Jim - I love that quote although I have seen it "Barn's burned down. Now I can see the moon." It's a great reminder to hold loosely to things that seem so important.

While the idea of minimalism appeals to the part of my brain that wants order and simplicity, the part that wants connection to my family's past, reminders of life's passages and joys, and the comfort of color, warmth and coziness rejects the extreme version.

Every now and then I get tired of looking at visual clutter and start eliminating things to get back to a more serene appearance, but the piles of books I pull from my shelves, a little something I find that belonged to my mom or a stack of pillows and blankets reappears. It kind of ebbs and flows for me, and I am ok with that. In the end we all just have to be happy with the choices we make about how we are going to live.

Thanks for reading and for your thoughtful comments.