Beauty and the beets

Maybe golden beets would have been gateway beets in more skilled hands, but I seriously flubbed the roasting, and the end result was revolting.

I did eat the beet greens as “chips” and they were great, so it wasn’t a total loss. But that’s neither here nor there, because I’m never buying beets again. Beets are gross. Forget about beets. Let’s talk minimalism. I’m still taking only baby steps in that direction but have noticed some astounding changes in myself. As one example, I have never in my life, upon coming home from a trip, immediately unpacked my suitcase. But this month I did exactly that for two weekends in a row.

One reason, I think, is that my space is cleaner and nicer overall now and I don’t like having it marred by an open suitcase with dirty clothes spilling out of it. But the bigger reason is the insane convenience of my minimalized and consolidated closet. After I KonMari’d it, it looked so empty that I put a chair in there—which I now use for putting on socks and shoes, setting down laundry baskets, and meditating (yes! right in the closet!). So now all I have to do to unpack is set the suitcase on the chair and put every single item of clothing, pair of shoes, swimsuit, scarf, whatever, back where it goes. The laundry basket also lives in the closet, AND the empty suitcase itself lives there—and not under a giant, teetering pile of stuff, either.

It’s pretty great.