Friday 7 December 2012

Simple


This week, we have been busy. As Jay would say: Bee. Zee.  We have had four different sets of people over to our house in the last four days, three of them for dinner. I've said before that I'm not so good at that kind of thing. Pressure gets to me, and I think why can't I organise my life better? Why can't I set boundaries?  Why can't I organise my life to be simple and meaningful? Why can't I stop running around and just be intentional? Shouldn't I be living simpler? SHOULDN'T I BE LIVING SIMPLER? 

Something I've realised recently: I have never heard a man talk about trying to live life simply, or live with intention. How marvellous, that we women find a way to beat ourselves up about the stupidest things- like not succeeding at being simple enough. I dunno, but I think that once you have to aim for something, once you feel bad that you're not achieving it, it isn’t really all that simple any more. (Also, once you have to have a magazine called Real Simple to tell you how to do it, that kind of nixes the actual simplicity thing too).

And so I officially decided this week - in the middle of sauteeing things and sweeping, I've decided that I don't care about simple. Simple is one thing that has not earned its place on my guilt list. I think that simple, to women, means pared-down-but-strangely-perfect and I can't be bothered either with the paring or with the perfect.   Simple can take a running jump. I think that what I want these days is easy. Big difference: If simple is a homemade loaf, easy is a miscellaneous pork product, pumped full of nitrates and smelling delicious as it rotates in my microwave. Simple is handmade upcycled presents for Christmas. Easy means going to a big box store with a fistful of dollars and fifteen minutes and using the time to buy fifteen presents in an explosion of plastic and batteries. (I may have done that this week, as well as the cooking. Possibly). 

Anyway. Back to my attempt to live an easy life.  One of the guests - Mr Tuesday - invited himself over, urgently. I had nothing - nothing - in the freezer that I could use, and the easiest thing I could think of was a lasagne (hooray for easy pre-grated cheese, that's all I'm going to say about that).  I stirred and prepared and got it done and it wasn't delicious but it was okay. And it turns out that our friend wanted to visit us because (wait for it) he had (wait for it) a prophecy for us, straight from God. Not even kidding. (Do not get me started on this guy's theology- let's just say that we have some pretty different views). Anyway. Apparently he has direct information that I'm going to have a child of my own, and the urgency to visit was because 'he wanted to tell me the good news as soon as possible'.  Yuh huh. Thanks, dude. For that I cooked you lasagne? 

Hmmmmm. A child of my own? I guess technically, you're right, but.....


 You're three-and-a-half years too late, dude. 

Now that's  simple. 


24 comments:

  1. If it's already happened, is it still prophecy? Oh, dear.

    I don't think I'd put a frozen pizza in the oven for that kind of visit. Maybe you could just have your own children throw crackers at him.

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  2. I think you just stumbled upon the answer to the mysteries of the universe (simple vs easy, not that whole 'your own child' thing - that's just ick).

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  3. My jaw literally dropped as I read that.

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  4. What an idiot.

    But simple...easy. Oh yeah, that I so believe!

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  5. I am SO sick of people telling us we need to have a "real child" or a "child of our own". Desmond may have been born in Korea from another woman's womb, but he is OURS. This attitude is just so ignorant and yucky!

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  6. I stopped reading Real Simple when it suggested layering colored plates 3 or 4 plates per place setting to get a "simple holiday look" at your dining table. Think of all the dishes that had to be done just to be simple.

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  7. Ahahaaha. Love it! Love your writing, love your crazy life and love the other comments here. Makes me laugh and smile!

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  8. You have totally nailed it on simple vs. easy. I love this. As for your guest? Yikes. Boiling the kettle for a cuppa was too much effort. I hope you had lots of leftover lasagna to enjoy later. And we are huge, huge fans of pre-grated cheese.

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  9. I have news that I must share, urgently, over dinner you prepare for me. Well played, Mr. Tuesday. ;) Wonder where he ate on Wednesday. And Thursday. . . .

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  10. I love your insights and what that guy said felt like a kick in the gut. I won't write the words about him going through my mind right now. You rock and simple can shove it.

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  11. If you've never heard a man talk about wanting to live life "simply" then you have not met an Italian. My Italian DH is constantly looking to "simplify" things. It might be reason #1 why we are still married. Simple to him = easy for me.

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  12. I can see it's time we resumed our Say No training. Today's homework: "That sounds like fun, I'd really love to, but we are SO busy this week I don't think we can. Send me an e-mail and we'll schedule something for later this month."

    Mr. Oracle is a jackass. No more lasagne or him. JACKASS.

    I love that picture.

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  13. FOR him. I'm sure your lasagne is delicious.

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  14. LOL people are strange, aren't they?

    And yes, sometimes simple is all kinds of difficult and complicated. interestingly enough, I've often said to clients, "the solution is simple (a lot around boundaries...) but it's definitely not easy"

    Also, I'd be wiped out with all those socials.

    So far we're still doing okay but then again this is only week 2 of December... :)

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  15. Oh I love your writing! Thanks again for letting us in! :-) So sorry about the yucky prophecy - for me those kind of moments when "a word from God" is spoken and I instantly know it is so far from God's Word make my stomach turn. And he was completely clueless about it all - his words, how they felt, what they meant to you, etc...thankful God is saying something different and did do His plan - love the pic! Also I appreciate your thoughts about simple and easy. I want easy or at least easier too - I want things to work better. Good food for thought - I am very inclined to find one more thing to be guilty about and I knowI need to chuck some things out!

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  16. Love this. Every last word. :) And Mr. Tuesday sounds 'simple'. I'll take easy over that any day!

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  17. One of the strangest experiences of my life was having a group of about seven Oromo Christians travel from Shashamene to Addis to pray for me that I would have my "own" child. One of the them, the extremely pushy leader of the group, told me that God told him I would give birth to five children. All this was said in the parking lot of a coffee shop. I knew these people via my work at home where one of their sisters participates in the program I run.

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  18. Anyone who claims they received revelation from on my behalf will never be allowed in my home ever. He's either crazy or evil. I will be kind and assume he is crackers. Yuck,

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  19. So hoping that your other 3 sets of guests were lovelier than the prophecy-dude. Yuck. Hope he gets coal for Christmas.

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  20. Yes definitely one for the Naughty List. Block his phone number/email.

    I know men (mainly hippy new age men) who proclaim The Simple. Usually it means, I don't want to do anything around the house, it isn't necessary, we should live more simply, while their wives do all the hard lifting. In my brother's case, it means, I'm just going to ignore my children while pretending that I am homeschooling them, and declare interior walls bourgeois, and then wonder why my relatives don't like to come and visit.

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  21. love this post! I'm a wannabe slow living girl. Wannabe being the operative word there.

    I know those kind of prophecy bearers. Great intentions, but seriously...

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  22. How could have I stayed away this long?????? Your blog makes me cry, nod (in total agreement), and LAUGH!!! So glad your results were good! Love seeing pics of Pink and Blue and knowing someone else out there is lucky enough to be raising twin 3 year olds!:-)
    Love and Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!

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    Replies
    1. Oh and next time Mr. Tuesday calls tell him sorry we are busy! Indefinitely!:-)

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Over to you!