Simplify

 

The theme word for the next few weeks is 'Simplify'.

 

I stopped taking my anti-depressants... even tho I was warned not to.  I effectively and accidentally weaned myself off them by only remembering to take them every couple of days or so... I feel better.  I feel clear headed and rational.  I feel as if I can take action on things that I want to do. I think they were starting to do more harm than good, and I feel fresh and clean without them circulating through my body.

 

I cleaned out my cupboards and donated all the items that had wheat or grains in them to the food bank.  Soup cans (third ingredient, wheat!), pretzels, sauces, crackers, pasta, gnocchi (boy I was sad to see that go!).  I threw out the last of my easter bunny and half a bag of frozen perogies.  I can now eat anything in my house and it's 100% on the 'approved list' for grain free!

 

I went to Costco with Sam and purchased perishables.  My fridge is stuffed with produce and fish and pork.  I don't need to spend money between now and next grocery shopping trip.  Everything I need is in my house.  What a nice feeling!

 

I decided to knit again last night... Instead of fooling around digging through my stash, I walked into my office and picked up two skeins of yarn that I had originally wound for our San Fran trip. With that yarn and my needle case, I wandered back to the living room, found a pattern and started knitting. Simple garter stitch in a shocking stripe.  It's perfectly simple, perfect...

 

 

I did two loads of laundry this weekend.  Not a huge deal to some, but having lived in an apartment for 11 years and having to cart my dirty laundry back and forth to a laundromat was kind of a pain.  Having it in my building and being able to putter around and knit and clean and watch tv while it was washing and then drying was a beautiful thing! Simple... easy... perfect!

 

Every dish in my house and article of laundry in my house is clean and put away.  My stack of washable swiffer cloths are out in plain view to be used daily.  Simple to clean your house when you sweep the globs of cat hair daily!

 

I've taken to reading the ingredients on packages of cosmetics and body care products and circling in red the items that I wish weren't in them.  The further down the list and the fewer of them there are, the more likely I am to consider keeping them till they're done and then replacing.  The idea of having simple food to fuel my body and simple ingredients to care for the exterior, the better.

 

I bought a shower caddy so that I don't have to balance my body products on a 2" ledge that sits at a 30 degree angle... It makes showering much more enjoyable.  I also fixed my face wash bottle so that it actually pumps face wash out without having to fight with it.  Another simple thing that makes me feel more in control and less agitated.

 

All of these things may seem silly and... well... simple to some, but for someone whose life has been out of control for a while, it's a warm cozy swaddle.  It feels comfortable and soothing...

 

Here's a picture of the beginning of my shawl... the colors are pretty accurate!

 

 

Here's a picture of my fridge after it's cleanse and Costco trip. What you can't see is the fish and pork

 

 

Here's a couple pictures of Saturday morning when we went around the Seawall (10km).

 

 

Here's a gratuitus kitty picture... he decided to lay beside me in the morning... it made me smile because he's not a cuddler!

 

 

And here's a picture of what happens when you try and change the sheets and you have a feline cannonball... pretty hard to make the bed with a 13lb lump with claws in it!

 

 

And finally, here's my chicken salad from last night... Greens, tomatos, radish, green onions and a blob of chicken salad.