I entered this year with the declaration that my word for the year is “LESS”. You can read more here. It’s 16 days in, and I am thrilled to say that I have definitely made progress on the physical clutter front in particular. I’m at least halfway through.
Here are a few things I learnt since starting:
To be successful, it’s crucial to get rid of things fast; otherwise, they just end up becoming clutter in a different bag/packet in a different part of the house.
Once you commit to something, the Universe will do what it has to to meet you halfway. The things I decided to sell were sold very quickly online. I also gave some stuff away.
Image: Created on Canva
I have to admit it feels really good to let go of all the stuff that I no longer use. There is so much space that is taken up by “things” I will probably never use and papers I will never read again. I feel lighter, and I feel excited by the possibilities. My intention is to rearrange my space to be beautiful to my eye and to my soul. It is hard to be at peace when surrounded by a mish-mash of things that do not look beautiful. Rough edges do not soothe me.
Next up is my digital clutter. That’s going to take a while, especially my inbox. No matter how much I unsubscribe from, my inbox is always full. I just don’t understand it. Anyway, I will succeed in clearing it out this time.
Where shall I start??? I love animals. Especially the warm-blooded kind. Cold-blooded animals…I am impartial, too. So what’s my favourite animal. I think our feral cat family would scratch me if I didn’t say cats.
Let me introduce you to them :
Russell
Russell
Meet Russell. He is from the first litter of 5 that his mum brought to my door. He is two years old. He is a very vocal somebody who is unsure if he is a big baby or a big gib. He tends to arrive 30 minutes before dinner time and makes a racket for at least 10 mins in the hope of being fed early. It never happens but he tries his luck every day without fail. He drives me insane but I love him anyway.
Meow Meow
Meow Meow
This gorgeous young gib is called Meow Meow because he was a very vocal kitten. He is from the second litter that his mum brought to my door. He will be two years old next month. He has grown up to be a quiet, independent soul. Russell torments him sometimes, so I think that is why he prefers to keep to himself, yet if Russell comes to call him, he dutifully rouses himself from his sleep and goes off with him. They have a weird relationship. I could always count on Meow Meow to let me know if a kitten had messed up in the house. It disturbed him when they did. He is super smart; if I ask him to tell me when a cat is at the door, he will do so. He hates being touched, which breaks my heart because he has the most beautiful, thick, soft fur coat.
Socks and Shoes
Socks and Shoes
These are from the last batch of kittens that were brought to my door. Socks is the only female that their mum gave birth to. (Well, that I noticed anyway.) She is the cutie pie on the left. She is a very, very independent soul and prefers to be outside. Shoes, on the other hand, prefers to be inside and I sometimes have to chase him around the house when it is time for him to go. He is absolutely adorable. These two will be a year old next month.
Bob
Bob and Socks
Bob is from the 3rd litter. Here is with Socks. These two are almost inseparable. Strangely enough, when their mother kicked Socks and Shoes “out of the nest”, big brother Bob took them under his wing and let them “suckle” on him for comfort. It was sweet of him at the time but it is just weird now because he still lets Socks do it. Poor Shoes tries his luck every time but Bob will have none of it. Meow Meow is also quite attached to the kittens and still plays with them when they need a playmate.
I have managed to sterilise the whole lot, including their mum, so thankfully, Socks and Shoes are the last kittens. Before the arrival of this lot, I was a dog person. I still am, but these guys (and doll) have taught me that cats are adorable too. They have taken over my home (at meal times) and my heart (at all times)
Hi There! Interesting question Bloganuary. I must admit that I communicate in very limited ways online.
As Grounded African
I love quotes (in case you haven’t noticed). Ever since my mum passed away just over 5 years ago, I have been on this journey both spiritually and emotionally and quotes have helped me along the way. I try to create visually appealing backgrounds for the quotes that resonate with me and share them via this blog, IG and FB.
I communicate my thoughts and lessons via this blog and sometimes on Medium. On Medium as I do post under my name though. I share the links via FB and IG, but I find the audience on each platform is more drawn to the quotes and don’t appear to be keen to read blog posts.
Image: created on Canva
On a Personal level
On a personal level I stick to Facebook and IG. I use both to update friends and family on the milestones in my life as well as on the things that amuse me, make me sad or that I find interesting.
I do have Twitter/X accounts but I use the platform more to keep up-to-date with the goings on in the world in real time. Otherwise, I find it a scary place to interact with people.
I chat on WhatsApp mainly. I find it highly frustrating (and shady) that Snapchat deletes your chat after 24hrs, so when I forget to note something, that’s it; it’s gone, so I have deleted my Snapchat account. I also chat with my fellow players on Scrabble.
I also share short book reviews on Goodreads. You can view these by clicking on the Goodreads widget on my page. If you are on there, please add me as a friend so that I can discover new books through you, and perhaps you will do the same through me.
I am keen to expand my online presence but have yet to find the time to plan it out and learn how to make the best use of the different apps like TikTok and whatever else is good to know. I still have not figured out how to use Pinterest best.🤪 Does anyone have a blog page that could help me develop these skills? Do you have any hints and tips to share? Please leave a link or a suggestion in the comments.
That’s it for today. Thanks for popping by. 💐. Be Blessed!
Grounded African 