Mar. 12, 2008 - Spring Purge: One Bag per Day
Spring Purge: One Bag per Day
Spring break is almost upon us, the ice and snow are melting and I went outside without a jacket today for the first time in months. Never mind that the basement was flooding and I was out digging drainage trenches in the ice to direct the snowmelt from the hill away from the house. It was still good to be outside.
We tore up the basement rooms - moved furniture, pulled back carpet and sucked 30+ gallons of water from the concrete floor. But my heart is still thankful. I can take the flood. I just can't take moving junk. And so the real harbinger of spring begins: glorious, but onerous, spring cleaning.
Here's what I told the kids: Starting tomorrow, every person is responsible for taking one bag of junk out of the house every day. That will mean the 1945 encyclopedias, the VCR tapes, the old paperbacks, the drawer full of sample size toiletries, the clothes that don't fit, the clothes that don't get worn, the games that the children have outgrown, and the rest of the junk that is stashed away in almost every room of this house.
I get overwhelmed thinking about it, but I think I can handle one bag per day, for a while, at least. We'll sort everything into three categories: throw away, give away and sell. John and I picked a date for the garage sale and I have exactly 6 weeks to purge, purge, purge.
So pray for us, brothers and sisters. We will need to suppress the foolish sentimental attachments, ditch the "But I'll use it some day attitude" and completely forget what we paid for everything.
For now, I must go check on the seeping water in the basement, check on the cost of installing drainage tile and decide what goes in the bag tomorrow. One bag, one day, one person. I think we can do it. 
Comments
Mar. 15, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
I'm so proud of your spring cleaning!!! Just 1 request - the scrabble and dogopoly stays.
--cla
