Bees, Flowers and Clutter Free Living

Drinks last week with the volleyball girls and lunch with the birth friends left me pondering and doing the never a good thing, life comparisons. Only in this case, I think my comparing is a good thing. I'm not jealous of what each are doing in their lives, or what they have. I'm frustrated on my self imposed vice grip of clutter and continued overcommitments keeping me from enjoying my own pursuits. Clutter! It continues to be the bane of my existence and while I get through a little each week, in all seriousness, I could spend full days over weeks, to purge to where  my circle of friends and family are, in order to make room for new pursuits. I'm still saying yes to too many things, as evident by my weekend of running a church breakfast and more soccer team duties. 

These may not be my  dreams and goals, but the commonality amongst the following pursuits, is a clutter free order to how they live life. 

M is down to only her 4th boy still at home. The large home in the country with little help to maintain all that needs to be done and a husband with some health challenges, initiated a decision to drastically downsize-by more than half the square footage. The trade off though is  more time on nice weather days and summers to spend at their lake place. They put their house on the market with virtually no purging, sold it quickly, and then she quickly released items not making the move to the new town home. 

E is awaiting the arrival of bee's.  She has spent her winter  taking beekeeping classes and researching what is needed. In February and March she has been preparing the yard space. She lives a clutter free life learning new hobbies, investing in herself, despite being a single parent after the loss of her husband 18 months ago. It's a hobby her daughter will join in with, so a bonus. 

S has been planting seedlings in her clutter free basement with a big window that let's in oodles of sun. She is also working on building some flower bed containers. It is a thing of joy to have a glass of wine in her garden each summer. 

Young recent retiree D, will be packing up a small bag and doing a road tour with her DH, planning on leaving shortly after Easter until the end of May. They'll be back then as will be hosting grandchildren. Stripping off clutter and baggage meant retiring at 60.

I want hobbies and guilt free get aways. It is my job to make time, but first, I know I need to get rid of what is holding me back.