Next week I’ll be having a zero birthday. I have had mixed feelings about this up until a month or so ago, when I decided to ditch plans to have a party. I simply did not have the time or energy to organise one. Deciding this was a huge relief. Ten years ago I held an amazing party and, to be honest, I don’t think I could top it. Nor could I recover from it as easily. I’m ten years more inclined to hangovers.

Still, there is something about zero birthdays. They require some reflection time. Contemplation of the past, present and future, and all that. This is particularly bittersweet thanks to my perhaps-temporary-perhaps-permanent retirement for health reasons. But not too much worrying about things I can’t control, either. Ironically, the older I get, the less I want to dwell too much on the past. Eyes forward. Seize opportunities. Etc.

The weaving course is proving great for boosting my well-being. I have something to challenge me. Something to look forward to each month or so – which I am doing very much.

I’ve also been culling my clothing. I thought this was just the result of reading Elizabeth Cline’s The Conscious Closet, but to be honest the itch to overhaul my wardrobe has been growing for a while now and buying the book came out of that rather than visa versa. Spring is a good time for a review, as you see what you didn’t wear over the winter and what you’re not excited to wear again in the coming summer. My impending birthday must be an influence as well, as I’m weighing the age-appropriateness of my clothing at the same time as removing what makes me feel old and dowdy.

I still have to find homes for Lucy’s clothing, and in an effort to do so well a friend and I have hired a spot for a stall as the local trash’n’treasure market. I doubt it will all go – maybe not any of it as there are always plenty of $2 fast-fashion cast offs there – but it’s a test to see if we want to try selling at a vintage/retro market. I am not nearly as excited about this as I was back when we were clearing Lucy’s house. I’m half tempted to donate it all to op shops and save myself the time and effort.