It's beautiful, too.

I'm doing little things around the house and the yard, too. Fixing up. Cleaning. Bit by bit. I'm trying to eliminate the clutter. To some degree. I have this goal of being surrounded by significantly less clutter by October. I think our surroundings affect our moods. There's such a thing as a clutter mood. A messy mood. I've chosen to have so many, many books. And CDs. Collections. Bird houses. And I tell myself -- well, Jim, aim for a neat sort of clutter. If there is such a thing. I suppose books and CDs and knick-knacks make me feel comfortable. At least to a degree. More so than starkness. Although there is something positive to be said about the stark, too. Like a snow landscape that looks a little like a desert. Yes, sand dunes can be beautiful. No trees. No bushes. Just miles and miles of sand. Stark sand. Or a clear, uncluttered sky. Or a vast, vast ocean. Nothing but water. In every direction. No land. Water. Water. Water. Everywhere. No, that's not bleak. Not stark. It's beautiful, too. --Jim Broede