Today, I will declutter my blog by removing the Cut the Crap challenge banner. I wish I could say this meant that my life was as decluttered as it could possibly get. Nope. There's still clutter lurking in corners here and there. Once I clean up the rest of the mess, I might be able to get to it. (I'm starting to wonder if my real problem is not clutter, but just the fact that I'm a crappy housekeeper...)
One of the hardest places to keep the clutter from taking over is on the computer. The clutter seems so innocent and takes so little space. So what if a few emails pile up? So what if my catch-all file is full of incorrectly filed information from multiple sources? So what if my favorites are out of date? It's not collecting dust and I still have plenty of space on the hard drive. The problem is the stuff I don't want keeps getting in the way when I'm looking for the stuff I do want, and it's exacerbated by the lack of file upkeep.
Why am I bringing this up this morning? Well, because I woke up at 2 am (thanks, Angel!) By the time she was finished with all her business outside, I was wide awake. Rather than return to bed, only to stare into the darkness for hours, I turned on the computer and caught up with some blogs. I have been very neglectful lately in reading other blogs. It seems like the hands of the clock are spinning faster and faster, and sometimes the choice comes down to "cook that pumpkin and freeze it before it rots" or "go read all the blogs you haven't kept up with." Sorry, but I can't eat blog posts.
Although you really shouldn't take it personally if I don't visit your blog as often as you think I should, evidently some bloggers did, or they just got bored by me, because several that used to link to me no longer do. C'est la vie. I was also sad to discover this morning that several blogs are no longer in existence. As I worked my way through 30 blogs in a couple of hours, I cleaned up my favorites list. I still have well over 100 additional blogs I'd like to catch up with. Where can I find the time, other than losing sleep?
Back to the clutter. Remember the rice flour? I found an easy way to use it up, with no risk of recipe failure. The cornbread recipe that I like best came out just fine with some rice flour substituting for cornmeal. Here is Jan Tz's recipe with the alteration:
JAN'S CORNBREAD
1 1/4 c soymilk
1 tbs + 1 tsp white vinegar
1 cup cornmeal => I use 3/4 c cornmeal + 1/4 c sweet rice flour.
1 cup all-purpose flour =>I use whole wheat flour (pastry or white, for best results).
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Grease an 8" square or round cake pan, or line with parchment paper.
Combine soymilk and vinegar. Let stand while you mix the dry ingredients.
When the oven reaches temperature, pour the soured soymilk into the dry ingredients.
Mix quickly, and don't overmix.
Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
When done, the top will be golden and a toothpick inserted in center will come out clean.
Let stand to cool before cutting.
I will work my way through that box of sweet rice flour this summer. Next experiment is seeing how the cornbread comes out baked in the solar oven. Hm, it's supposed to be 103 here today, so it would be a good day to try this out.
I will triumph over the clutter in my life. Will you?
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8 comments:
I am always behind on reading blogs too. But its something I do for fun, so I try not to guilt myself over it. Thanks to blogs though I don't read any news websites. If something is important enough someone will write about it in some fashion.
Does Angel have any chores to do for the summer now that winter has gone away? I hope there are doggy treats in store.
one big area of clutter in my life is my blog - i need to get my blogroll and reader in order - i just dont have time reading all these blogs! and I know i have people on my blogroll now that i no longer read...but i havent had the heart to delete them....sad isnt it
That's one place I did manage to unclutter - my sidebar. It feels good. And I continue to work on the other places. I've been gifting items to friends and family for no occassion except they would like it and I don't use or need the item. It's very fun.
Beany, Angel's only chore for the summer is to farm ticks. She's doing a lousy job so far; we haven't found any more after the initial three. Oh, and she's the early morning alarm clock. Real early. Bitch. (Her, not you.)
Paula, I hear you!
Katrina, I've got to find someone to gift a really nice litho to. Guess it's time to send its little picture around by email. It deserves a good home.
Sometimes people might just change the focus of their blogroll... I know I've done that!
I actually don't really like the whole "I linked to you so you must link to me" thing... I prefer to link to blogs that I actually read and find interesting, and hope my (few) readers might stumble upon and learn from, too! Of course, it seems some of those people think I am useful, too...
I'm pretty ruthless with deleting blogs I don't read, though, or who have changed their focus to something that isn't quite what I want on my sidebar...
••••••
Honestly, I'm honored that you have EVER visited my blog! :)
I have my "everydays" and my "once a weeks" blogs.
I thought of you, Chile, yesterday when I ruthlessly cleaned out the kids toys, yet again. I've got 3 bags to go to the thrift store on the table. Honestly, where does this crap come from and can it please stop? And, this will sound like a mean mom thing to say, but I wish the kids wouldn't make so much art at school. They typically do a project or two a day and you can guess how full my house is of art crap, I mean masterpieces.
As to changing blog rolls, I'm with Jennifer. I tend to take people off fairly quickly if they change focus or if I. I use my blog roll on a personal level - I click through it every morning to see what my favorite bloggers are doing. I don't like to keep people on it that I'm not reading every day, sometimes I move them to my links for light living sidebar.
Finally, as to disappearing blogs, I've noticed the same thing. Odd, isn't it? It is so strange to click on one of your regular reads, someone who you felt like you know, and it's just gone. Blog deleted. I guess that just goes to show us that as much as we feel the blogosphere is a community, the truth remains that, while we've supported each other, shared dreams and nightmares, we still don't actually know each other and couldn't identify eachother in an empty room.
well done for decluttering, Chile. I still think of you whenever I sort things out. This morning I did my wardrobe shelves because I couldn't find one clean pair of knickers to wear.
By the time I'd finished sorting out the junk, well, let's just say I probably won't need to buy new underwear for around 10 years **blush**
Thanks for starting the challenge; it was great and it's ongoing; but I AM getting there :)
Mrs G x
'Course I visit your blog, Jennifer. It brings back all those funny and not-so-funny remodeling memories! I'm trying to be more ruthless with my sidebar but I just keep finding more to add. It's so hard to delete anyone. I don't want them to feel bad. It's never personal; I'm just moving towards more action-oriented blogs, ones that provide how-to-do-it information on living more sustainably.
You're right, Green Bean. There is an intimacy in the blogosphere, even though we wouldn't recognize each other on the bike path.
10 years' worth of underwear, Mrs. Green? That's a lot o' knickers. :)
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