Oprah speaks

"People who don't consciously renounce unneeded, unloved purchases end up with stuff--piles of mediocre, creeping stuff--that actually decreases their quality of life"

In preparing to go south, I came across a new issue of Oprah, and as I was thumbing through the pages (anything is better than packing) I came across an article called "The Joy Dividend" by Martha Beck. It says people spend about $700,000 in a lifetime and asks what you will do with yours. It is an article on financial planning.

As a confirmed minimalist and shopping-phobic person, I thought Aha, I am not alone.
Although she did not cite my three rules before buying only one which has to apply I patted myself on the back for them.

1. It has to be useful
2 I has to be beautiful
3. It has to have a memory

Yesterday's paperclips have all three. A sweater I wore yesterday, almost foreced on me by Rose in Mirepoix next to a 13th century jail turned into a fantasy hotel, has all three. I wore it yesterday and I never look at it without a surge of pleasure not to mention its warmth when I'm cold.

Thus when I enter my room in CH or nest in Argeles my eyes can sweep the room and love everything in it or respect it's use. I also adore the free space inbetween the loved items.

Even my frigo qualifies as a memory and useful as does the washing machine because of where I bought them. And although I don't have fond memories of the purchase of my food processor, its frequent use has piled one good meal memory on top of another (we won't discuss the disaster of a sauce when I used baby formula instead of cream)

I don't need Oprah to justify my habits, but I find it amusing when she does.