Unforgettable

After a few phone calls from some of you...and a couple of emails...I wanted to put a small disclaimer in regarding a couple of things.

First, my husband read the previous posting and pointed out to me, that although he loved it....it was NOT a brief posting. I said that I would keep them brief, and I didn't. I am sorry. I will do better in the future.

Second, when I say that we are living in and with an empty house....we DO still have a few things. We are not lying on the floor to sleep, or eating our meals off from the kitchen countertops. We are taking our new dining room set to Vegas with us. AND we have pre-sold our bedroom furniture to someone that knows that we will need it for a couple more months. We kept a full-size bed for Alex to sleep on too. He will get that when we leave. AND, we spend lots of time at our desks in the office/basement and we each have a desk and a chair there.

Third, if you have given us/me something that was homemade or made especially for us...we are taking it with us to Vegas. Examples: my beloved flamingo from Jerilyn, the antique green medicine cabinet from my brother Bob, the "Home Sweet Home" plaque from Alene and Bernie, the TV tray set from my brother Bart, the set of three oriental pictures that Jane made for me (they are so cool, she actually went and bought a newspaper from China and made three framed pictures...and although my colors in the new house are no longer red/black/jungle....I am still keeping them!), the gorgeous oriental piece of framed artwork from my good friend Carol in California, and a great glitzy girl hanger that my crazy friend Karen bought for me a couple of years back (OH and the set of 4 Leopard Martini glasses from her as well)!

See, I am actually taking a bunch of my favorite pieces. We figure that we will have the smallest amount of space needed on a moving van. Less than 2000 pounds.

I actually love so many of these things and want them with me...to remember all of you....like I could ever forget you.

Unforgettable.

xoxo Wendy

Jane, Sharon, Teri...oh my!

Jane told me that people like to read shorter insertions in blogs. People want to come to the site, read and digest. Short installments.

I often listen to Jane. Yesterday I took this into consideration while posting. I have so much to say...yet wanted to keep it brief. Decided that I would write more often, less text.

Thank you Jane.

I wrote yesterday that the signs have been given to me for a long time. The signs of living with less....and loving it. I want to tell you about some of these signs.

I went to Japan to sing for the first time when I was 29 years old. I was going to be gone for several months. I packed soooooo much stuff that it was overwhelming to me. The amount of stuff that I wanted to take with me, that I thought I couldn't go without, was enormous. I packed it and took it all anyway. (The company that I was singing/working for was paying for it AND bringing so much on a plane was not as limited and charged for as it is now.)

When I was living in Japan, the thing that brought me the most peace? Was the amount of simplicity that I found. Everywhere. Peoples homes. The people. Temples. Shrines. Stores. Restaurants. Streets. Cars. All around me. Simplicity. I loved it. Even their flower arrangements, Ichibana, were simple. I felt so free. I could breathe.

Fast forward a few years. I was working in Grand Rapids for a short time showing model homes to potential clients who would want to build these homes. I worked all day long in this big, beautiful spec home. It was gorgeous. I loved going to work each day. What I loved the most? The peace that came from a home, though somewhat fake surroundings as no one actually lived in it, that was so uncluttered - maybe even under-decorated, was loud. How can peace be so loud I often wondered? But it was. It was simple. Uncluttered. Quiet. Easy. I felt so free. I could breathe.

My good friend Sharon, whom I only met a few months ago. (By the way, how can someone that you have only known for a short time feel so familiar and wonderful and truthful? Seems to be happening to me quite often these days!) When I first met Sharon, she told me how she often moves very simply. Gives away most of her things and takes what she can pack in her car. PACK IN HER CAR??!!?? I only imagined that her car was actually a bus, or a Mack truck...because I could see no other way that would ever be possible. When I went with her out to her car as she was leaving....I nearly fainted. Her car is small. I asked if THIS was the packing tool she was talking about. It was.

I went into the house, sat down on the couch and tried to imagine how that must feel. To be able to pack everything into your car and move to a new place. Across country. And be happy. While sitting on that couch, feeling those feelings, I felt so free. I could breathe.

We have a rental house next door to our own. There were some new neighbors that moved in last year. They had a little boy, Austin, that David and I fell in love with. We often wished that his parents could only realize how very special he was. He just seemed to be in their way. David and I often had conversations with him out in our driveway. He was 9. They moved into the rental house after a fire destroyed everything that they owned. The mother was devastated. She seemed very angry, bitter and unhappy...most of the time. The relationship between the parents was very strained, nothing to do with the fire I am certain.

When I heard that they had lost all in a fire, I felt very bad for them. This was at a time last year when I could only live on the first floor of our home for over 5 months due to "the foot thing". While lying on the bed in our den, I began to think how I would actually love it if all of my stuff burned. Taken by a fire. That the things that I loved and the dog and all of us, I could retrieve...and that the rest would go. Wow. What the hell was that? But it made me start to think that I wanted to let go of anything that was holding us down. Weighing us down. Keeping us from flying.

Austin said it best. "I just wish that my Mom and Dad would get it. That it was just stuff. We are all ok. I can get other toys. And they can get other stuff. I just wish that they would get happy."

I love that kid.

I just wanted to breathe.

So we made some decisions. David and I decided that we were going to live differently. We are evaluating ALL aspects of our lives. Stuff. Love. Partnership. Goals. Prayer. Forgiveness. Where we live. Money. Did I say stuff????

My friend Teri wrote to me yesterday that 7 years ago, they also had a house fire. Took nearly everything that they had. She simply wrote: "You are right Wendy, it is all just stuff". The thing about Teri is, I have known her for a couple of years now...this is the first I have heard of this seeming tragedy. Great hmmmm? She is so busy being positive and loving and living life, she failed to mention that before. I love it.

So now, my friends, my house is nearly empty....my heart is full...and I feel so free.

I can breathe.

Running on empty....feeling so full....

My house is empty....my heart is full!

I should have known or at least suspected this a looooong time ago. There were signs all along the way. The words just had to get loud enough for me to finally move out of my own way....and follow. Get out from all of the stuff. ALL of the stuff.

We are moving. Making the move that I have wanted to make for MANY years. To move to a warmer climate. We are moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes folks. That is right....Sin City. But for us it is not so sinful...mainly SUNful. Not gamblers or drinkers or partiers, we love the sun, the mountains, the air....but for the most part...no snow.

I began selling all of our things in Michigan. Slowly at first. My clothes, shoes, purses, accessories. Over 300 pieces walked out of this house.

Then the purge was on.

We began slowly selling our furniture. We didn't really need an entire formal living room of furniture...so we sold it. Wow. Such freedom.

I then had an Estate Sale. Sold more than I could have ever imagined. Along the way we have given to friends and neighors, donated, consigned, Craigslist, Ebay, my entire email list of people...and then to the general public. People continued to ask....don't you have a pull or a tug or a sadness?? I have to honestly say....not one bit. In fact, I continue to look for things to rid myself of. I am having one last clothing/purse/accessory/shoe sale. Then we are done.

What I am finding is: the more I let go of "stuff"...the more I am filled with greater "stuff". Very spiritual. I have always been very organized, VERY organized, but suddenly I realized that it required a lot of time and more than that - energy- to continue to care for, store and keep track of all of that stuff.

I am suddenly free. I find myself just wanting to lay on my totally empty (well there is one lamp in the corner that is on a timer, and a floral arrangement that my mother had made on the mantle) living room floor. I see my beloved little Sushi (our 6 pound dog) laying every morning in the living room in the sun that comes in through the window. I wanted to do the same thing. So I am going to. I am going to lay in the sun, in my empty room, in my nearly empty house...and just be. Just be. Quiet. Contemplative. Grateful. Loved. Peaceful. Prayerful. Happy. Ommmmmmm......

My house is empty. My heart is full.