Notes from the Spring Creek Arts Guild

I skipped a column, but I think I have a couple of valid excuses. First, my youngest child, my son, got married two weeks ago. They had a beautiful wedding in Art and a fun reception in Mason. Attendees took precautions as they saw fit, and I am very happy to say that our fourteen days have passed with no reports of illness. Second, while my parents were here for the wedding, my father had an injury that caused him a lot of pain and the rest of us a lot of worry. He was able to travel home after extending his stay here by a few days and is doing much better now. In the aftermath of the wedding and the worry about my dad, I could not have formed a complete thought, much less written a column!

The past four weeks have brought many transitions for all of us. Schools and colleges starting back is always a transition this time of year, but this year is so very different. I am saying prayers for school faculty and staff, parents, and students. My husband and I are making the transition to being true emptynesters. Our daughter has been grown and gone for many years now, but our son has been a college student for the past five years so he has not been completely gone from our nest—until two weeks ago. Our thoroughly empty nest has us re-evaluating and re-thinking many aspects of our lives. Our son took one of my two couches to his new home which warranted some furniture re-arranging and cleaning. I think the re-arranging and cleaning are going to be a pattern both physically and mentally as we adjust.

Last week I watched half an episode of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix. My preconceived ideas about Marie Kondo were completely inaccurate. After only twenty minutes of watching her, I am ready to start sorting through my house getting rid of anything and everything that does not “spark joy.” Our cousin Zach, who is a firefighter and EMT in Dallas, came for a visit this past weekend and reinforced my tidying urges with his accounts of going on calls to homes where the people appear to be hoarders. He reports that clutter fuels many fires and clutter makes the job of an EMT much more difficult.

My mother always told me to start with the most challenging or onerous task. If I follow that advice, I would start with my office and crafting space. It is the most hoard-y of the spaces in my house and poses the greatest challenge to Kondo-style sorting. All those papers and business records most certainly do not spark joy, but are necessary for the operation of our business. And all of my crafty supplies? Well, most of those do spark joy; plus, I have a profound fear of getting rid of something then finding the perfect use for it later. The rest of the house should be less of a challenge, particularly if I can keep up the fervor I am currently feeling to have a simpler, more tranquil home. Y’all wish me luck!

SpringCreekArtsGuild@ gmail.com