Winter Blues

[ElizabethB]

I HATE feeling my age! Don't know why but I am really tired today. Played with the cats, harvested some seeds, spent time on-line, played with my husband, did some laundry, have some meat seasoned for dinner. Nothing strenous. Nothing that should make me feel tired out and whipped. I need to get back on my vitamins. I REALLY hate feeling so tired. I am too young (59) to feel so old. My 82 year old Mother has more energy than I do. Yeah - I have had a check up with my doctor. She says it is some kind of depression thing. OW Well. sorry for the whine. I seem to get real cranky over winter even though our winters are extremely mild. Glad I don't live in an area with extreme winters.

HMMM I think I need some cheese to go with my whine.

[DoubleDogFarm]

[ElizabethB]

Yeah that's what my doctor said. She prescribed some meds. IDK - it comes and goes. I will probably feel better tomorrow. Just a bad day today.

Thanks

[applestar]

Vitamin D !!

...you need to start some winter indoor grow projects. Pick tropicals that even in your balmy climate can't survive outside -- how about orchids? With all my lights going, I don't think anyone in my family can GET SAD
What we DO get is cabin fever

[PunkRotten]

I think I get a mild form of SAD. I usually feel more energetic and happy during the Spring and Summer. But during winter I don't feel like doing much. Your diet can play a big role in how you feel. Try eating more raw fruits and veggies and do a little exercise during the day. I used to take a bunch of vitamins but since I have a really varied diet I feel I get everything my body needs most of the time.

[ElizabethB]

Oh - you are all so kind. I don't even know why I posted that whine. My heart is touched by your concern. Even though the sky has fallen out with torrential rain I am feeling better from your kind words. You are such a wonderful group of guys and gals. Thank you. I feel very humbled by your kind words.

[rainbowgardener]

I'm a seasonal affective disorder type too. Always get really down this short days time of year. I make a big deal out of celebrating the Solstice ("the return of the light" ) and then Christmas and it gets me through. By Imbolc, which we know as ground hog's day and is the mid point between winter solstice and spring equinox, the days are noticeably longer and I'm tending seedlings under lights in my basement and feeling much better.

This year I'm having a particularly hard time, because the dark winter days seem to be coinciding with so much bad news about the state of our planet. The other night I stayed up until 2 AM getting totally bummed out reading all the bad news. The amount of greenhouse gases emitted in to the atmosphere ROSE again last year by 3%.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/0 ... _ref=green .

We now have NO chance to hold global warming to the 2 degree C rise we have been saying is the target and are on track for a 4 to 6 degree rise, the effects of which will be catastrophic.

https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... ge-certain


There is yet another round of international climate change talks going on in Doha right now, but " but it has become abundantly clear already that a resolution on any key issue is unlikely to transpire. It is equally clear that the confabulations on climate change have become a reenactment of history — annually as farce."

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012 ... 981761.htm

I will likely not live to see the worst of it, but I feel very bad for my son and the things he will have to live through in the world I have left for him...

[Green Mantis]

I too feel very down in the winter, not "all" the time, but enough.

So can understand where you are coming from. I have decided that once

we get moved into our old house ( new to us) house, I am going to buy

myself cut flowers, to enjoy in the winters.

I used to think they were a waste of money, now I want to enjoy them.

I don't think it's too much, to buy yourself some cheery flowers once in awhile.

We start moving in today....I am SOOOOOO excited!! YAY.

Go buy some Pretty Flowers.... Hope you feel better.

[ElizabethB]

Oh Green Mantis - you are so thoughtful. Yes I do splurge on cut flowers during winter. Congrats on your new home and lots of luck with the move. In addition to a new home moving gives you the opportunity to get rid of clutter. My loving husband is a pack rat and clutter is always an issue. Very depressing. My love has some insecurity that makes it very difficult for him to part with junk. I have tread lightly and speak softly to convince him to part with even small stuff.

Sigh - I love my old man and he loves this old women but we do have our moments.

Thank you, take care and good luck on the move.

[Green Mantis]

ElizabethB......

Go buy some "really" pretty flowers today... You deserve some.

If you EVER want to buy a fantastic book on getting rid of your clutter,

go on e-bay and look for "CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER WITH FENG SHUI" by Karen Kingston.
I have read my book so many times It's going to wear out, can't have that!!!

Not only does it tell you "how" but "WHY" you collect the stuff and can't get rid of it.

Tells you where and why you have it in certain places in the house, and outside sheds etc.

I am "sure" this is "THE" best book I have ever read. I needed it badly, still do.

Yes as I put things away this time if it doesn't fit, look good, or has no more use to me, it's gone!!!

Going to be donating a lot of kitchenware ( gadgetaholic) to

women's or men's shelters or to people that have lost everything for

whatever reason. when I look around, I realize we have so much to help

others with. I "feel" rich compared to so many.

There are so many out there that need so much help, through no fault of their own.

We have so much, time to give back....

Hubby is starting to do the same thing, but until his garage is built, he can't

get really as into it as he would like.

The "move" isn't far, most is already in the house, or the 5th wheel

trailer we have been living in since May 7th....until today. On the front lawn.

When we sold in February we wanted to rent, as we want to go back to

the Interiour of B.C. where we came from 5yrs ago. When Hubby retires,

but NO one takes pets, since they are considered family to us, we finally

ended up buying our little old house, now "finally" after contractors almost drove us nuts, we can move in.

I'm afraid working with these contractors drove me to tears many times.

But today the sun is shining and we are going to be starting a new chapter in our lives.

I am Soooo excited.

So think of me, and go buy some extra pretty flowers today...We "all" need

to be nice to ourselves sometimes, we really do deserve it.

Ps......Go look for that Book, will be a good read for you "both" and you will

see yourselves in there, honestly does make you have to laugh.

[rainbowgardener]

Green Mantis - Congratulations on the new place and best wishes getting settled in.

Another nice book about "stuff" from a different perspective is

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things [Paperback]
Gail Steketee (Author), Randy Frost (Author)

It's written for hoarders and the people who work with them, but much of it applies to all of us in our culture of "too much." It's really good on the why's of people getting over-attached and has some good exercises about letting go. There's actually a workbook to go with it.

Since I work with hoarders sometimes, this is one I've read several times.

[ElizabethB]

Thank You Green - I will check out the book. I have come to realize that much of my junk keeping was because it was from a loved one. I had to have a long talk with myself. If what I am keeping is not used or displayed in an attractive manner then I am not honoring the memory of my loved one. What I am holding on to is just junk unles it is used or displayed. That revelation took many years. I have been purging my family stuff and asking myself real hard questions. I first set every thing out and had my family pick and choose what they wanted. What was left I donated. I donated to a locally run non-profit thrift shop instead of Sally or Good Will. I am not at all happy with their operational expenses - their overhead far outways what they actually contribute to the community. Any way I found a local non profit who's overhead is very low compared to their contributions to the community. It was not easy to part with some of my treasures. Reality set in when I asked myself if keeping such and such in a closet honored the memory of my loved one. I am trying to teach my husband the same thing.
He is a tougher nut to crack.

BTW - I had to got to the store to pick up a few things and got a nice bouquet of fall flowers that I spent an hour arranging in 3 different containers.

Such a boost.

Best of luck with your move. Sounds like you and your family have really been "roughing it" for a while. What a lovely Christmas present - a new home!

[Green Mantis]

rainbowgardener......
Thanks you on the congrats of moving in.

Honestly you are braver than me, to be helping the hoarders.

I used to try and help people with that problem, then realized they didn't want the help, just wanted someone to complain to.

My family (estranged family now) are hoarders, and I try Sooo hard not to fall into that trap.

Would you believe my aunt owned 3 houses in nanaimo B.C. canada, up on a hill with beautiful waterviews.

ALL 3 of them were so full, basement to attic's, that all there was was a walking trail to get around in them. The yards were full too.

If you went to visit there really was no place to sit down, it was all covered in junk.

I have watched a few episodes of Hoarders and it brought back too many memories, plus watching the people and the mess, I can't watch it anymore.

I honestly have no patience with that anymore. The book sounds interesting, but since I have one, I don't need two,

Karen Kingston also writes about different countries, and where people from each country usually store their junk. Very interesting.

Where the Feng Shui part comes in, is in helping people realize what some things, such as a picture on the wall can do to your mood.

But her explanation on where it is kept is the most interesting. Even told of parents of a gay man, that had a roomful of toys, in the hopes he would eventually marry and they would be grandparents.

ElizabethB....I agree with you, our kids and grandkids can take what we don't want then it will get donated to really needy people. But also not through goodwill/sally ann.

When I look at prices on donated things, it's ridiculous, these people have "no" money how can they buy things that are overpriced???

So glad you went and got Flowers for yourself. I would like to as well, but not until I can find a vase. lol.

Thanks for your congrats on our move too. It should be interesting

[ElizabethB]

A couple of weeks ago Mom had the gang over for Sunday dinner. I was cleaning up afterwards with my sister. Now Mom's kitchen is small especially when you consider that at 81 she has collected a lot of stuff. She only has one drawer for dish towels. Sis was digging through the drawer for a drying towel and started pulling out oven mitts and pot holders - there were 7 or 8 of these bulky things. Goofy Sis puts a mitt on each foot, one on her head and a pot holder in each hand then asked Mom "How many of these can you use at one time?" went home and found just as many in my one towel drawer.

[Green Mantis]

Well started digging, this "is" going to take a lot longer than I thought
It must have been breeding This is NOT good.

The funny thing ElzaibethB, is I need a couple of potholders, mine are shot. LOl.

Started cooking on the stove and can't believe how out of touch I am.
This is going to be one very interesting un-packing session...... "NOT"

[LA47]

I hope the flowers, and posting cheered you up, ElizabethB.
The drift in topic to hoarders really made me think. We moved from a large home to a smaller one. I got rid of many things but my smaller home is still so cluttered. I feel inspired now and plan on getting rid of more of my treasures (junk!). That's a good winter project but also kind of depressing as I only kept the things I really liked. I'll have to keep reminding myself I'll be happier in the long run. 2 of my grandkids are coming for Christmas so I'll let them pick what they want. The rest I'll donate to the local seniors center. They have a thrift store and use all they make from it to help the local seniors.

[rainbowgardener]

I think you will be much happier once you declutter, LA. People confuse the memories and sentiment with the thing it is invested in. You can donate the thing and still have the memories. One thing that helps sometime is to take a picture of the object before you donate it. Then you can keep a little scrapbook of the pictures, maybe write out the story that goes with it, where it came from, what the associated memory/ sentiment is. That scrapbook then becomes a repository of all those memories and could be passed on in the family at some point, but it doesn't clutter your house.

If you ever watch the HGTV shows about getting a house ready to sell, the main thing they always do is de-clutter. Every house feels so much better de-cluttered - roomier, airier, prettier, freer.

Think about what it costs you to keep all those things. Everything you own owns you. You have to care for it, dust, polish, clean, maintain. It absorbs heat, so the more stuff in your house, the higher the heating bill. It constrains your use of the space. Etc, etc.

[Green Mantis]

rainbowgardener.....WOW I didn't know that, that the more stuff in a house, the more expensive your heating costs are

OK more is going now!!!! I think this conversation is helping a bunch of us.

That "Thought" we weren't clutteraholics I think "I" need to think again... Help!!!!

[digitS']

It might be like changing computers because of some failure. Several years ago, I went to the bother of having 1 hard-drive transferred to another. Then, I learned that I couldn't access half of what was there because of different operating systems ! I'm not sure if I missed a thing.

Next time, I put what I thought was a failing computer in the basement and bought a new one. For awhile, I carried a thumb-drive or or CD up & down the basement stairs. Then, the computer in the basement really did fail ! I'm not sure if I missed a thing.

Now, to get back to non-digital "stuff:"

I am having real trouble, in this life, convincing DW of the value of cabinetry! Oh, she makes real good use of what is in the kitchen - too good of use . But, there are things like credenzas that could go, even in a living room. We used to have things like sideboards in old homes. Of course, the buffet has been around forever but has come to be some sort of "display" in a modern home (read "non-storage").

Back to the living room, a bookcase is nice. It doesn't necessarily have to just hold books - now that we are beyond the "book" age. I built one years ago with doors, so much the better. I don't like huge "entertainment centers" but that just may be me. In the bedroom, I don't really know how to pronounce an "armoire" but a "wardrobe" is a good old-fashioned word. However, you will need to check the back wall often to learn if there's a passage to Narnia !

And speaking of walls, If they are really too close in and you don't have enuf floor space either, there are off-site storage units. Now, I don't like them either but I ran into a brick wall when I suggest one to DW. But, she is needing to find some kind of solution before too many more years pass. She will even try to get something that is broken past me and the garbage can because it is somehow valuable enuf to give to Goodwill!

Dang, I'd just like more room to throw the cat but I will be giving her a 2nd chest-of-drawers for Christmas! I haven't a clue why she hasn't gotten 1 for herself like 10 years ago.

Steve
edited to ask: Am I an "Enabler?"

[ElizabethB]

I found closet maid organizers very helpful - literally tripled the space. Shelving around the perimeter of the room 12" - 18" below the ceiling. George has lots of map of his favorite hunting and fishing areas. Of course he doesn't use them he uses Google Earth. Any way I framed some in plain black frames and hung them in his office. They really are nice to look at. For the rest I got a tube from a carpet roll from Lose's, cut it into different lengths and mounted to a piece of plywood and spray painted. I used a ptouch and labeled each tube. Vertical storage takes up a lot less room.

Also space bags really work and are a great space saver.

[Green Mantis]

Guess I'm going to have to use my gardening friends here, to help me get through this.

Got into some kitchen stuff that I haven't seen in 5yrs. I have come to the conclusion that if we ever move again....

I am going to wander through the house, pack a few things "I" want then

when the car truck van? (Whatever we have at the time) is full, the rest

is getting sold!!!! Have an auction.

What I am finding is things are missing, somethings broken, somethings

totally outdated, that I have since replaced with things that work much

better for me in my life right now. "Now" discovered that our hotwater tank

is going to have to be replaced, just doesn't heat enough water.

One shower early in the morning, then one load through the dishwasher,

and now "no" hot water!!! I have a "lot" of dishes that need

washing. After 5 yrs packed away. Oh boy, there are a lot of things that

will be donated to people in need. Because boy, it's not me that needs

kitchen stuff....

[rainbowgardener]

Good resolution!

Organization helps, but I think the real answer is not more and more storage solutions and more and more shelves, cabinets, dressers, etc filling up your space, but LESS STUFF. (More Fun, Less Stuff! )

And it maybe just me, but I think the proliferation of off-site storage rental units is just a sign of how many of us own too much. Except for special circumstances (temporarily in transition between one place and another), if you can have something in off-site storage where you clearly won't see it very often, you probably don't need it.

Peter Menzel was one of the authors of a book called Material World. He went around the world taking pictures of families in front of their houses with all their possessions spread out around them. It would probably be in your library and some photos from it are here:

https://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/ ... er-menzel/

Very revealing!

Another interesting read is Twelve by Twelve, by William Powers. The 12 by 12 in the title refers to the dimensions of the one room off the grid cabin he lived in for awhile. He writes well of what it was like adjusting to that life style and how he came to appreciate it, not as sacrifice but as adding joy to his life.

And lest I sound preachy, let me be sure to say, I am an American and I also have too much stuff (no storage unit though! ) I'm not a hoarder, but I am an information junkie and books and papers always tend to pile up around me.... Since I started working with hoarders, I have thought a lot about these issues and have been steadily de-cluttering my life.

[tomf]

Oh god!
My wife is a bit of a hoarder and she clutters every space she can. We had a professional who is a friend come by and try to help. It is hard not to just give up but I hate living in a mess. I do my best to keep the main parts of the house clean but the office is a pile and she has rooms upstairs just packed with junk. Someday I will just freak out and toss every thing that we do not use or need away or give it to Goodwill. There is some kind of non rational need for and attachment to much of the junk we store. Things are not as bad as what I sometimes see where someone has their whole house stuffed but I think if it were not for me it may be that way.

[Green Mantis]

rainbowgardener........You can preach at me anytime!!!

No more storage doesn't help, only another place to fill up.

I have looked at people in those little cabins on TV and thought, how nice it
would be to "not" need to fill it all up.

We Canadians and Americans have W-A-Y too much STUFF....

No wonder we all usually have debt. Storage lockers are OK for

their purpose, but to use them as a place to just ditch more "stuff" is not

good, we had to rent storage lockers for our stuff when we were in the 5th

wheel trailer, thankfully now only one left. That is hubby's garage tools,

because he really has no place for that, some is expensive, so need it

under lock and key.

Our Grandson's friend is here, and I asked him if he needs anything for a

kitchen. He said and his room mate could use a toaster, guess who now has a toaster, lol. We had 4 toasters???? ( Grandson 19, lives with us)

Then he said he could use a few more coffee cups, I told him they will be coming up!!!

Just have to find them "all" the others are too small, according to hubby.

We bought a really nice set last year and the others now are goinging to be outta here.

But after watching the very first clearing clutter show, where the fellow took everything out on the lawn, had them sort, keep toss stuff, then have a garage sale was the best I thought.

We have had many garage sales over the yrs. and once you get it outside, after a long day, the last thing you want to do is bring it back in. After watching that show, I understood WHY he did that now.

It's shocking to see everything spread out on a lawn. Un-real...

I do appreciatte your telling me the names of the books, but if I can't get

them at the library, then won't be reading them.

My aunt that had the 3 houses full top to bottom also had 8 storage lockers rented, totally full.

They would go to auctions and outbid people just
because, they didn't need it, but didn't want anybody else to have them either. It really was a sickness.

Scares the heck out of me, right about now. This is not good!

[tomf]

The sad part is all that we had to buy all that junk!

[rainbowgardener]

Wow... lots of really sad stories. It is a sickness. In fact in the new edition of the Diagnostic Manual coming out for therapists, there will be a new diagnosis for hoarding. GM the aunt with the three houses and 8 storage lockers is a classic case. If there were any rationality to it, at some point they would realize that this is costing them so much money and ruining lives. As tom says all that stuff was purchased, in her case the houses and the rentals as well as all the stuff to fill them. That's a fortune that could have been put to a lot better use. And houses that aren't lived in and the stuff that's in them not used all tend to deteriorate over time as well as attract rodents, insects, etc.

It is a sickness that has features of obsessive compulsive and features of addiction (why it needs its own diagnosis). In my experience, like other addictions, it is progressive. That is if left untreated, without some kind of intervention, it only gets worse, never better. Though they make a million good resolutions, the situation gets worse and worse.

You can't make a person change any more than you can make them stop drinking. But you can keep talking to them about the way their problem impacts you, the more money the family would have, the more use of the rooms in the house, what it is like living in the mess. You can encourage them to seek help. And set some firm clear limits about the space you need for yourself. If the partner is ready and willing to work on it, you can suggest the two of you work together on clutter busting a little bit at a time. If you do a little bit each day, progress will get made.

This has links to a lot of good tips:

https://www.getorganizedwizard.com/blog/ ... rder-help/

There's tons of great decluttering info out there these days, you just have to be willing to use it.

[tomf]

Thanks for the link rainbow, I did some reading and bookmarked it. I will be reading more of it.

[Green Mantis]

tomf.....So will I. Also thanks from me rainbowgardener.

Unfortunately I was doing so well until we moved to Alberta 5 yrs ago. We bought a farm in a hurry ( big mistake) hated it out there, was really far from anything. So sold and moved into a small town, closer to olds.

We started a vehicle heated storage business, but costs went way up, and people didn't want to pay more for the extra heat costs etc. so ended up selling "again" Stayed in both places 2 yrs. Lost money on both.

But in each place, there was no place for hubby and I to unpack our inside stuff. 1st place, we had brought our daughter and her two boys with us.
We stayed in the basement, as her one son has disabilties, and couldn't do stairs well. So we set up a sort of kitchen, with a two burner hotplate to cook on.

Next place was a commercial building, we lived in the front offices, but only gained a fridge and a sink, "still" no stove. So still didn't un-pack the things we brought out with us, not only that but the items we purchased to use on the farm, was packed and got mixed in with a bunch of stuff, so ended up buying more... Then when we moved into the 5th wheel trailer, bought more stuff to cook with, but it wasn't set up for as long a time as we were in it, to cook much.

In the commercial building, we "did" get rid of a huge amount of things, because we had the room to spread out and sort through. We got rid of almost all our farm stuff, but I'm still finding smaller things, which I keep putting up for sale, and getting rid of as I can. But the "WORST" was sorting through not only our items in that commercial building, but our daughters things as well.

Then she decided she hated Alberta and moved back to B.C. with her one son ( with the disabilities) the other one is living with us. He didn't want to go back. Soooo here we are!

Now going through about 4 sets of kitchen items, and yes, that article is right, you DO lose things, and end up with multiples of a lot of things.

So now we finally hit D day (dump day) It's not good. But I'm at least finally getting a chance to go through it and donate a huge amount of it, to people that "really" need it.

rainbowgardener, you hit the nail on the head about my aunt, but she wouldn't listen to "anybody" ever...

So to even "think" of getting in even a quarter of that type of mess scares the heck out of me.

tomf....Your'e right, we actually buy this stuff with hard earned money,

Scary isn't it?????..........

The "Only" thing I wish, is that I has someone here to help me go through this, have a good laugh over things and keep going..one tote at a time. I did this sort of things many times with others, but now when I need help, no one is here. So hopefully my friends here won't get fed up of me.

[ElizabethB]

I admit to clutter - not hoarding like on that TV show but even so drawers, closets, cabinets are all over full of junk. Funny how a thread changes - mayby junk is a big reason for winter blues. I just packed 4 boxes in my car and I am on my way to a locally run non-profit thrift store to donate. They support local orananizations and I have looked into their business model and find very low overhead - unlike the big name thrift stores. So 4 boxes of depression out of the door. Plus a couple f bags of Georges "fat man clothes". He has lost 100 lbs so these huge bulky clothes are out of the door. Feels good.

Later

[Green Mantis]

ElizabethB......Congratulations..... Tell hubby congrats too.

Doesn't it make you feel good.

Would you believe I found another toaster! This one got thrown out!!!
Hubby has celiacs, so have to have seperate toasters,but....

[ElizabethB]

yeah - major good and George feels better also - he originally lost 140 lbs but has put 40 lbs back on. He started at 354 lbs. He has PROMISED to get back on his diet January 1st and get down to 200 lbs. Then my job kicks in to keep him on maintenance which is difficult since he travels and eats out a lot. Looking to Paleo for maintenance. Love my man. He had to have heart valve replacement 4 years ago and will be having knee replacement in February. His weight plays a big issue. In the last 2 weeks he has fallen 3 times in the woods while hunting. Really bad since he is on Coumadin - bruising can result in a major bleed. Ow well we just keep on trucking. Got the car loaded and ready to head out.

Yeah for decluttering!

[rainbowgardener]

yeah, big congratulations to both of you!

Although I find the Hoarder TV show kind of fascinating, I don't like it, because for shock value they focus on the absolute most extreme cases, houses with cat or even human feces all over, not even paths to walk, you have to walk over or climb over trash everywhere, etc. That enables a lot of people to say see, I'm not a hoarder. My house isn't filthy, doesn't have feces, has paths to walk through. So it feeds their denial. In fact, little paths to walk through is a hallmark of the typical hoarder. In the "hoarder community" they call them goat trails.

There are obviously degrees of severity of the problem, but if your house has goat trails with stuff piled up on both sides and you have rooms in your house you can't use for their original function any more because they are so full of stuff, someone in the house is a hoarder.

[Green Mantis]

rainbowgardener......I agree with you, they are disgusting.....Those Hoarders shows make me sick to watch.

I actually find I can't watch them anymore, unless they are about just

people that are basically clean, just out of control.

The rest, are just plain disgusting, I hate to say it, but these people that

have inspectors out should be lucky I'm not one of them. Most of those

house would be demo'd.

It's really sad to see people in those kinds of messes.

[rainbowgardener]

It is sad/ shocking/ disgusting, but they are NOT typical hoarders.

[tomf]

I was in a house like that, where you had paths thru the junk and the person who's house it was told me that the room I was in was the cleanest room!

[Green Mantis]

rainbowgardener......Soooo glad to hear they aren't the typical hoarder.

Probably more like me right now, Not good.

Got through a bunch of totes today though, that made me very happy. Now to get Grandson and Hubby to bring more totes upstairs.

I'm glad I didn't have more up here today, I got through the ones that were here and got "most" of the stuff put away. Need to find "all" the kitchen items, then I can finally decide what cupboards and drawers I want to put the things I'm keeping in.

I will be Sooo Happy when this is done.

[Green Mantis]

Oh boy, I hit paydirt in these totes, these are the ones I haven't seen for 5 yrs. So exciting to get into. Isn't that sad what makes me happy.

This is just like Christmas, never mind presents. I'm just having fun with this.

Told my kids I don't want anything except a bouquet of flowers for Christmas. I found 2 lovely vases, I forgot I had.

I can see saving a "bunch" of money after this, I don't need to buy kitchen items anymore! Or a WHOLE bunch of other stuff either.

Have 4 totes to finish going through for the kitchen, then more, a lot more....
Maybe I will find all our nice new towels and facecloths? Guess they aren't so new anymore, 5 yrs old.

Now to get hubby to empty tools out of two of my kitchen cupboards, he loaded them in there when the contractors were in here.

But he's about to get them all put in a bucket or something, because they are outta there tonight!!!

It's what's in the remaining totes that is going to be shockers. If they are anything like the kitchen stuff, there will be lots of things I totally forgot I have.

My "only" problem in the kitchen is after the first shelf in the upper cupboards, I need a stool to stand on...
We had some other upper cabinets over the fridge and stove when we started reno's, but took them down. The contractor said well you'll want to put those back up, I said "why" the look on his face was funny actually.

But if I can't reach them, stuff will only get put in there and forgotten. The others that are left, will have dishes that we take out when we BBQ.

Oh my, what a tangled web we weave when we pack too much stuff...

[LA47]

I got a very small start today. I got the kitchen drawers and cabinets cleaned out and have a big bag for the G-Kids to go through. Next I'll start on ALL my MANY knick-knack dust collectors! I probably have over 300 hummingbird figurines. Thankfully small ones so they fit in a 3 x 3 x 1 foot cabinet but they are so crowded that it is a mess! I feel better going in my kitchen.

[rainbowgardener]

Sounds like people are making good progress! (Including me, see my post elsewhere about redecorating and decluttering our upstairs sitting room!) I agree you will get more pleasure from a dozen or so of the best/favorite figurines attractively displayed than from hundreds of them jumbled up and none very visible or well displayed. And then someone else can get pleasure from the donated ones.

The culture contributes to this issue -- once your friends know that you love hummingbird related items, then it becomes a very easy thing for them to keep gifting you with. In recent years I've been telling everyone re Xmas and birthdays, I don't need any more stuff, think about experiences instead, movie/concert tickets, things to do, consumables, etc.

Incidentally, the junk furniture from the sitting room that St. Vincent de Paul was supposed to pick up, they refused, saying it wasn't in good enough condition! I guess we really did keep it too long. Now I guess I will have to try Freecycle.

[Green Mantis]

LA47........and rainbowgardener....

I guess little bits at a time, you with your hummingbirds, me one tote at a
time, in the kitchen. rainbowgardener, saw in another post were you did all
the clean up in your room.

Congrats to "all" of us, lol.

But I'm sure freecycle will find your furniture homes. I honestly think some of these places are getting right picky.

I know trying to sell used almost anything in Alberta is "really" hard, they have oil money and want all new.

Then when the oil work is slow, everybody has their big fancy homes and trucks up for sale.

Things are good right now, you should see the fancy trucks right now that are around everywhere.

We'll all just keep plugging away and keep each other going. Should be
interesting. We keep picking up more people here, with all their excess goodies.