The Silent Spaces



Cousin Cindy's Guest Room



After a long day of travel I found myself standing in my cousin's guest room openly gaping.  The bedspread and pillows matched the curtains which matched the handmade lampshades, which coordinated with the picture frames, the nightstand and the meticulously arranged bookshelf display.  There was not one item of clutter on any surface.  There was no dust.  I had never seen anything like it before.

It is obvious from which side of the family Cousin Cindy received her gift of decorating and cleanliness - the part to which I'm not related.  Her mother, affectionately known as "Clean Jean," has one of the most beautiful houses you will ever see - and, needless to say, it is also the cleanest.  Unfortunately, Aunt Jean married into the family gene pool.

Organized toothpicks! 
No I do not have an obsession.  Ha ha!

Even though I knew people like Cousin Cindy and Aunt Jean existed, I had honestly never seen them up close and the experience was somewhat exhilarating.  It was similar to the first moment you spend in a hotel in a foreign country.  You admire odd things like the shape of the toilet and stand at bizarre angles to get a better look of the view out your window - oblivious to the image you must be creating for passersby glancing back in your window.  So it was I must have genuinely befuddled my relatives when they caught me snapping pictures of their toothbrushes (gosh, they were cutely arranged!) and tissue boxes (she had the neatest little bamboo box for them to hide inside.)  But honestly, I was still perfectly sane.  

The thing that most impressed me though was how inviting the cleanliness was.  The books begged to be read, the light switch to be flipped, the bed to be sat upon.  I'd been in other "clean homes" all of whom felt sterile and drove me from them screaming.  But this house wasn't that way at all.  Or the polar opposite, you have my house which is brimming with mementos and knicknacks. What was the difference between this house and mine?

After we left Cousin Cindy's home we traveled to Texas to visit more family and to participate in a Pedagogy Conference for my college credit.  But while we traveled I continued to pour over the pictures of the toothbrushes and tissue box (among others) and remember the beckoning welcome of her home.

Cindy's daughter Amanda's room



The day after we returned home, some weeks later, I stood in front of my dresser.  I saw two alarm clocks, 6 picture frames, a hat pin holder, books, a sizable jewelry box, a large lamp, some knickknacks and miscellaneous small clutter.  I closed my eyes and remembered Cousin Cindy's dresser and I knew what was the difference.

Silent Spaces:

A place on which there is nothing.

Cousin Cindy pocketed her beautiful things in spaces of emptiness.  A good decorator knows that the eye must have places to rest, just like God created valleys as well as mountains.  It is those empty spaces that make us feel relaxed and rested.  If your desk is covered with items, even though you may love every single one, you will begin to feel subconciously overwhelmed by them.   

To apply this new idea I stacked a few matching books, sat one picture frame and the hatpin holder on top.  Chose one more favorite picture and ditched the rest.  Changed the jewelry in the box over to a different location.  Clustered the alarm clocks together (believe it or not I really do need two.  lol.)  And took a step back. 

"Hmm, just like Cousin Cindy's."

Kitchen Sink Revelations

Kitchen Sink Revelations
"Only practice what you want to do well."

You know those moments. It is when life has been swirling around you at 90 MPH and then suddenly, for only a moment, it stops. For some people it happens in the shower, some during morning prayer, right before bed, or while their doing dishes at the kitchen sink. I'm a multi opportunity daydreamer myself.

Today it happened during morning prayer. I was sitting there letting my mind wander - naughty me - when I stumbled upon the topic of Benjamin Franklin. I have always thought he was an interesting fellow. A genius of his time, Franklin was able to resolve conflicts between countries, weave through diplomatic agendas, and at 84 helped to create order out of chaos during the Constitutional Convention. He was obviously a superhero. But how did he do it?

Ben Franklin, according to his autobiography, started out as a pretty simple guy. He was an average son in an average family with average siblings and an average educational opportunity. What seems to set Franklin apart was his remarkable sense of what to practice.

"Practice only what you want to do well," flashed across my mind. Whoa. To a pianist practice really means something. It means doing something over and over, each time refining, criticing, and refining again, until you get the exact result that you want.

Benjamin Franklin engrossed himself in reading and study on numerous topics, particularly logic and debate. Then, after he had studied, he would practice it. He became so good at debate, according to his autobiography, that he feared he had become too powerful, being now able to convince anyone of anything. (I personally would love such a gift if it meant more help around the house.)

There are alot of things I would like to do better; communication, logic, teaching, study, handiwork, exercise, relationships. I wonder if I am really using my time to practice what I actually want to do well. Probably not. More likely, I am a triathlon movie viewer, an expert web surfer, and an elite procrastinator. Perhaps I should regoal my practice time.

Note: For those who are interested, a copy of Benjamin Franklin's daily routine is online at http://dailyroutines.typepad.com/daily_routines/2007/07/benjamin-frankl.html . You can see how every morning he worked in a few hours to "prosecute the present study."

Thanksgiving Thoughts

It seems at this time of year everyone comes up with their personal list of "What I'm Thankful for this Thanksgiving." Not to be outdone, I've decided to include my personal take on this long time tradition.



I'm grateful for:


#20. The sound of laughter in the kitchen...especially around mealtime.


#19. The moment of peace and quiet right after the dogs have been fed.

#18. The way the sun's light melts across the sky in the morning. Accompaniment by does walking across front lawn and sound of coffee brewing, optional.


#17. Snatching 5 glorious minutes to look at the clouds roll past while I use the microwave.


#16. Finding a clean surface in the house...especially if it's mine.


#15. The dog standing on top of my bladder each morning asking to "go outside."


#14. Sewing with a girlfriend and talking about just anything that pops into our heads.


#13. Finally getting my dog to hold still long enough to trim her toenails.

#12. Going to the bathroom and no one knocking on the door.

#11. Great-grandmother being strong enough to take her first shower in months.

#10. Excavations of back of closet yielding amazing findings from as long ago as the early teen era!


#9. Hearing the words "I practiced it over and over" come from the mouth of the same piano student who used to lick the keys.


#8. Listening to the annual discussion on how best to split up the leftovers between the families after Thanksgiving dinner. Usually preceded by the equally perplexing question of how to best carve the turkey.


#7. Indian summer...second only in pleasure to the first days of Spring.


#6. God's surprises...and sense of timing.


#5. Leftover take-out. (It doesn't get much more convenient than leftover take-out.)


#4. A friend who'll help with the hard part...of anything.


#3. Date-night...for my parents.


#2. The last glimpse of the Bible before I close my eyes at night.


#1. Oh yeah, and all those other things people are usually thankful for at Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
The Simplified Life

Finding Simplicity

"Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" 2 Cor 3:17 (NIV, http://bible.cc/2_corinthians/3-17.html)

Click! Sounded The microwave door as I started my breakfast. The air was crisp in the breakfast room today just like a lovely fall morning should be. I'm new to early mornings, so I wasn't expecting to like the crispness so much. "20, 19, 18..." the microwave ticked down the seconds. I walked over to the window to admire the sunrise. Nobody had told me how beautiful sunrises are this time of year. The colors aren't just there, they're alive and shimmering golden.
Suddenly, I stopped. Two young does stood nibbling the grass in our front yard. One looked up and stared at me. I was transfixed. The sunrise, the does, the sleepy world, oh! heaven. Moments like these are not made, they are given.

For me, this special moment in the breakfast room was, in so many ways, an example of the Simplified Life. The simplified life is just that - simple. It is not another "clear the clutter quick" strategy or "be a better person now" scheme. And it doesn't happen quickly. But over time the Lord has been showing me how to weed down my life to it's simplest parts until, like this morning, it is something I can enjoy with Him.

Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I am some kind of deep in the woods dweller with no TV, no obligations, nearest city miles away, living a simplified life between banjo pickin' on the front porch. But I am VERY far from that person. I am a rural dwelling piano teacher and am currently attempting to get my Bachelors in Music in 2 years through distance courses. I live with my parents and my grandmother and I'm frequently involved in the care of my great-grandmother who lives in Assisted Nursing. My life can be VERY complicated.

But what does simplicity mean? Well, that is a great question. Unfortunately, I don't currently have that great of an answer. I know it is something like "freedom" because every time the Lord shows me something to change it always brings more "freedom." But, hopefully, you will get to decide for yourself, in time, what I mean by the Simplified Life.

In the next few posts I'm going to be sharing some of the things the Lord has shown me already. You'll get to see how to plan a schedule and a study plan, and how to organize your closet so friends and family will look bug eyed at the sight of it. tee hee. I'll also be including some tips on dealing with fatigue and creating "me-time" and time for the Lord. Some of my ideas have come from the famous uncluttering book "Unclutter Your Life In One Week" by Erin R. Doland. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone dealing with clutter.

Til then my dear friend,
The Simplified Life