January 31, 2011

it's simple...

i "savored" january
and
in savoring i realized how simple life can be
and
how simply i can live
~
most of you know i spent the month of january in florida. and to tell you that i tried to savor everyday would be an understatement. i not only savored my time there. i sucked it up until it oozed back out of my pores. these are the photos to prove it.
in living simply, i didn't miss any of my "stuff" at home.
all the little things i buy or save that fill up a corner here or a spot on a shelf over there. the stuff that has to be dusted constantly. nope. i didn't miss any of it.
i didn't miss all the clothes and shoes that were still in my closet that i didn't take with me. i liked having only options a, b and c when it came to choosing what t-shirt to wear on any given day. the rest of the alphabet options are really unnecessary.
~
standing on the beach multiple times a day seeing how the color of the water constantly changed, was all i needed to be happy. rubbing sand off the bottom of my feet before getting into bed every night, no matter how often i swept the hardwood floors, became a habit i loved.
~
i learned that sitting in the warmth of the sun for the sake of doing nothing else, is never a waste of time. and that walking miles and miles a day through an ever changing environment kept me focused. focused on just how simply i could live.
~
really. how many lipsticks does a woman need to be happy. my new answer. one. even with my love of face creams. i only packed one. so no decisions had to be made after i washed my face at night. do you have any idea how freeing that kind of thing is. very.
~
as soon as we got home. before i unpacked my suitcase. i cleaned out my closet. i filled two huge garbage bags that are now ready to go to good-will. and that feels amazing.
and that's just the beginning.
the rest of the house is going to get an overhaul too. mostly those drawers and closets that tend to almost grow things when you're not looking. you know what i mean.
you go into your junk drawer to find batteries and an hour later you're all like "wow. i forgot we had this and what cord does this go to and why do i have 4 screwdrivers that are all the same size" and when you finish rummaging, you walk away with a magnetic key holder for under your car and forget that you were looking for batteries in the first place.
~
so i was thinking that maybe simple or simply or simplify would have to my new word for the year since that's what i feel like i'm doing. but i wouldn't have gotten to this point without savoring everything the past month. so i will keep "savor" and i will keep savoring everything life wants to throw at me.
granted. my expectations are a bit high after an amazing start. but maybe sometimes that all we need. a whole lot of good in order to savor everything else that comes our way.
~
and
now to my hubby. thank you for giving me a gift that i will never forget. thank you for everything and i mean everything you did in order for me to have the time of my life.
just like dirty dancing. i really owe it all to you.
and
these photos you took of me. wow.
thank you. thank you for seeing me the way i truly am and letting me be me.
authentically me. the me that only you can bring out. the me that only you know.
*

31 comments:

  1. Oh your January sounds so delightful! And I LOVE these pictures that your husband took. I think even though savor is your word, you could make "simplify" a secondary word! :P After all, one can never have too many words. And it feels so good to get rid of things you know you'll never use/wear again, doesn't it? I always think I'll miss those things but once I get rid of them, guess what? I never do. <3

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  2. It sounds like you had the perfect month and got so much out of it. I'm happy for you. :)

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  3. I think you could apply "simplify" to February as a subtitle but continue to use "savor" as the main event. :) I love these photos of you. Your hubby did a great job.

    I hope you can find other places to maintain your sandy-beach-walk mentality now that you're back home again. Sounds like your soul is filled to the brim!

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  4. Beautiful.
    Savoring it...
    So happy for you.

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  5. just tell me you did not get rid of your socks! haha...
    you are beautiful, not just on the outside. Your thoughts and the things you share and the way you see life tells me how beautiful you are on the inside.
    I want to simplify! Need courage, energy and to make a little time to do it. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  6. Beth...first of all, these photos are so beautiful. He gotchya Babe! Second, I know so well the feeling of living simply. I am thrilled beyond measure that you have "savored" this lesson in such a beautiful way. May it continue during the months to come. ~whenever I am broken, I always return to Mother Nature and her liquid heartbeat, the sandy skin and salty breezes~ I dunno where that came from....but it rings so true. Thank you for sharing your slice of life with me...~my word verification is cryable~

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  7. simply savor ... savor simply

    a perfect duo

    those are such beautiful photos of you that love took

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  8. When I read the first few words of your post, I thought "How uplifting she is to have savored January!" Good joke on me. Happy for you to be savoring life in Florida!

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  9. Well the you he knows is incredibly beautiful. So glad you had that time, that you savored january (which you know I most decidedly did not), and that you discovered so much wonder.

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  10. You look so happy! Oh how
    wonderful that you were able
    to see the ocean! woo hoo!

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  11. Simplifying is the perfect thing. I love the things you learned this past month. The pictures of you were wonderful. Oh how I would love a month like that, walking the beach is one of my favorite things to do.

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  12. Beth, I am so happy for you. I learned a few years ago when I got sick, how simple I loved life, you made me smile today. I only have one lipstick. hugs.

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  13. tears have soaked my cheeks from your beautiful words. simply divine

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  14. Savoring simplicity. Perfect. (just like those photos--so glad you had such a wonderful time!)

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  15. If each little thing is savored then less is needed...at least that is what I think:) Wonderful photos of you Beth! Please tell your hubby for me that he is fantastic:)

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  16. Beth, it's so lovely to see you smiling so brightly in those photos! I'm so happy that you had a wonderful month and are so enthusiastic about the days ahead.

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  17. Freedom. Letting go of the mindset that you want so many things in life. Then seeing all the things you believed you needed. Not so, is it? I can picture the large garbage bags because that is what I did. We had a two car garage at the last place and we filled it with furniture and boxes and had the local thrift store bring their huge truck and take it all away. Then we moved to this teensy cottage and are so happy here, less work, less material things, more time for us and each of us. I am so happy to hear the joy in your words.

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  18. You make me smile, your words make me giggle and your tribute to your husband brings a warmth in my that is amazing....love of the lifes is truely a gift of God.
    Great post Beth.
    Hugs Dagmar

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  19. That number 3 photo is so perfectly, perfectly you. I'd say it's the you that we know. He has the gift, the love, the vision to make the you inside visible, tangible.

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  20. Your hubby did good.

    I know that's improper english, but it is what it is.

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  21. very special word .. your husband did capture you so beautifully

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  22. My heart is jumping for joy for you.
    And you look younger in every photo. Stop that. :)

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  23. You know, I am a big fan of doing what works. If savor is kind of over and done with, there is nothing stopping you from jumping the Savor Ship and jumping on another one that will take you through February and beyond if you choose. What fun to spend the dreaded January in such a beautiful place. Yay for you!

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  24. Welcome to the snowy north -- are you having culture shock?

    This post resonates with me more personally than most I've ever read. As you know, I go north every summer. The cottage is equipped -- I take my clothes, art things, food enough to get started and Gypsy. It's laid back. Informal. No schedule. No pressure. And you're right -- I don't need all that stuff. No microwave? No problem. No mixer? Whip out the whisk. No cable? Probably a good thing. And it really helps you see what matters, what you must have and what you just DO have. And like. Or want. But don't HAVE to have. Bravo, my friend.

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  25. I was thinking of me in this post. I can totally relate to all the experiences you had while away on vacation in a warmer climate and living simply. I like your strategy of cleaning up & clearing out when you got home too. I'm going away in March and I think something similar may be in order for my home when I get back. Just the thought of it puts a smile on my face.

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  26. Simplify is my word this year! It is oddly freeing, isn't it? Anyway, I thought you might enjoy this article:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-maezen-miller/10-tips-for-a-mindful-hom_b_585735.html

    It is about mindfulness, but it really spoke to me. I hope you enjoy it as well!

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  27. LOVE LOVE this post Beth!
    Your time in Florida sounds like it was HEAVENLY.
    I want to simplify my life- I am inspired by this post and by the way you look gorgeous- like you nourished your soul!

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  28. Beth a wonderful post and you are right simplifying our lives is freeing. Have so much fun this year savouring and simplifying and your hubby does take a mean pic of you gorgeous.

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  29. I feel suddenly lighter myself, after reading this post.
    There is a closet in my place that needs that kind of clearing out. I've been putting it off for months, but the freedom you speak of when the clutter is gone...yes, I love that feeling...I must get to it...maybe this weekend!

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**I love reading the comments you leave, as they make me feel like we're sitting in my kitchen, having a cup of tea, discussing life and wondering where all the time has gone ...beth