I'm not sure if Chinese new year did anything for me (as opposed to Western new year, which was a bust in the fresh new start department, as far as I'm concerned), but I've been generally content these past few weeks. Not screamingly happy, mind you, and still a bit lonely and melancholy sometimes, but content.

I'm rediscovering how much I really enjoy living by myself. Kevin and I were very compatible as cohabitators, more so than anyone else I've ever shared space with, but it's still liberating to not have to consult with him or anyone else before rearranging or getting rid of something extraneous or changing the way something is organized or done.

Over the years I've learned some things about how I like my surroundings to be, and now I feel a little more freedom to make them so. I dislike having so much furniture that it's hard to move around the house without running into something. Granted, the last four places I've lived have been small -- this current place the biggest since the California Avenue place, which I left in 1994 -- but I need some empty space, some walls without things shoved up against every square inch. We inherited (actually, bought) six bookcases last spring from some friends who were moving to the mainland and had to get rid of them; we put two in the bedroom, I put two in the storage room, and the other two have been lounging in the back hallway, making it dark and narrow and aesthetically unpleasing. Last week I was finally able to get rid of the hallway bookcases, and the difference it makes is incredible. The hallway is mostly unused -- it leads to the storage room and the second bathroom -- but the extra light that isn't sucked up by those dark bookcases now reflects into the kitchen, the door to the storage room can be opened all the way now, and it just looks cleaner. I was able to move the wine rack to the back of the hallway so that now I don't trip over it on the way into the office. The stuff that was on those bookshelves has been redistributed to more useful locations, or to storage.

I hate clutter, although I admit that I'm not as good at avoiding it as I would like to be. I have to have at least one space for piling, but I'm learning that the desk should not be that place. I work so much better without that distracting pile right there. Since the attack, when I was confined to my own space with limited concentration skills, I've started decluttering in earnest. I had piles of magazines to skim through and pass along; I've gotten through all but the National Geographics and Smithsonians (the latter being one of the more wonderful magazines on the planet). I've determined that the Martha Stewart Livings need to be gutted of the useful (to me) stuff and disposed of. I'm donating my old Ceramics Monthlys to my studio, as I know who to bribe if I ever need a back issue. I already have pass-along arrangements for the Newsweeks and the new issues of National Geographic and Smithsonian. Now that the magazines are on their way to being under control, the files are next . . .

- posted by Lori @ 5:56:00 PM | permanent link | |