Simple

Posted in: Island Life, People, Shanty | 0

Our vacuum cleaner is broken. It worked just fine the last time I used it but when I push the go button… nadda. Funny thing about vacuum cleaners, they are great at getting up dust and fluff and cat hairs (and also the so very many yarn bits… hmmmm maybe that is why it is broken?) – until they stop that is.

mandala

A broom does not generally stop working but a vacuum cleaner surely will. We do not know how to fix this machine and we really do not want to buy another one.

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This little vacuum cleaner dilemma reminded me of my friend’s father. He is a quite famous sculptor that lives on the wild edge of the West Coast. He is also quite an aesthetic. This very eccentric older artist has a lovely way of putting simplicity into perspective. He imparts his wisdom with a shrug of his bony shoulders and says… “I could get a nice rug for my cabin, but then to keep it “nice” I would need a vacuum cleaner to clean it. And, of course, I would not want the dog to come in and sleep on it… so I don’t get a rug.” I always loved that.

Living with less can actually make life more full of options.

We can paint a mandala on the trusty- rusty old fridge (not likely with a shiny new one). Yarn bomb covers brighten up the old truck seats and we can set wildly-crazed driftwood sculptures in our gardens. Because nothing around here is “precious” there seems to be room to make fun.

For now, though, I will be cleaning the precious “ugly chicken rug” with a combination of the rubber cat grooming brush and the trusty shop vac… needs must.

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