CASCADING CLUTTER

Once again there is just too much stuff. I don't even know if all of this stuff has a home. And if it doesn't have a home, should I make one or just toss? Now there is a dilemma. Probably why so much stuff is collecting -- no designated home. And yet with the clutter comes an inner sense of instability -- almost panic. Too much to do. Not enough time. Not enough space to do the work. My mind gets boggled and crowded and my sense of self gets confused and productivity comes at a price. And the price usually is cluttering up another sight with yet other stuff.

It gets just so deep and then action must be taken. Usually I know what is in the layers. Not exactly 'where' but at least 'what.' When I lose track of the 'whats' because they have been there for so long and the 'where' of what I do remember is history, then I must DO something. The call to action is brought on by a variety of things: a lost important something; lack of space even for list making; a torrential cascade that threatens to finally slip away to the floor when I try to get to my calender; molding citrus rinds; and most of all the sense of futility it instills in me.

So the day after the above picture was taken I vowed to clear the clutter. It took the better part of the day. I made sure that what I picked up found a place to live -- or was history into the round file. And while I was at it the places that I went with 'stuff' got a little attention also. But the primary goal was to clear down to the desktop. To have no clutter. To relieve my stress. To bring peace into my life.

And this is how it looked when I was finished. And I have been able to keep it this way for almost a week. I am having to relearn efficiency and organizational principles. Basics: take care of mail -- NOW; return items to proper place when finished; make new homes for new items or projects; don't even think I am going to come back to finish something, either finish it or put it away.

I am enjoying this. It is freeing. Spirit lifting. Opens a world of possibilities instead of 'have tos.' There is still more to come, of course. I am negotiating for a new desk and counter and places to have things at hand that I use often. Work in progress. Isn't that wonderful?

THANKSGIVING PREP

Three more days of preparation for Thanksgiving guests, food, generous and gracious hospitality, and I am in a state of UNreadiness. There is no way I am going to make this happen. And I am NOT doing any of it this evening. I am going to just sit here, do my blog, get a note off to my sister, then go to bed and read.

I love holidays. I love family. I hate the cleaning up and getting ready part. So I guess they will have to love me as I am. In all of my clutter. Dust under the couch. Maybe a cob web or two. They will have a clean bathroom, fresh sheets, warm blankets, hot coffee, and a lot of love.

Planning ahead has never been a priority for me. I am big into being and doing in the now. This is a really good place to be most of the time. If you think about it, NOW is the only time you can be in touch with God. That is probably the best part about now that I know of. If I have it in me to manage to just be in the moment, it is wonderful. I am successful a lot of the time. But there are times when I might have enjoyed the moment a lot more if I had planned ahead a little better.

The now times of planning and preparation can be Godly times too.....

CLUTTER

This is clutter. A lot of clutter. MY clutter. I spend a lot of time in this corner of clutter and it is cluttering my brain and hindering my creativity. I really believe that if there was some order here in this corner, I would be more productive, more creative, and maybe even less tense. This is getting me down. It is making me crazy. I have become a motiveless, goaless, slovenly individual.

Am I a little down on myself right now? You bet. Am I frantic in my clutter? You bet. Am I doing anything about it? Nope.

This is more clutter. My clutter. This is my corner of the "studio" so no one is responsible for this mess but me. I am setting it out here for publication in the hopes that I will be motivated to DO something about it. Shame myself, so to speak.

There are a few problems here. One, I am a saver. Two, I like to work on more than one thing at a time. Three, I never seem to put anything way. Four, there isn't an "away" place for all of the "things." Five, I would rather play that work. Six, I have tons of of UNfinished creations. And that's another thing -- I LOVE to start things. I have an inspiration and be gung ho that creation for a while only to lose interest and then the chaos of it is left behind.

This is my mess; the other half of the "studio" is filled with Bill's mess whch is in probably a worse state of cluttered chaos than mine. Between the two of us...... well, there it is. Double clutter, double chaos, double frustration.