June 14, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I created a little seating area on the 2nd floor balcony off the game room. It’s a balcony that overlooks our backyard and I can see the amazing container garden and outside living area we’ve created on the concrete parking pad that used to house the Honda Odyssey Minivan. Selling the minivan was overall positive for our financial bottom line because it was an extra car we did not need and helped avert some carbon emissions, but it ended up having a cascading effect in our lives that we never imagined.

One of those cascading effects is that the we had room for a composter, and now the bunny balcony is actually really clean. Every bit of hay and “waste” that comes from our two bunnies is valuable for the composter. Their litter which is soaked in urine and mostly hay and recycled newspaper litter, their fur and their ubiquitous bunny poop supercharges our composter. And then the compost led to this miraculous growth of our already organic garden. Even the ornamental plants from the neighbors yard which are usually overgrown and peak through our wooden fence, is now trimmed regularly by me. I see those bright green fronds through the wooden fence and I think “NITROGENS!!!” and I got out with my scissors and start my harvest to add nitrogens to the composter. Because the backyard is so beautiful and we are a bit overrun with beautiful succulents planted in mostly reused containers, it seemed the right thing to do to create a separate sitting area for the family.

I think the area is going to become a family favorite. It’s “fenced” off with a metal pet gate we used to use for our puppy when she was a puppy. It’s to keep the bunnies away from the plants as they’ll eat anything. The black metal backed chair my inlaws found somewhere, and they cleaned it up and washed and air dried the cushion. The small aluminum table we bought over a decade ago and is part of a set that we have. The rug is from my in-laws stash of never ending rugs they will never throw away. And the succulent planters are half purchased and half gifted. Some of the planters are upcycled. It’s such peaceful place.

And that is it for this Monday morning. I spent an hour last night sending work emails and catching up on my patient messaging, and that is actually all I needed. It’s amazing what a rested and clear mind can do for one’s work life balance. Wishing you dear reader an area that you can be mindful and be present in the moment. Plants are such a great way to increase your well being. And the decision not to buy things and a relative minimalistic life, that has been one of the most freeing things of all. It’s opened this entire world of creativity for our entire house.