"Simplify your life; purge your stuff." (John December).
Must I?
I mean - my life's pretty simple after all. It's just me and my
hands most of the time, (and, no doubt, the Devil). ... but I do
have Stuff.
Don't get me
wrong. The Stuff does not control me. Mostly we rub along nicely.
It's a sort of symbiotic relationship.
It's just that lately.... well... lately it has sort of started
to interfere with my heavy program of idling, to the extent that
it seems to be trying to exclude me from my own workroom.
A simple life starts to sound attractive.
"Reduce the amount of stuff you have by examining each item you own and asking yourself if you really need it."
So... I look at the Stuff.
And it gazes sentimentally at me, and.... I have to face it: a simple life
is just not a possibility.
My Simple Life.

I am a medium-aged lady from Surrey - well, everyone is aren't they?
That is: not all ladies from Surrey presumably, but "medium-aged".
I live in a quaint house with plenty of room for the Stuff and the
Idling.
I share the house with George, whose only drawback is that he is
in possession of a large amount of junk, (which he erroneously calls
Stuff), and should start simplifying his life right away, if you
ask me.
Here we are enjoying the evening sunshine on the balcony after a
swim, (not in Surrey I may say).
Along with George, I acquired a step-daughter, who is both cute
and talented. So much so, that, given a chance, I would pretend
she inherited it all from me, if it were not for the implausibility
of such a notion. She is well on her way to a lifetime hoard of
Stuff, and has the advantage of having two residences in which
store it.
Here she is giving a clear idea of her opinion of me; her Father
seems equally impressed.
I have also got some charming and talented friends who are slightly more interested in my web enterprises.
My friend Alison currently
residing in California, who shares most of my interests.... except
probably she has less of an inclination towards Stuff I have noticed....
especially my Stuff.
And
there's my ex-husband, Rob. Here is a man who really knows about
and appreciates Stuff; in fact, he is still housing some of mine
if I remember rightly....
He lectures in theatre studies at a Higher Education college, and
he is constantly expanding his artistic knowledge and capabilities,
(and his Stuff).
Most recently he was awarded an MA in media studies, and, as always,
he has been very helpful and supportive. Here he is regarding me
with the usual degree of suspicion during a day out in London to
see the Sultan's
Elephant.
