernation, snuggling with a cat, enjoying coffee while watching the rain fall around me (quietly hoping one day my view includes that homestead which is never far from my thoughts), enjoying making meals for people, listening to the radio and baking with an extra ingredient called love. There is something incredibly special about finding a place in your soul which allows you to believe in contentment, to exude peace and feel the abundance of beauty around. Evenings like this are a stark reminder of the gentle pull towards simplicity which defines my life and fills my soul.

• An afternoon and evening baking cookies with one of my best friends (one is my previous flatmate I was with until I moved due to work!). We plan to make as many as possible and hand them out to volunteers, homeless shelters, hospitals, hospices and police/fire.
• A day trip to Bath with my mum, time spent walking along the Roman Baths, visiting markets and just spending time together
• A Christmas Eve service with family and friends at a glorious Cathedral
• Hours spent tucked away by the fire reading
• Surprising one of my best friends at her work (she lives quite a fair distance and doesn’t know I have earmarked a day to just turn up, surprise her and take her out to lunch!)
• A photography session in my favourite woods and on my favourite beach!
• An evening out with 10 friends to see a Christmas film and enjoy mulled wine
• Visiting my aunt who has been very very ill, bringing her food and her favourite flowers and hugging her until it hurts!
• Spending Christmas day with 10 people I love dearly!
• Resting, resting and more resting

The great thing is I don’t need to set foot in a shop, the purchases I needed to make are all done, gift giving is very limited and I have asked everyone to please not buy me anything. What I am most looking forward to is spending time with people I love, letting people know how much I appreciate them and spending some time simply focusing on just how blessed I am!

How are your Christmas plans shaping up? I hope they are restful and joyous too!