Prudence, Where Art Thou?

Live local. Simplify. Rid ourselves of excess stuff. Ha!

Here we are in Nairobi, having pared our lifestyle down to Lego proportions. Which is kinda funny because we are pretty large ourselves and barely able to squeeze into Hobbit House, the darling little cottage we currently live in.

We left it all behind - my car, a large house chock a block full of everything that opens, closes, whirrs or whizzes at the touch of a button. Two of everything, except when there are eight. Elegant tableware, beautiful artwork, treasured trinkets and treats. We will live simply, exactly to our needs, no hoarding. Most certainly no Nairobi replacement of what we already have in storage back in South Africa, which is everything. Except the vacuum cleaner, our camping gear, a little bar fridge and our super comfy king sized mattress with a selection of bed linen. A good night's sleep and all that.

Let it be known that, other than a washing machine which simply wouldn't fit into bulging Henry the Campervan, we do have everything we need. I'm embarrassed by how many clothes I have, considering I seem to rotate the same 4 pairs of capris and 5 or 6 tops. My Fitflops will have to be cut off my feet soon, they are too comfy not to wear daily. Why bother with the shoe rack of high heels and loafers? And, (voice drops to a whisper), there are another 3 large boxes of clothes in the container that didn't make the cut. It's embarrassing to unpack one's house and take stock of what you own - far, far too much.

In the interests of both budget and low key living, I've taken on an unaccustomed household role as well - replacing Prudence, our much appreciated domestic genie. Overall, it's not too bad. Firstly because we've dropped about 8 rooms and 200m2 of house. Secondly, there is something extraordinarily satisfying about standing back to survey the results of a few minutes swabbing and scrubbing. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, they say, so it is fitting that this Goddess is so chuffed with her labour.

Except - ironing. Specifically bed linen. How the devil does one fold a fitted sheet, let alone iron it? I hear you chortling and wondering what idiot irons a fitted sheet? Well, Prudence, for one. Every week a freshly washed and ironed fitted sheet was put into the linen cupboard and that night I slid into a cocoon of crisp, scented linen. Heaven.

Now, I'm confronting ironing a king-sized linen duvet cover. L-I-N-E-N, in reality, actually spells C-R-E-A-S-E. I defy anyone to achieve dear Prudence's results - a neatly folded, smooth as glass enormous piece of linen. Especially as my ironing board now is the kitchen counter. In a word - impossible. I can't get the crinkles out and just know that slipping under this later isn't going to be the same, without Prudence's magic ministrations. 

Prudence has The Knowledge. How to iron and fold a fitted sheet, and how to tame unruly linen. This is information I have to know, because if I can't conquer a sheet, what hope for the world?