Decisions re. ‘stuff’
‘…a novel which by turns had me laughing (aloud) entranced and, by the end a little bit wiser than I was at the beginning. In ‘The Truth Club’ Grace Wynne-Jones has produced a book in which the eclectic characters almost leap from the pages…the book also contains a perfect man, Nathaniel, who ‘almost always’ says the right thing….’ Ireland on Sunday about ‘The Truth Club’
Did some decluttering, tidying and cleaning yesterday. I seem to have a large amount of old newspaper cuttings that ‘might be useful’…some of them date back years and have been shifted around the house because I wasn’t sure where to put them. Have thrown a number of them away recently. Others have been put into an expandable file (alphabetically). Not sure why I have kept a feature about the World’s Top Hotels as I couldn’t afford to stay in any of them…this has not been relocated. It is awaiting a quick perusal and the circular file.
It is easy to start this sort of work with great enthusiasm. Then, after a while, it can simply seem like a chore. I sometimes like to think of Peter Walsh when sorting through papers and other oddments. He’s a guy who sometimes helps people to declutter on Oprah. He is Australian and very upbeat and firm. Helping people get rid of stuff they don’t need is one of his passions. His imaginary coaxings are bracing. He helps me throw unwanted stuff into bags and then bring it to charity shops. He knows that sorting through clutter can be messy. But oh the delight of making decisions about, say, whether or not to keep an ornament, jumper or assortment of old plates. Some of these items have been hanging around like a question mark. Someone else might be delighted to have them. And making more space in the house helps me to appreciate items that may have been hidden under Sunday supplements etc.
I got another of Nigel Slater’s books out of the library. What a brilliant cookery writer he is. His unfussy and nurturing approach to food is good for the soul.
Lots of love,
Grace
