Welcome friends. A Jug of White Daisies is about my life and all the thoughts that come to me while I'm walking, doing the dishes, having a shower or hanging washing on the line - some of my regular activities that give me time to think. It's about all the things that make up my life - cooking, cleaning, creating, loving, learning, discovering, rolling my eyes, sighing, smiling, forgiving, making do, making the most of, looking up, gardening, hugging, being. It's about the things that I make for sale, fabulous finds, the wisdom and beauty in the world, and it's about stopping to admire the simple perfection of daisies.


And in amongst all the thinking and writing about that, I'll be doing it all, and more, so if you don't see me for a day or two, please send chocolate.

October 4, 2014

Do I Really Want That?

Months later I am still decluttering... don't judge me, lol. I do have a lot of stuff, but I haven't been doing it all that time, it's been in fits and starts. In fact I'm not entirely sure I account for all the time between May and now. Certainly not in emptied spaces, though they are there, lurking in cupboards and drawers. I emptied two whole drawers in my craft cupboard. They've since been filled again, but the whole point was to get stuff in there I actually use instead of like it used to be, which was full of stuff I didn't use and was just hiding. And thereby clear another area, that had a few boxes lurking.

We are kind of expecting to move again soon. We have moved too many times. I grew up in one house, after my parents moved there when I was a baby. Since I first left home at the tender age of 18 though, I have lived in 20 houses and flats. That's twenty moves in 37 years folks. TWENTY. Let's just take a moment to come to terms with the sheer number of boxes I've packed in 20 moves! And unpacked, finding new homes for the pretties within. Most of the moves were within one state (NSW), but I did move to Scotland and back to Australia too, and then to a new state (Qld).

I used to have a vet who was a good friend, and one day when I went to see him with my cat, he had to start a new card for me for his file. He put my name and then "No fixed abode" where it said address. I was amused of course, but also a bit miffed, not sure whether to laugh or cry about it (but I whacked his arm just the same, lol) and you know what? I'm still not sure!

I crave deep roots. I want to plant trees, shrubs and perennials, not just annuals. I want to put in wisteria and let it curl up a verandah and send it's yearly load of flowers cascading down, covering more and more of the verandah each year till I can hardly see through it. I have started gardens in each of the places I've lived but they have only ever just started to look good when I have to go again. I take stuff in pots from house to house, I plant out cuttings and seedlings, I dream of how it might look when it's grown a bit. I know by now that I will be moving again as soon as the plants have grown enough to start touching each other.

Honestly, it's not my fault lol! It's because I have left a job, or my husband has, or I've left a husband, or a house we're renting has sold, or we've moved for a job, or... well... on it goes.

I pretty much know the next house won't be a forever house either. But maybe it will be for a while. And maybe the one after that will be a long term house.

Because of all this moving, I am a good packer. But for some reason I am also an accumulator. I'm not entirely sure why this is... maybe it's a psychological thing. I can't keep houses but I can keep stuff to put in them. I'm not quite a hoarder, but I do have too much stuff. And the next house we are going to find is probably going to be a lot smaller, because we are going to move from renting to buying again, although renting gets you a whole lot more house these days. We are renting a 4 bed, 2 bath, 2 garage for the same amount we will be able to buy a 3 bed, 1 bath, 1 garage house with the deposit we will have. Probably... there is the occasional real fixer upper that might have a little extra.

Fixer uppers are not very usual in our suburb (where I am quite happy to stay) but I am hoping for one. I want to put my own stamp all over whatever we buy. I wonder how long it will take me to find The Right One. I have found a few Almost Right Ones in the last month. And it's fun looking. Well it is for me. My dear one doesn't enjoy the process.

And in the meantime, I continue to clear out stuff. My new question for every item that passes my sight or hands is, "Do I want to unpack you in a smaller house?"

love Heather x

 To the question of your life, you are the only answer. To the problems of your life, you are the only solution. ~Jo Coudert
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