De-cluttering

Our city management has on-going brush and large item pick-ups. Every neighborhood has 2 scheduled times a year that you can throw out anything your little heart desires to be rid of, and this is ours!  Yea!!!

When we bought this house it was from the original homeowner who drew up the plans and had it built. It was in 1977 according to all the custom made cornice boards that were atop each and every window in this house.  For those of you who don't know this, 1977 was a big year for gold and avocado green.  Guess what color all those cornice boards were?  Different shades of gold and avocado green, that's what!!

So back 5 years ago when we bought this house and we were re-doing things, painting, re-texturing walls, ripping up the 30 year old avocado green shag carpet, etc. I had the crew put all the cornice boards into the garage thinking that I would have them recovered and put up with the new draperies.  Five years later I still haven't put them up!  I am leaning another way on the whole window treatment thing and the cornice boards were just not part of the new plan.  So, out they went!

We cleaned and organized, and purged, and even mopped the garage floor.  We organized what was leaving, what is going to a thrift store as donations, and what is moving to one room from another.  We worked hard, is what I am sayin'.

I found things that I thought were gone forever.  I found projects that I hope I will finish in my lifetime.  Otherwise my kids will be stuck having to toss them and feeling guilty about tossing some of my treasures.

This is one of my main catalysts for purging; that my kids not hate me when they have to go through all this shit when I die.  Or pass away.  Or go to be with the Lord.  Or whatever euphemism they use in my obituary.  Have you seen the kids of the hoarders on those t.v. shows?  They are miserable.  They have real resentment for their parent and the fact that they chose piles o'crap over a quality relationship with their kids and grandkids.

My other reason is that I am finding that I feel lighter, free-er, and generally not as weighted down by all the possessions.  I find that instead of adding to the quality of my life, they are now just a burden, something I have to clean, something I have to keep on my inventory list.  Do y'all have inventory lists?  I started doing inventory when we were moving every couple of years to different countries.  They all require a complete inventory of your household goods that you are bringing in and out.  What a job that used to be!  Now there are programs that are soooooo helpful!  It will sort by room or by type of item or by $$ amounts, whatever you want.  Every few months I have to go in and update the inventory and it really keeps me aware of what we have.  What items are important enough to keep in your house, keep taking care of, and keep on your inventory lists?  What items can you let go of?  Better yet, how much better and unencumbered will you feel if you get rid of a bunch of junk?

When your possessions stop bringing joy to you and become just another thing to pick up and dust and hope the cats don't knock it off and break it, that for me is when they become "junk".  That is when they need to be set free and become a new treasure to someone else.  I have released all sorts of treasures this weekend!  Woot!!

Oh, and you know what's funny?  Everyone, including me, has always thought that 99.9% of the clutter, and junk in our possession is mine.  It is all me.  I am the one who can't let go.  No one else takes any blame for the piles o'crap.  And my son pointed out after we caught Mr. Big Ed going through the throw-away piles THREE DIFFERENT TIMES that it might not all be my fault!  Love it.  It is funny how my stuff is treasures and his stuff is crap.  And vice-versa.  : )

One more thing:  anyone remember the Tea Hoarding Challenge of 2009?  Well, I made it through and did really well and was well into the stash when 2010 rolled around.  And you know what happened? I started buying more tea, that's what happened.  And the shelves are just as full as they were beforehand. So I am issuing myself another Tea Hoarding Challenge.  NO NEW TEAS!

Here's the fine print on the Challenge:  If it is chamomile, sleepy time or joint comfort teas, things that are medicinal and for health and for others; they can come in the house.  If it is just a new and fabulous flavor of tea.  Nope.  I am going to work through the millions of teas here and that is that.

Wish me luck on my continual growth and releasing of items.  And most importantly the releasing of the need for items.