“When you are shy like this, you feel a million miles away from anything. You want to come closer, but cannot bear to bring yourself in. When you are a million miles out, though, you can see things, and you’re free just to stand there and watch, and things that are sometimes ordinary to everyone else seem to your shy mind, in the last outpost, beautiful…”

~ Rick Bass, excerpt from “The Traveling Feast”

Welcome to February, Dear Reader!

Everybody’s jumping on the“Kondo-sizing” bandwagon these days, which means following Marie Kondo’s neat-&-tidy advice about getting rid of everything in their lives that doesn’t spark joy.

Start by piling all clothing items in a heap (or mountain if truth be told)–holding each and every item: thanking each piece that’s tossed in another heap to be taken away (it could take weeks to soldier through this process).

You get the drift: the Kondo method applies to everything you have; the woman has a best-seller and a TV show that helps “normal” people conquer their mess. People just need to be told what to do, I reckon. 

I’ve been working on getting rid of ‘stuff’ for a few years now, which has gotten more pressing with the house up for sale. Loads have gone off to thrift shops, yard sales, gifted to friends—there’s still plenty of good stuff left to enjoy. But here’s the truth: I am a bonifide pack rat and I don’t do neat-and-tidy except by extreme force. (Martha Stewart and Marie Kondo are probably related somehow.) I like my stuff, thank-you-very-much. The antique hand-carved Asian foo dogs that look like River Dog. Jars and tubes of various paints, art supplies. Prisms. Books. Art. Plants. Copper pots.

Horrors! I have clothes that may NOT spark joy. Practical clothing with paint splotches, holes, winter-woolies that are dependable in bitter weather. Sorry, Marie. I don’t have tons of drawers to neatly fold stuff into and hide it like you want me to after I’ve pulled it out of the mountain.

So, I’ll just keep shoving stuff into containers under the guest room bed when someone comes over to look around: time’s too valuable to spend a week folding obsessively. Bonus: I’ve saved money from not buying your book, I’ll put that toward car repair bills.

As for thanks, I fervently thank the washing machine, dishwasher, and oven for still working. Marie, you just can’t ‘fix’ not-so-neat-and-tidy artistic pack rats. Now, go fold someone else’s laundry!

Saluda Welcome Table at Saluda Methodist Church is every Tuesday from 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Saluda Community Singers winter concert is February 8, 7 p.m., downtown location to be announced.

Saluda Singles will meet at Saluda Center, February 14, 5 p.m. Bring a favorite dish to share. For more information, contact Anita Moore at anitamoore@gmail.com

Saluda Business Association is accepting applications for the 16th annual Saluda Arts Festival on May 18. Entry deadline is March 15; download application at saluda.com

Saluda Living in Place (SLIP) offers a veterans’ breakfast the first Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the fire station.

There’s still time to order an engraved brick/paver for Pace Park in the alley by M.A. Pace Store. Drop off applications and payment to City Hall or mail to City of Saluda, 6 Main Street, Saluda, NC 28773. Proceeds go toward building public restrooms. For information, contact Catherine Ross at 828-749-3534 or carnc@charter.net.

Learn more about Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) by visiting saludaclt.org or calling 828-749-1560.

Saluda Sympathy goes to Thayer Fleming for the loss of her mother.

Happy February Birthday to: Wylie Rauschenbach, Wesley Pace, Biddie Dawson, Ginny Jones, Jenna Igoe, Suzanne Igoe, Pam Thompson, Catherine Raymond, Eva McCray, Ellen Rogers, Margaret Miller, Paul London, Ward Sandahl, Bill Klippel, Pat Bares, Dwight Smith, Ingrid Sandahl, Fred Baisden, Duane Bateman, Ragan Thompson, Laura Williams, Susan McMasters, and Mark Gardner.

Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, (828) 749-1153, or visit bonniebardosart.com.