stone water basin, portland japanese garden
Upon entering a japanese garden, you first rinse your hands and your mouth in a ritual gesture of cleaning both inside and outside. Leaving your impurities behind, you enter physically and symbolically cleansed.
When springtime comes and I start spending large amounts of time outside, I come back in after a long day and marvel at my wintery ability to spend so much time in the house. Returning inside feels claustrophobic, stifling. I've felt recently that a good cleaning was in order.
So last night I decluttered. I made a cup of cherry juice and seltzer, put on a good book on cd, and let the dog out into the moonshiny garden. And as I decluttered I checked on the big moon outside, and thought about the full moon rising over the mountains on Saturday night as I warmed by a creekside bonfire, watching the flames and the moonlight ripple on the water.
I kept asking myself, is dusting and caring for this item worth keeping me from doing more things like that? It feels cleansing for me both inside and outside to declutter. It's eye-opening to see the emotional responsibility I feel towards my objects, and to think about why I buy things and what kind of things I choose to have around me.
I'm continuing to clean out things today ~ I'm going now to tackle the studio, which is filled with much flotsam and jetsam. I have a candle lit and a big pot of tea at the ready, along with a quiche hot from the oven for lunch.
Good luck with your Monday projects, and Happy Spring!
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9 comments:
Dearest Brooke,
What a lovely post and photo. I have been asking myself those questions as I pack and purge and send items off to find new homes. It is so refreshing.
Oh! that photo and your words are beautiful Brooke...and I spent time clearing and tidying my studio today too....and found five pieces of driftwood that could maybe be right for your kitchen cupboards or drawers. It's a start anyway ~ you are most welcome to them if you want them.....aaaaand....I have a little baby ready to fly over to you :~))) I am sitting here drinking a small glass of gorgeousness :~)can you see me toasting you :~) Let me know your postal address and I'll be posting on Wednesday I hope.
Happy Spring Cleaning ~
it must be the day for it! i spent all day and released 4 garbage bags and a box of unwanteds. i put them on the curb, along with an old rusty bike and they were gone in ten minutes!
Stephanie ~ yes, it is!
Helen ~ YES I want the driftwood!! I would love to have a little bit of your findings over here to grace my new kitchen. And I am really looking forward to the soby as my friend just started one too and I think I'll have the hang of how to do it.
Brigitte ~ You know, I've discovered other people cleaned yesterday too. "Released" is the proper word for it all right. Must be something in the air. I carted out an old bench from our backyard last week and a girl took it before I had even put it down on the sidewalk. I love it when that happens!
Very interesting!! love this photo :)
Have a nice day
sounds so wonderful! Happy Ostara!
I am lost in the image of your moonshiny garden and the photo and rituals described here. Also, cherry juice and seltzer? Yum! Must try that.
That is a beautiful photo!
:)
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