Ok, so not in money terms. I’m actually unemployed! But opening the cupboards and browsing the bookshelves and waking up every morning, I do feel very, very rich. Not only do I have time on my hands (though admittedly, even though I am not working, it never feels like quite enough time!), but I have lots of things that I really enjoy doing. It’s such a great feeling that I’m going to say the same thing again. There are lots of things that I really enjoy doing and I’m in the perfect position of having time to do them.
Take my bookshelves. They are filled with books that I’ve read and loved enough to keep to read again. Then there’s the non-fiction, “how to…” type books that are filled with recipes to cook and things to make, packed with inspiring photos and perfect for browsing on a lazy afternoon. And finally, most exciting of all, the books that I haven’t even opened yet. Rather a lot of them, all waiting patiently to be savoured and enjoyed.
I find our kitchen cupboards rather inspiring too. On PM on Radio 4 recently, they asked listeners to phone in and say the oldest item of food that they had in their kitchen cupboard. The winner was someone who had a piece of Queen Victoria’s wedding cake from eighteen thirty something. Our cupboards aren’t quite that bad, but I love the idea of using up all the stuff we’ve bought and never eaten. Mung beans, packets of sage and onion stuffing and a huge pile of herbs and spices. It’ll be like Ready Steady Cook for weeks in our house.
My craft box too is stuffed full of things I’ve bought but never done anything with. Perfect for those long winter evenings when it’s too chilly to brave going out.
But aside from physical things, there’s the possibilities. I feel like my life, like my craft box, is stuffed full of things, stuffed full of things that I could do, new things I could try, places I could go to meet new people, jobs that I could apply for and might get, places I could go to, new friendships to nurture and old friendships to rekindle.
