Into the Void & Music: BTS

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I am Marie Kondo-ing [because the book is due back at the library in a week] and Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight program Week 1. So I cleaned out the fridge and freezer.

I did Marie Kondo my clothes a couple of months ago, so today I did my books. I own 53 books, and my to-donate pile is 16. So you have to touch each book and ask 'does it bring joy?' And I find the technique of putting something that 100% brings me joy [say, Miss Marple short story collection] and putting something that I'm uncertain about [my 3 Fred Vargas books] was very helpful in terms of figuring out what brings me joy.

I got rid of all the nursing books. I was a nurse the way John Watson was a soldier, meaning for a short period of my life, but which left an indelible stain but is definitely not at all part of my life now. I was only a nurse for 3 years. I got an associate degree so 2 years of study. I quit because I was pregnant with Minisculus and the nursing home where I worked was so understaffed and so overworked that I didn't feel comfortable continuing. I woke up on the day after I quit and it was like the past 3 years had disappeared. Simply vanished, and all my sense of personal ambition and goals and wanting to do something with my life--all gone. I became a mom. A drone. And here I am, still, six and a half years (and fifty more pounds) later.

It was interesting that the 2 books I had the most trouble deciding about were the Bible my grandmother give my mom [both long dead] and Anais Nin's Delta of Venus [so, porn]. The boys' father checked on me [you have to lay out the books and touch each on] and he didn't want me to get rid of anything. I ended up duct taping the Bible back together and giving it to him. It's a very healthy solution, in my opinion.

I kept Anais Nin. I am still a bit on the fence about it. Fanfiction is much more efficient, but...

And I'm still on my BTS kick. Here's them doing Butter on a bridge. As the children say, dark-haired Jimin hits different. They look like they're having fun on that bridge.

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[smallhobbit]

I'm glad I'm not Marie Kondo-ing my books, although quite a lot are reference so joy may not be quite the right term but they still come in useful. And I do generally move on books I've read unless they definitely give me joy.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I think more than half of mine could be classified as 'reference,' meaning 'reference for ficcing and/or versing.' I have my 3 poetry books and 2 writing books. I have the Cottage Gardens book and a little booklet our mutual friends sent me of Dorset recipes which I use whenever I want Mrs. Hudson to cook something. I keep a copy of Good Omens for reference, too. So really between spirituality books written by my guru and books for ficcing, that's most of them.

[firecat]

It's overall been pretty easy to cull my books because they were in moving boxes for 3 years, during which I lost my attachment to many of them, plus I almost exclusively read e-books now (because I have to make notes to remember characters these days).

But once the culling is finished I know I'll have more than 53 left!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes, I too was a little surprised. I remember the attachment I had to some of the books. It was strong then but now it's just memory, not a living, current feeling. So I knew I could get rid of them without feeling too bad. And a couple of them were inspirational just by the title (Writing Terrifying Creatures, for example. I have almost got rid of it several times, but this time I was certain about keeping it because I do want to write terrifying creatures).

I prefer paper and ink books but I also prefer library books.

[write_out]

I haven't read her book, but I want to. I love the concept of 'does this spark joy' and know it would be a useful measure. I'm glad it's worked for you!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I like almost all of it. I am combining her approach with the Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight because I think some things fall outside her categories and I like the room-by-room approach too (which Kondo doesn't like and I sort of understand now because it does tend to push the clutter around rather than clean it up). I'm giving it six weeks and we'll see.

[bethctg]

Wishing you the best on the loss of clutter, and weight!

I *adore* this Butter performance! They look SO GOOD. And it's so dramatic! (I love Jin entirely too much.)

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you, thank you. I have tried Weight Watchers 5 times (and quit 5 times without losing anything) so I know that kind of program isn't going to work for me. And I feel guilty about spending money I don't have on it. But, you know, I've got to try something. I am a Big Girl and could stand to lose a lot. It isn't baby weight when the babies are 10 and 6.

They do look so good!! I like when they dress them up. Blonde Suga hits different, too. But I love RM in Butter. He looks so in control of things and suave. And I saw Jin gave RM a handsome white bicycle for his birthday!

[bethctg]

I hear you! I don't even have babies of any age and I need to lose another 40! We can do it. ;)

I love capable!RM!! So very sturdy... *stares into space for a moment* Oh! That bicycle also has some tiny pink stripes on it, and pink used to be Jin's color! I clapped like a seal when I saw it. XD

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Oh, I really, really appreciate your enthusiasm.

Yeah, I like RM a lot. I think he would actually be the most interesting one to talk to. (I'd just stare at Jimin). I have to say that every color looks good on Jin! But pink, too. I thought it was a really sweet gift.

[autumnia]

I usually do a bit of Marie Kondo-ing once or twice a year but have gotten lax about it over the course of the pandemic. Hard to donate things I no longer want when so many charitable and non-profit organizations are no longer accepting things in person right now.

Just went through my book collection and have offered a bunch of beautiful hardcover classics to a friend who'll happily take them for her daughter (old enough to read them in a few years time for school). Am currently ambivalent about whether my Harry Potter books still spark joy.

I tried to watch her Netflix series but it's easier to follow the book and your own goals instead of watching Marie tackle other people's stuff when they have way more things than I do. :-)

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Oh, good. Another Marie Kondo person. I like her philosophy. I am a minimalist by nature but I like some of her other ideas (like making things 'seen' or putting them out rather than storing them away) even more than the 'joy' one.

I do understand about the donations. So the 16 books I want to get rid of are still in a box in the back of my car because the donation bin beside the library was full and overflow was all around it. So I'll be toodling around with them until I come across a donation bin that has space.

I haven't tried watching her. I agree with you that the books are a better tool, although I do have some problems with the folding illustrations but I do my best. I am pants at written origami instructions too. None of the arrows make sense to me.

I was struck by how I can remember buying a set of 3 books by an author DID spark joy but now I look at them with mild perplexity about why I was so excited at the time. And there are some books with an expiration date. When I get through with them, they are going.

[autumnia]

The origami clothes folding took me a while to figure out too! I eventually got the hang of it, and usually fold shirts the way she does it now, depending on where I'm storing them.

Also, helpful is actually watching her fold clothes. Here's a how-to video on her channel. Definitely makes it a lot easier to understand.

(Oops, I meant to reply under your comment right above but ended up making a new one instead.)