Pack it or give it away

My floor needs mopping, and I don’t want to do it. I did the kitchen part because it was embarrassing, and no one else was even in the house. Once the kitchen was done, I was done. The bedrooms, etc. don’t really get that bad.

When this mess is over, I think I need a smaller house. That means packing up everything I own.  Lord, help me! I only moved into this house about four years ago. It was over a year before I unpacked the last box. It had a little CD player in it. I was immediately asking myself, “If you didn’t use this for over a year, why are you keeping it?” It went to the Goodwill. I hope if I do move again, I won’t have anything like that in my pile of moving boxes.

Even after a gathering of unworn clothing and household items a few months ago, I realize this place is full of stuff I don’t need or use. It makes no sense to move unwanted things to a different house. With that in mind, and with the hope that some day things in the world will return to normal, I’m packing up that second set of dishes and that bunch of pots and baking pans I never use. I’ll add those household kitchen gadgets that were used once and put in the pantry…things like the pineapple peeler-corer-slicer that made a horrible mess. The juice ran all over the place. I can’t eat pineapple with any green on the outside so the one I used was really ripe. I should have known.

Of course, Dr.Phil says, “Get rid of your fat clothes,” and the last time I lost weight, ( I do that every few years) I followed his advice, but I still have a load of things I don’t wear because I’m tired of them, or they just don’t hang right, or they no longer fit my lifestyle. I have maybe ten evening outfits, mostly black. Half of them have to go NOW! I did have one “evening gown” event this year, so no need to over-do it. Maybe I’ll get invited to a premiere or something. Maybe I’ll decide, just for the fun of it, to wear one of my two tuxedos (different sizes) to the grocer–if I ever get to go grocery shopping again.

If I get really drastic, I also have books I will never read again,

and shoes I won’t wear,

This is supposed to be order discount viagra followed as it gives better erection and increases ejaculation time. But, with awareness among people, organic based viagra pharmacy beverages are an instant hit. Spam filters overnight cialis soft deeprootsmag.org have their pros and cons. Contrary to perception, it increases deeprootsmag.org generic tadalafil uk a women’s femininity rather than decreasing it.

acrylic painting supplies I won’t use, (going back to watercolor)

a stockpile of fabric I probably won’t sew up,

and then . . . after I get rid of more clothes, I’ll also have more hangers than I need.

In the garage is a cache of lumber and about four dozen cabinet doors that I ought to donate to Habitat. Those come under the category of: what was I thinking?

The operative phrase I need to keep in mind isn’t, “Is this too small or too large? Is this worth keeping forever? With the children all grown up and living in another state, will I ever need six cake pans and a half-dozen cookie sheets?” The real operative phrase is, “If I move, do I want to pack this up and take it with me, only not to use it for another year?”

None of this applies to the thousand or so buttons I have in my sewing cabinet. My eyes aren’t all that good anymore, so I don’t sew very often. Back when Mae’s Fabrics was still in business, they sold the discontinued buttons for fifty cents a card. I bought as many as I could. That was over ten years ago. I still have most of those. 

Given that buttons cost so much now, up to three dollars apiece for some, I think I’ll keep my supply until they’re used up or until I’m used up. 

Then, my daughter can deal with them.

Bless her little heart.