House of Belief

A house of belief reflects the family that lives in it. I want to fine tune my interior spaces and my garden to better express my beliefs; specifically - simplicity, love, and unity with nature.

I'm working towards clean rooms (clean floors, windows, dust-free surfaces); a comfortable amount of clutter (and a place to put each useful thing away); spaces that welcome and embrace all the ages of people who live or visit here; and visual interest - things to look at that spark the imagination, and communicate our love of nature.

Agenda:

1. Read "House of Belief"

2. Deep living room cleaning

3. Hands-on projects

4. Autumn vignettes

1. Read "House of Belief":

Today I'm dipping back into an old favorite - House of Belief, by Kelee Katillac. She writes about "rituals of belief", by which she means the process of creating things that are a visual reminder of your values and what you aspire to:

"It is important to keep in mind that a ritual of belief is a belief plus physical action. A ritual of belief always ends in a positive physical form. Form is an object or expression that can be seen or touched. ... Form takes creative ideas and makes them visible." 

The premise of her book is that when we create representations of our beliefs and dreams with art and crafts, or seek out and surround ourselves with meaningful objects, our beliefs become concrete - no longer abstract - and we can more easily accept them as truth.

2. Deep Living Room cleaning:

As I said earlier, I rotate through the rooms of my house with a different focus each week. I've defined four zones so I complete (theoretically) the whole house in a month. But it only works if I NEVER skip the cleaning, because it will be a whole month before I get back to that room! Since I've been skipping too often over the summer, this month I'm cleaning a little deeper in each room.

This week is Living Room week: I've aimed to find a balance of simplicity and abundance in our spaces, but our living area is tipped heavily toward abundance. This is the place we spend the most time each day; it's a comfortable lounging room and a play-space for our grandsons; with both a pre-schooler and a nearly walking baby, we have multi-use needs! Our living room is filled with joyful activity and creativity, with projects, books, and toys on hand to divert and entertain.

As I've said, Sunday is Floor Day, and Monday is Dusting Day, so I've already swept and vacuumed (including behind the sofa), cleared and dusted all the bookcases and tables, and even  cleaned the heat pump filter. 

My routine for the Tuesdays and Wednesdays is lighter, because I have a baby here to care for! Tuesday is Toilet and Garbage Day, and Wednesday is Textile Day: I do the extra laundry chores, like washing linens and couch covers, and sort through clothing, coats, or towels; this week I will wash the couch blankets and dog bed.

3. Hands-on projects: 

I've set a goal to balance my thinking with hands-on doing, so I've generated a list of Hands-On projects for our living room:

1. Nature images: Hang a paper butterfly above the baby rocking chair, and draw birds around the front door.
2. Words of belief: Paint a sign that says Unity.
3. Wall art: Add some of my newer paintings to our walls, and hang more grandson paintings.
4. Family photos: Choose a wall for framed family photos, and hang them, along with some framed hearts.

4. Fall vinettes:

As fall approaches, I begin to deck the house with the oranges and golds of fall, and the fruits of the season: Gourds, pumpkins, corn, and wheat. September overflows with textures, colors, and scents; I find ways to fill my home with them, and give attention to rich details. Some ideas:

• Hang colorful corn on the front porch. 

• Hang a straw weaving in a place of honor.
• Collect a vase full of autumn flowers for the mantle.

Fall flower symbols: 

• purple asters for love and patience 
• sunflowers for truth 
• zinnias for friendship and resilience 
• chrysanthemums for strength and endurance