This video segment was requested by reader Joni. Unfortunately, using the tripod she sent me didn’t work out for this video as I had to move around a lot, so the result is a tad (lot) shaky.

There’s something about the fall that makes people nest. I sell more copies of Sorting It Out between September and December than I do the rest of the year combined.

Many people have told me they have gone through the process outlined in my book and that it has been transformative. I agree. I don’t look at my ‘stuff’ in the same light today. I don’t think I’ll ever again be able to have a home where I forget what I have and let clutter waste valuable space and energy. I no longer think “I wish I had more space” but rather “let’s see what I need to get rid of to get the space I need.”

Take my breadmaker, for example. I hardly ever eat bread anymore and I certainly don’t make it. Why let a huge machine like that eat up three quarters of a cabinet? And why are things that I do use, like the rice cooker and salad spinner, much less my pots and pans, so awkward to access? So the breadmaker went to the thrift store, I added yet another shelf to my rig, and voilà:

I’ve also been having serious pantry issues. Out here on the frontier, you really have to stock up. It’s not like being in Dawson City where you can get a little bit of stuff in Whitehorse and go treasuring hunting at the grocery store, but you’re mostly stuffing your face at world class eateries. This is the first time in my life that I have had to really keep the pantry stocked It’s been an interesting experience that has resulted in stubbed toes because of having to leave bags of cans lying on the floor.

Surely there was a space to store them? Maybe I could just convert the carpet cleaner cupboard to pantry? Do I really need that carpet cleaner anymore? Yes, it’s great for cleaning upholstery. Okay, maybe another shelf is in order, like so?

I’m having to cook more from scratch at Haven than I have had to anywhere else in my life. It’s nice to have the objectivity to get rid of something I don’t use (breadmaker) so that I can make room for something I have used way more in one week than any other appliance I own (food processor).

Does your home have room to grow with you? If not, whose fault is it really?

This morning, I conceded that, stuffed to the gills or not, I absolutely had to defrost my fridge. It had an ice build up on the fins that was several inches thick, the worse it has ever been. I blame that on two things: a) the weather fluctuations that have made for changing temps in the fridge, and b) the fact that this is the first time I’ve ever kept my fridge so full. My trip to Moose Jaw is holding up!

The freezer wasn’t too bad, so I left its door shut, then I turned off the fridge, emptied it, and left the door open. I had to run the generator all morning, so I periodically got up and blasted the fridge with the hair dryer until the ice came loose in huge chunks. Once all the ice was gone, I cleaned the fridge thoroughly, dried it well, and restocked it. It is slow to cool back down since it’s so hot outside.

I also spent some time deep cleaning the kitchen and making a mental note of all the things I don’t use anymore now that I’ve cut starchy carbs out of my diet (except on days when I’m physically active), mostly the baking supplies.

If this gets to be a habit, I may be able to seriously cut down on how much stuff I have in my kitchen! But I’m not quite there yet. I’d have to go a full year without pulling out the rolling pin and pastry cutter, for example, before putting them in the donation pile.

One thing I’ve noticed since I’m no longer having pasta, potatoes, and rice is how my need for potable water has gone right down. Most days, I just pump myself two litres to drink during the day and that gets me through. No more pouring money down the drain when making food!

And before the comments start pouring in, I’m not depriving myself. I’ve simply discovered that not only do I feel better not eating those things on an average day, but I also don’t miss them. On days when I’m active, like doing construction at C&C’s, I’m very eager to tuck into Caroline’s herby-garlicky biscuits! But on a day like today when I’m mostly at my desk, a piece of fruit is all the carbs I need.

One thing that I’ve noticed for a while now is that when I’d go on a carb and sugar binge, I would get ill for several days. Not enough to not function, but enough to have a weird feeling at the back of my throat, to stuff me up, and to make me lose my appetite. Which is exactly how I’ve felt for the past week. What did I have last weekend? Tons of bread, pasta, and chocolate cake (which also had eggs in it). I bet I’m paying for that and boy have I learned my lesson!

Needless to say, feeling sub-par means that I have not yet gotten under the rig to check out my wiring situation. It’ll happen!

Well, my clothesline has given up the ghost. 🙁 I don’t think it was meant to handle any serious amounts of laundry. Despite my staking it, holding it down with bricks, and always balancing the loads, it has had a tendency to fall over, always on the same side, and bend and twist. Today, it is irreparable. 🙁

I don’t want to install a permanent clothesline system in here until I get gravel. This is because Charles does my lawn with his riding tractor and the clearer the lawn, the quicker the job is for him. I’ve got it down to having to move just the clothesline (…) and the water hose, plus the truck the odd time I came in with a big load and decided to park right against the nose of the RV. If I set up a proper line with posts, it would be one more thing for him to go around.

So this is what I’m doing in the meantime:

Doesn’t hold much, but now that I’m on top of the laundry, it’ll do just fine. It’s just standard yellow rope tied to a fence pole at one end and my ladder at the other.