Minimizing Again

So, I'm getting this itch. 

The minimalist urge. 

I always get this. There must be a word in German for a person like me, someone who clutters things up easily, naturally, yet yearns for simplicity. 

I remember when a friend's daughter entered our house once. She was about four, and her mom loved clean lines and simplicity. That's what she was used to. She walked into our house and immediately yelled, "Mama, it's CRAZY in here!" 

Lala and I have a deal. She leaves her office the way she likes, and I don't bother her about it. My office is mine. We try to keep our crafts/hobbies inside our own offices, and keep the living areas as spare as possible (not spare by any stretch, but not crazy-making, usually). We keep our clothes in our office closets–the tiny bedroom is for us to sleep in (this helps a lot when I sleep weird hours, too). 

But I keep dreaming about tiny homes. I'd have one if I were single. I know I would. I've lived in 200 sq foot spaces, and nothing pleases my mind more than thinking about how to save space. I love downsizing, getting rid of stuff. A tiny home would be so FUN. The thing is, I love being married to Lala way more than I would ever enjoy the idea of a tiny home. I love our life together, and our big dumb cats and our sweet, sweet dogs. I love our house, too. It's perfect for us, just the right size (1100 sq feet, three tiny bedrooms, one bath, big living/dining room, big kitchen). 

Tonight, while avoiding writing and watching TED talks (as you do), I realized: I have a whole office. To myself. And it's full of Stuff I Don't Need. It's AMAZING what I've packed into that room. 

So my plan is this: 

• Box everything in my office as if we were moving. 
• Keep out only what I'll use that week. 
• Decide what the space should look like and how to make it be that, prioritizing what's important: writing and reading (it's hard to read in there now. I have a tiny wee sofa, but the space doesn't lend itself to reading–you must be able to fully recline to read, don't you think?). 
• Decide what few mementos are necessary for me to keep to feel grounded. (I don't need to keep all the things I grabbed after my mother died to remember her. Owning all her old fabric isn't necessary to me. It doesn't make me remember her more–it only serves to make me feel guilty that it's all sitting hidden in the closet.)
• Hold on to your hats: Yarn isn't very important. I've culled, over the last few years, so that I'm down to just a few projects' worth of yarn. The problem is I also have bags and bags of unfinished projects. I've let go of a few, and I think it's time to let the rest go, too. One sweater, one shawl, and one pair of socks on the needles. Do I ever need more than that? 
• Hold a garage sale, sell everything that's left (Bay Area peeps, I'll let you know when it is — there will be yarn UFOs and lots of craft books), and toss the money raised at the student loan (now down to 33k from 50k). 
• Digitize things like old pictures and old writing. I'm using this method, I think, even though it means making friends with Evernote, which, along with espresso machines, I've dedicated my life to avoiding learning how to use.

And now, in the quiet middle of the night, I'm going to look at Pinterest images of perfect people's perfect reading nooks. I don't want perfect. But I want clear, and spare, and me. And I'm so over white Billy bookcases I could just DIE, you know? 

Watch this space. 

(Oh! And don't forget to join the Goodreads giveaway of Spinters of Light – my publisher is giving away 20 copies!! (Only for US residents, I'm so sorry to say).)