Good Afternoon , as you may have spotted today’s blog was not posted on Monday . Last week we had our alternative Christmas lunch – plastic (almost – we couldn’t resist the mini christmas puds and brandy cream) and meat free . This week could have been full of pictures and suggestions for festive season in keeping with our usual eco guilt style – covering food waste and unecessary plastic and ending the piece with promise  that next year would be different. But I was sent  a link to a youtube video – Practice Anger not Joy  by a friend the modern way to spread sentiment without need for personal engagement . Sentimental undoubtedly but it touched a chord. ..

That the start of the blog planned for monday but it was just too dreary for the pre-christmas slot if it continued in that vein. It has taken till today to find something to bring it to an upbeat conclusion.   Today , I share with you the Christmas no 1 , humour in chaotic times and a gentle reminder that you may want to consider donating to the Trussell Trust or a food bank scheme near you.

All together … We built this city … on Sausage Rolls ,,,,

Bookshop browsing led me to an interesting title this week… What We Keep. It seemed an apt book for a Stuffoholic to read. After all, we’ve been rambling on about what we keep for over a year now.

The strapline to the book was “150 people share the one object that brings them joy, magic and meaning.” Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?

It made me think about this blog. I reckon we’ve approached What We Keep from a slightly more pessimistic angle…

“2 people share the hundreds of objects that give them headaches and endless bother.” It doesn’t sound quite so catchy.

Truth is, we keep an awful lot of things, and very few bring us joy, magic and meaning… which is why we are still on this quest to empty our homes of an accumulation of Stuff.

This morning I couldn’t face picking up items and asking them if they filled me with joy, so I decided instead to tackle the Drawer that Must Never be Opened. This is absolutely stuffed with things I keep. None of it is magical and joyous, but sometimes you also need to keep the mundane and everyday.

An hour later, I had removed and recycled:

12 old receipts, 10 greetings cards, 12 random pieces of paper, 2 calendars, a pointless certificate, a newsletter, one CD and a big stack of labels (wondered where those had gone!)

And then I gave up. I can only spend so long looking through joyless things. The Drawer that Must Never be Opened has shut for another year. Funnily enough, looking back through the blog, it was a year ago that I last took a look in there. I still haven’t tackled those boxes… another resolution abandoned!

If you see the book, give it a try (no, I’m not on commission!) And can I borrow it after you?

Wishing Joy, Magic and Meaning to all the things you keep.