Jul. 2, 2009 - Frenzied Decluttering, or Where did all this stuff come from?????
The title of this post pretty much say it all. But I will say more anyway. 
Due to some changes coming up (I'll write more on that when our hectic plans congeal a little more), I'm faced with the task of fitting our larger furniture and whatever else we can stuff in into a 9x12 ft. storage space and preparing for another move with the rest of the stuff. I've always admired those folks in Mongolia who can fold up their yurt-houses and fit the yurt and everything else into a couple of carts. I guess this season of my life is my chance to try my hand at efficient, stuff-free living. So far I'm not doing so well.
Unfortunately I forgot before and after pictures. In 3 days, I have pulled out 7 large garbage bags full of clothes and linens, 3 bags of books, and several boxes of miscellanae, all destined for the thrift store. It was only on this third day that the house really began to show any real improvement. I culled the boys toys, and sent half of them to the thrift store, but still ended up with a large tote locker (2x2x4 ft) stuffed full. And that doesn't include the box of trains and tracks. I think I can get their books into a banana box. But the grownup books I haven't gotten to yet, and that's a daunting task. If I could afford the shipping, I'd have a huge giveaway or something.
Items of decor have proven a particular problem for me. I have such emotional attachments to some of my dust-magnets. How can I give them all away? I put about half in the thrift store box. The other half went in a tote locker and maybe I'll give them away if I haven't opened it up in another year. The really delicate stuff I've wrapped and put in the drawers of the buffet, because those are still more things I just can't bring myself to let go of yet. Never mind that most of them are dingy and dusty from dis-use, I'm not mature enough to regard them as the worthless clutter they really are. They are "my precious....".
Clothes are another thing I need to finish. I've sorted and pulled out to give away as much as I could. About half of my clothes, and half of the winter clothes we had. Why did we need two heavy jackets each? I was able to vacuum pack the winter clothes that are left (thanks Mom for those bags!). But I'm still left with about double what I want to be left with because of the problem of seasons. Everybody needs warm clothes and cool clothes and with 5 of us that makes for a whole lot of clothes. Simply living in the United States is a problem because society expects us to shower and change clothes daily. We already skimp on the showers. But since sensitive noses abound here, and we're trying to present ourselves as normal, well-groomed people, we can't get away with wearing the same shirt for a week, like we could in Ethiopia (where our boxes and bags of clothes would look like insane luxury and waste and where there are only two seasons: rainy and dry).
I still keep wondering how we accumulated all this. We moved just a few months ago. Surely we didn't gather it all since then? And if we didn't, I feel terribly sorry for Josiah, who moved all of this stuff himself. I hadn't realized the extent of our collection! A lot of things prompted a very definite "What was I thinking" response when I realized I had purchased them myself. Oh, the embarassment of clothes I'll never wear and books I didn't like once I read them and things I knew we didn't need but couldn't pass up the deal.
Comments
Jul. 3, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by carrotqueen
Ha! My neck is hurting, too, and for the same reason. Although I am so excited about it, really. It feels so good to be letting go of things and having room and freedom to move.
Jul. 3, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Ain't that the truth!
We've moved a fair amount in the past (as dh is a builder), but this house we've been in now for close to 2 years, and I think it's definitely time to declutter again!
http://tammyisblessed.blogspot.com
Jul. 5, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Martha
Sounds exciting! Maybe some small giveaways? Or you could always see if there is a church library that needs books?
