First, I caught a cold that kept me coughing and sniffling for the better part of two weeks. I had a holiday planned for already around my b-day, part of which we intended to spend at MIL's, and the remainder at home, recuperating. What happened instead was the return of snow and cold, so bad that all airports were closed down, and the road forecast was so bad we decided to wait the worst out before driving home. The cold bugs, in the meantime, seem to have migrated to the colleague I work together with, and he's home sick for the whole week, after which- you guessed it- it's his turn to go on holiday for another two weeks. Saying I'm pissed doesn't quite describe it.
On the bright side of things, my parents are giving me a brand-new refrigerator for my birthday. I picked a model that has an especially big drawer for storing vegetables, and optimum energy use levels. Quite expensive, but from the reduction in energy use alone, it will probably pay for itself within seven to eight years. Besides, the old one has been making funny noises for awhile, so it's probably as well I'll be rid of it, before it starts a fire or something. The new one will probably be delivered next week.
What with the weekend being spent at home, I have started to make room in the kitchen for removing the old one and setting up the new one in its place.
Which, once again, led to several items being evicted from the premises. A fruit basket that had its feet so close together that it kept toppling over when I tried to use it, and a plastic microwave dish I had originally thought I'd use at the office went to the trash, as well as some bottles I had kept for their decorative value. The magnetic pinboard, i.e. the fridge door, was cleared of the magnets and paper attached to it. Part of it went to the freezer door, and several freezer magnets have gone into a drawer, pending a decision on whether I will use them again or not. One five-liter stockpot has gone to the cellar, as well as several empty flower pots.
What keeps surprising me is that at virtually every occasion where I have to do some rearranging I come up with a bunch of stuff to declutter, too. Then again, we still own plenty of stuff so it should be a given that not all of it is a necessity.
I'm actually looking forward to having that new fridge. That crisper drawer means I can, perhaps, buy more non-frozen veggies, which I mostly avoided because the old fridge had little room for them and our kitchen is too warm to store them outside of the fridge. So, any fresh veggies I bought have been for immediate consumption only. As we grocery-shop biweekly at most, that probably was not optimal for getting my nutritients in.
On quite another vein, that fridge replaces something I already own which I need daily, and which is on the point of breaking down. It reduces my energy bill and my carbon footprint, and the old one will be taken away and recycled, too.
So, it is the perfect minimalist gift. No extra clutter and good for the environment and my wallet.
Now if the fresh veggies that go into it were helping me to get back on the weight loss track again...
Julia
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