The Light of Minimalism

Well, a sudden flurry of action on my road toward a more minamalist life style and it was all sparked by the the death of my lamp. For more that a few years I've had a black halogen torch style lamp as my primary lamp in the livin room.

On Satuday, it died - it simply stopped working and some basic trouble shooting could not reveal the problem so I decided it was time to get a new lamp. With a little help from T.R. I found an excellent lamp (Possini Euro Lightstack). I checked it out online and instantly knew that it was the one.

On Monday, after a game of pool at Edgies in Milpitas, I drove to Lamps Plus and gave it an in person inspection - it pased with flying color - great lines, great texture, excellent warranty. The only challenge was loading it into my car - the box it came in was taller than I was. Fortunately, with a bit of a front seat overlap, it fit.

I got it home and spend some time assembling it, having made a strategic error earlier in the day by vacuuming the living room floor and then unpacking the light. Once assembled I moved it into place and was instantly pleased by the purchase.

Besides being a great looking and working lamp it "fits" on a certain level. The old lamp was the bright halogen and this one is a significantly softer and warmer light.

On Tuesday, in the aftermath of the lamp, after work, I came home and went through my living room - removing and moving the incidental furniture around to open the room up even more. (It amazes me as I go minimalist how there always seems to be more room to go even farther in a minimalist direction.)

Once I'd cleaned the furniture out, I re-vacuumed the floor and made some minor rearrangements. I don't quite think the living room is in it's final configuration - but it is close to it, closer than it has been in a long time. Then, tonight, in the shadow of the new living room, I took the time to pack a couple of boxes of gently used clothing to donate tomorrow. I am constantly amazed that the process of moving toward a more minimalist life often moves in inspirational waves and that there always seems more stuff to go.