Dear FlyLady,

I have been flying for years now, and have made so much progress in my home!  I am peaceful here, people enjoy coming over, they can stop in any time, and we enjoy being home.  Yesterday I made the mistake of telling my husband how happy I am with our home since I have decluttered so much.  All he could see was how much I had NOT decluttered and bring that to my attention, that the house is not perfect.  It could have been so discouraging.  Thank God for you, flylady and crew!  I rely on your affirmations, they are constantly in my head urging me on.  The peace I have can not be undone by someone else’s idea of some perfect house I should have, even my husband’s.  I am still decluttering 15 minutes at a time.  It may not ever get done, but that is OK.

I recently visited a 101-year old friend of mine.  Her home is as welcoming and loving as it has been all my life, yet it would never make it into a magazine.  One thing I did notice, I got some of my decorating habits from her, not my mother.  How interesting that was to me.  I see pictures of clean uncluttered homes in magazines, yet I would not want to live in most of them.  They have no books, no musical instruments, no reflections of anyone living there.  My friend’s home is full of family pictures, mementos of her long and interesting life, books, original art by her friends, and most of all, love.

Many blessings to all of you!
Bette, flying in LA