Hoarders

Until recently, I hadn't really seen the dire need for a post such as this. I mean, people keep their houses relatively clean and clutter free don't they? Or so I thought.
I've recently become simultaneously obsessed and disgusted with the show Hoarders (A&E). It amazes me that these people can get their lives to such a state of mess and disarray. It's a great and glorious thing to be queen of your own castle but queen of your very own pigsty?
Now granted, they weren't always like this. It had to start somewhere. I know most of these people have a mental block or illness that prohibits them from changing their life. I am not trying to make light of their situation. They need serious help.
Believe it or not, there is a benefit to watching such a program. The great thing about this show is that it forces us to examine the state of our own homes. I pride myself on the cleanliness and minimalism of my home, but after watching a few episodes of Hoarders, I now find myself asking if there is room for further improvement.
If I really want to dig deep and be honest, I will admit that I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to certain things. Magazines that I intend to read someday, clothing that I know I will never fit back into, books that might have some relevance in my life sometime before I die, even spices and herbs that I can't seem to part with because I never know when the urge to make sushi hand rolls or curried cauliflower will strike again. Never mind that they are way past their "use by" date.
I also find myself madly looking under and around things to find the hidden dirt. Even a clean home can be dirty under the surface. It took me 3 hours to clean my already clean kitchen today because I decided to go on a dirt hunt. Boy did I find it.
I don't know why I am freely admitting all of this to you, dear reader. Maybe if I put myself out there, it will encourage you to follow suit...or perhaps it will force me to spring clean my surroundings more often. Either way, some good has come of this madness. I am now acutely aware of the amount of cat hair accumulating in my sitting room as well as the mystery mess that one of the kids left in the guest bathroom cabinet. Nice.
Happy cleaning my darlings.

Il Dolce Far Niente (The Sweetness of Doing Nothing)

Ok girls, lesson time. 

In reading Eat, Pray, Love, I learned that the Italians do not feel the need to earn pleasure. They do not have to deserve it or view it as a reward. They understand that pleasure and relaxation are God given rights. If they want to lay in the grass drinking lemoncello all afternoon, they do it simply because they exist and therefore deserve it. They do it because they understand that in order to have a balanced life, they must. It is simply what is done. Kind of like brushing your teeth. They tend to the health of their sanity just as we obsess about oral health. They don't rely on pharmaceuticals to get them through the day, they do it the way nature intended. With mandatory pause time. Hell, even my cat understands the importance of pause time.
Remember the old Janet Jackson song, "What have you done for me lately"? Well? What have you done for you lately? I'm not talking about rushing off to get your nails done or to get your hair styled or even to get that hot masseuse to rub you down. I'm talking about doing nothing. I think they call it sloth in the bible. I call it heaven. When was the last time you napped in the afternoon? Or took a nice hour-long bath? Or just laid in the sun and listened to the wind in the trees? I bet if you unplug your television, you'd find the time to do just that. Quit throwing mental daggers at me and be honest with yourself. Everyone has the time to do nothing. We just have a habit of filling our time with useless crap that we think is necessary. I do it, you do it, we all do it. Since fall is upon us, I have a great idea. Go make yourself some mulled cider or some hot chocolate, grab an old quilt and go sit out on your front porch for an hour or so and do nothing. Leave your phone, your books and your life inside and simply look and listen to the beauty of the changing seasons. You'll thank me later.