Week 2 living minimally

Getting to know local grocery stores and farm stands is interesting. This coming week I look forward to at least one farmers’ market. In the meantime, I liked the farm stand a few minutes away, and plan to return. Their bags of spinach and spring mix for salads looked great, plus signs indicating local produce were helpful. They were completely out of just-harvested corn on the cob, and another customer asked the clerk while I was checking out when more corn would be in (40 minutes from now, was the reply). Nearby was a boat docking area which was posted “not for beach parking” but since there were enough spaces at the time, I sat on a rock at low tide for a few minutes. The mud really tugged at the bottoms of my sandals/flip-flops (which have now been relegated to stay in the car permanently so I can stop by various beaches on the way home from work). I have special water shoes that I need to find, and I don’t mind the feeling of mud on my feet, but I’ll need to designate a car/mud towel for my feet afterwards.

 

Salem, MA

In terms of consumable purchases, I bought light bulbs and batteries, gassed up the car (which passed inspection and now has Massachusetts license plates!), and am experimenting with different gluten free crackers, frozen g.f. cinnamon raisin bread, and one bottle of local “raspberry lime rickey” soda. WAAAYY too sweet, but tasted great when watered down and a wedge of fresh lime squeezed in.

I’ve emptied so many more boxes and made plenty of trips to the recycling bin. Interestingly, some boxes I don’t even want to unpack. I will probably keep some boxes with their contents and see how I feel over the next few months. I might need the china cabinet for some books, and will bring other books to my work office, where a lonely bookcase is eagerly awaiting contents.

Gloucester, MA

It was fairly thrilling to determine the first two items to be given away as I was unpacking, and I selected a box to designate as the donation bin. Someone already let me know about a place to bring items for donation. I also started a closet system where I put the items I’ve worn to one side. Right now, that section is small, but eventually it will become apparent what I haven’t worn yet, and that might help decide whether to keep it or give it away. Some items I’ll keep due to circumstance, such as my floor-length black skirt for choir concerts, not knowing if there will be an in-person choir concert this December (the first rehearsal is mid-September). Plus, it took a long time of searching to find that skirt, and it wasn’t cheap, so given my dream of singing in choirs for the rest of my life, that’s worth holding on to.

I have kept shells from past years, but so far am not bringing new shells inside (good thing I'm working on this challenge right now!)