Finding Simplicity

The Samster and I are settling in for the coldest winter months ahead (err, it's 70 degrees outside right now) and lately he's been reminding me how to relish in simple things. My personality is one that tends to try to complicate, add on, and reinvent, which can be a good thing too, under the right circumstances. But Sam reminds me that sometimes there's nothing better than an everything bagel with plain cream cheese, no fancy fixins or makeovers, just the bagel and the cream cheese and your mouth. And pillows: he's right, not every piece of furniture needs an extra three or ten throw pillows. I'm willing to confess that some chairs work better and sit more comfortably without any extra cushions at all. Just chair. I just like to throw cute graphic, sparkly or sometimes witty pillows around because I'm a girl and sometimes girls like to do things in the name of aesthetics that may seem silly or complicated to the average hetero male. I wonder how long this compulsion to make things "pretty" has existed in woman: was there ever a time in history when she wasn't adding flowers to the corner of the room, or hanging a piece of art on the wall? Or adding too many throw pillows to the sofa? Like I said there's something both camps of thought can bring to the table, but I'm glad Sam's around to show me how he savors a bowl of plain ole mac n' cheese hot off the stove (notice how all my food examples involve mucho carbs, that's because I've got the SAD, man. I'm like a carb monster in the wintertime) I've tried to jazz mac n' cheese up with extra spices (rosemary! dill! a dash of paprika perhaps!) sausages, and a myriad of veggies, though I have to say that after all of that, plain ole mac n' cheese tastes the most delicious all by itself. I'm not the kind of person to make new year's resolutions like "I'm gonna lose 85 pounds this year," or "I'm going to walk over hot coals while beating my chest" or "I'm going to run 800 miles every day" but enjoying things at a more minimalistic (if that's a word) level is something, with the husband's help, that I hope to strive for in the coming months.