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Post by The Eliminator on Jul 17, 2014 2:59:40 GMT -5
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Post by The Eliminator on Jul 18, 2014 9:55:36 GMT -5
Hiya punkin' pie! I just got finished reading this ENTIRE thread! (and I shall hold you responsible for my not getting my hours in today!)
You've sure done some whup-*** work, chickie! You should have told me! I would have come back here just for you! I wouldn't have been ready myself at the time, but I'd've come to cheer ya on! But since June (9th, to be exact) I had/am having so many of the same revelations, and exact same thoughts (no big surprise, there!) I could've written at least half of this. But you have put much more of it into practice, with the letting go... I'm just still on the 'easy' stuff (which is difficult enough.) But now that I know you are being ruthless, I will think of you, and it'll help me to free up, too! I know all this. I know I should, and I know that I WILL do this; and I know I will be relieved/thrilled/thankful that I've done it. I'm like when I was a little girl at fhe end of the high-dive... all nervous, and anticipating the plunge... and after I finally did it, I went back again, and again! I KNOW this... Wow, you sure had a crapload of papers! I had several boxes and bags of mostly junk mail; saving for recycling... but after that, not much paper to speak of. I wish most of it were paper, then that'd be easy to get rid of, for me! And that, of course is why I don't have any, now! I just have to much other stuff!
I love the evil eyeball, and the "mental tending" terms.
Great job in getting rid of so much, Sissy! I won't rehash particulars... don't want to make you re-live the anguish all over again, this long after the fact.
I hope things calm down, and heal up, so that you're able to get back at it! Then we can heave and hurl side-by-side! Yay! I'll be waiting... ...I'll leave the light on for ya.
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 21, 2014 16:26:37 GMT -5
Love the post, Eliminator!!!!!!!!!! More to say...but not enough time right now to do a reply to you justice! (story of my life, not enough time!).
The sad part is...I have WAY more paper stuff left! Yep. True Dat!
This is what I did do over weekend...too dang hot and humid to get out and work, so I worked inside (where I sweated nearly as much as I would have outside...just didn't have the sun broiling overhead...that's right; no AC where I'm decluttering):
Two large sacks of paper stuff burned. In that was a good three years' worth of 15+ year old bank statements and cancelled checks (from when they actually sent them back to you). I realize I should have been chunking these a long time ago and only saving the years required by IRS. Better late than never.
Into Monday's garbage pickup...the non-burnables: My old riding helmet. I'm on my third one hence. I think meeces had been lounging in this one at some point over the past ten years... More misc. stuff. Nothing too sentimental in this weekend's purge...I avoided all that. Gosh knows I have enough other stuff to keep me occupied with tossing for a long time. I just evil-eyeballed the emotional crap and moved on to the easy-kill targets.
Eliminator...it's the mental tending that is killing us! I want to be free! I want that for all of us. We can do this.
Light on here for ya, too, E! xoxo
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 21, 2014 16:32:03 GMT -5
I really don't know what got into me this past weekend, but I almost felt like a normal person...you know, one with no depression, no ocd, no ptsd...who has the reasonable ability to discern that my home is a mindfield of junk and hazards and life-sucking clutter! It's appalling. I also hung up an enormous number of good clothing items that were stacked and piled everywhere...neatly, though...mind you! Those that were on the musty side I washed, dried, THEN hung up! I have no idea what happened to me, ! In all this, I found ten dollars in a blazer pocket! I'll be able to eat out a couple times for lunch this week!
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Post by sue5000 on Jul 21, 2014 17:44:37 GMT -5
Glad to hear you felt better this weekend! and good for you, Pony, burning all that paper, and tossing the old helmet and other items!! Also, dealing with all those clothes, and finding $10!! Woo hoooooo!!
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 22, 2014 14:21:21 GMT -5
Thank you, Sue5000!
Not much time for anything after work and farm chores...as you all already know...however, I forced myself to make decisions on a few more clothing items.
I must commit to doing something daily ~ anything, no matter how small or trivial it may seem ~ toward my personal 'ground zero' (read: no mental tending needed for anything that is allowed to 'live' in my home).
So, with that in mind...I faced a few textile items that I had some difficulty with from this past weekend's work. The most difficult one to face was a linen/cotton shirt that I loved and had worn for many, many years. It had embroidery on the hemline, a rare feature to find in today's clothing items...it was so pretty, comfortable, and just-my-style. However, it was worn beyond being presentable for the workplace...or suitable for donation, and I have more yard clothes than I can possibly use.
I burned it last night along with several other items worn beyond being donation-worthy. I was oh-so-tired; but, I got out there and burned them.
I find it's better to act quickly...especially on the difficult-decision items.
Don't allow them to loaf around and taunt you.
Get that stuff out...garbage...donation...consignment
...whatever the mission of disposition...
That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you no longer have to worry about it. Ever.
Get. It. Out.
Oh, and the stuff that went out in yesterday's garbage? I can hardly remember what went in those bags.
Amnesty is a great thing.
It's so freeing. No more mental tending for any of that stuff.
-------------------------------
It's all about the decision making.
I either need it or I don't.
Answering that question is fairly easy.
Acting upon the answer is what's difficult.
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Post by sue5000 on Jul 22, 2014 15:01:57 GMT -5
Pony I think you should tell your DH that you are working HARD on decluttering-- you even burned one of your favorite shirts!
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 22, 2014 15:51:46 GMT -5
He knows, Sue! He did see all that I burned and tossed out this weekend! Thanks for the hug...hugs right back!
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 22, 2014 16:01:22 GMT -5
The truth: The only regret I have is not having made these decisions sooner!
I have absolutely no regrets - whatsoever - about anything that I've: Burned. Trashed. Donated. Consigned.
None.
I had to make up my mind to do all of those things. I have to do it with each and every item.
No; I'm not a bulk-chunker. I'm a true hand-sorter/purger.
That can be an excruciatingly slow process.
I have only made a dent.
Moving on!
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Post by sue5000 on Jul 22, 2014 16:47:25 GMT -5
Ponygirl, that's me, too. Sort each and every item by hand....... It's so frustrating. I wish I could be different. Today I'm sorting a box of my 50 year old art work from when I was in kindergarten and grade school. Some of it is hilarious!!! I have torn up and tossed about half of it so far!
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Post by isingandlaugh on Jul 22, 2014 16:56:31 GMT -5
Go, Ponygirl! Thanks for the inspiration!
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 23, 2014 12:13:39 GMT -5
Sue, I wish I could do it faster, too! Wow, that must be wonderful to sort through, though! You're doing great...keep it up! I'm sure there is still some that old for me...at my Mom's house (yeah, she kept most of our stuff from childhood...and we haven't come anywhere close to sorting through her house...but, that is another story...). Ising! Thank you so much! I placed this thread in general hoping that my thoughts, discussion, and processing would help others! Loving the cat in your avatar! --------------------- Last night: Ah...not much accomplished, really. I did begin a sort through another of the endless paper piles. I only had about 15 minutes to devote, but I got quite a bit straight into the next burn bag. Filed a few. I can't remember which member suggested this in a thread about filing/paper organization...and my apologies for not being able to identify you for credit!...but, I've been using that member's suggestion for the past two years on current important paper filing/paid bills/etc.: I have a pocketed file portfolio, in which I've simply labeled the pockets by the month, January through December, and I file each month's receipts and paid bills, check stubs, bank statements, et al, into the corresponding monthly pocket. It is so simple and so efficient! My tax prep this past spring was a piece of cake, because I had it ALL in one portfolio. Now...all I have to do is go through the past 40 years of paper to get everything 'fixed' just as nicely! !
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Post by angelpuss on Jul 23, 2014 23:34:48 GMT -5
PONY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Found you
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 24, 2014 12:00:49 GMT -5
Good! Hi, angelpuss! Missed you! Hugs.
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Post by ponygirl on Jul 25, 2014 13:34:42 GMT -5
More clothes into a donation bag.
Also started a consignment store bag...but might change my mind and simply take these to donation. The trip to the store would just eat up gas mileage...and the donation place is just around the corner from my office. Donation: 1 Consignment: 0 -- on this round.
I've also been thinking about pairing down my wardrobe even further. I'm hanging onto some pieces that don't quite fit (too small) because I love them so much...but might not ever fit into them again. They're classic pieces, not trendy, so won't go out of style. Going to ponder this for a bit longer before making an ultimate decision. This stuff is all hanging now anyway...and not really in the mix of the clutter battlefield. I've just been jumping into easier skirmishes during the workweek...and have been considering lightening up everywhere...clothing included.
After all, I could make do for the workweek with just a couple pairs of pants and skirts...and some tops...and a couple blazers. Instead...I have enough outfits for ten career-women.
Still too much mental tending!!
Carry on, everyone! Let's dig out!
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