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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 7, 2016 22:42:13 GMT -5
Tomorrow is trash pick up - large recy bin (half full), large green waste bin (full), 32gallon trash bin, will fill in the morning. Probably won't be totally full.
Of note today, but not especially large.. 3 store-bought jars of canned peaches. Very pretty, but I've had them forever, and they were years too old to give away. So I opened and emptied the contents, and washed the jars. Every little bit helps.
It is not pleasant to waste such things, ...but it does feel good to write that it's gone.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 8, 2016 11:28:34 GMT -5
I was up bright and early and was able to mostly fill the large recy bin - found a large container of recyclables I had just not seen. So out it went.
I also filled the regular trash bin too, but not to 'groaning'. Included, besides regular house trash, were a few ancient things from the freezer. I assume at one time it had been food.
Of particular note going out were 3 old, dusty, discolored, mildly dented lamp shades that were just taking up space. I had been hanging on to these for a very long time. I would never use them again, but apparently I thought they were 'too good' to just throw away. It's very interesting how the thought to just put something in the trash for far too many things just regularly doesn't cross my mind. But, ...out they went.
Things in the house that formerly felt safe, now cower when I look their way.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 9, 2016 12:38:13 GMT -5
They had better. I just arranged for a special, free, curb-side trash pickup next week. I've got 6 days. I've been working in the garage this morning, and there is much there that needs to be tossed. Stuff that in the past I would have thought needed rehabilitation.
But I'm way past tired of living this way. I want freedom from the tyranny of all my crap/junk/stuff...
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 9, 2016 15:51:02 GMT -5
Dragged from the garage today, 3 trash bags, one small decrepit table (unused for 25 years), and an old wicker Christmas deer. These are the start of the trash pick pile for next week.
edit: Of the stuff I've removed from the garage today.. very little has any relevance to my life of today. I've encountered a few things that I remember and like, but for more than the past decade, I didn't even remember it was there.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 11, 2016 19:21:45 GMT -5
Copied from the 'short list thread'. I want credit in two places.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 12, 2016 14:21:44 GMT -5
I'm working in the garage again today, in anticipation of the Wed special pick up. I'm now in a cupboard crammed with boxes, 4 high. Some almost crushing from their own weight. Thank goodness the cupboard does not show much evidence of rodent visitation, so working is faster.
I thought these boxes must be out there somewhere, and I think I have found them. Boxes that were packed with all sorts of crap (!) from my college apartment.... some 40 years ago!!!! It's not very sentimental (surprisingly), and I am amazed at what junk I saved. I've already filled 2 large trash bags full, plus a few things for charity, and recycling. It's still early, and I hope to get much more done in there today.
One thing of note was the box of bamboo pieces I had collected and cut to make a real bamboo curtain. There were both light and 'black' bamboo. It was cool. It hung in the door of our apartment kitchen. I loved the sound of it. The curtain is still there somewhere too, but these left-over pieces just had to go. And out they went! Nice memory actually.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 13, 2016 10:37:14 GMT -5
I've finally made the decision that the 'new' mattress topper has to go. It's not really new, but relatively so. It is one of those gel types that was just too hot and uncomfortable. I removed that one, and purchased a new one that is very comfy. But the old 'new' one sat there rolled up, sort of. The plan was to ask a friend if she wanted it for her dogs, or get cut into cat beds. But I know I'm not going to do that, and with the pick up Wed, I'm going to stick it in that pile.
It's sad because of the money wasted, but it's serving no purpose other than taking up space.
So later today I'm going to roll it and tie it up, and remove it from the house forever. Bye-bye!
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 13, 2016 11:54:38 GMT -5
Sunday, part 2. I decided to get rid of the oldest kitty 'tower of power' thing. They have 3 - er, 4 others. And this is the oldest and has hunks falling off it. It was a yard sale purchase years ago, so it already had a lot of mileage on it. The kitties loved it, but barely use it anymore.
But this is a house for humans, it's beat-out, and it has to go.
Also going - 3 new bags of charcoal going to friends who do use it.
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Post by outfromundah on Nov 13, 2016 13:24:01 GMT -5
BetsyMarie, you are really kicking butt! Wowee-wow. I had to laugh at some of the things you're tossing. A wicker Christmas deer you hadn't looked at in years, . Egad, we all have crap like that. I've been rather stuck the last few days, a bit traumatized by certain events, and I really need to cull my clutter. My neat freak next-door neighbor is moving (yay! Can't stand her) and I hear her having people over to buy some of her furniture because her new place is smaller, and I marvel at how easy it is for her. Our walls are thin, and she's a loudmouth, so I hear everything - and she was telling someone what she's bringing to her new apartment the other day. I was dumbstruck by how little she was taking with her. She doesn't hold onto things, has no problem getting rid of stuff even if she loves it. Meanwhile, I struggle with letting go of my own version of a wicker Christmas deer. I tell myself to be ruthless about tossing things, but my ruthless isn't very ruthless at all, I'm afraid. Somehow I need to get unstuck. I get so depressed from just walking through my apartment and seeing all this clutter, even though I do also feel like I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel and won't have much further to go. It's a weird place to be. I need to read this thread every day.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 13, 2016 20:14:14 GMT -5
Meanwhile, I struggle with letting go of my own version of a wicker Christmas deer. I tell myself to be ruthless about tossing things, but my ruthless isn't very ruthless at all, I'm afraid. Somehow I need to get unstuck. I get so depressed from just walking through my apartment and seeing all this clutter, even though I do also feel like I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel and won't have much further to go. It's a weird place to be. I need to read this thread every day. Hi OFU,
'Ruthless' is a difficult stage to get to. I can tell in just a couple weeks that I'm far more ruthless than the end of Oct. And that was much better than a year ago. I'm freely tossing now. When I started, things had a far more strong emotional tug. I had kept stuff so I wouldn't have to feel the emotional tug I needed to experience in order to get rid of them. Sadness, anger, remorse, guilt, fear, and so forth. But after doing it (tossing stuff) and staying with those feelings, they just don't appear nearly as much anymore. It was a stage I had to get through. The emotional tug of tossing lessens the more I"ve done. I never would have thought so, but it is the truth.
Today I went through 3-4 boxes with some 'good stuff' in them. They were near the garage door, so everything was dirty from years of sitting there. I just freely tossed things that in the past I thought I should have tried to resurrect. No more. I am so freaking tired of all this crap.........
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Post by Unswamping on Nov 13, 2016 22:29:22 GMT -5
BetsyMarie you are doing awesome. Im so glad you have that extra, special pickup this week. I love reading your thoughts on this process too, about being tired of the crap, etc. im not quite at the place you are, yet but it is getting easier than it was before. Today i went through two large boxes of contains, things i use for Organizing. Had the realization, i want them to store things in, not to just store them. Sorted through them and labeled all the keepers with the room it needed to go to and what exactly i planned to put it in. Bagged those by room and put in the rooms (i have gotten to those rooms yet so thats ok for now). Put a lot in the donate box and the recycle bin. Down to just a small collection, i got decsion fatigue. Maybe tomorrow, i can let those go. Also went through my cardboard and box collection. I do need some boxes and cardboard for various things. Made a list of what exactly i needed, posted it on tne wall and then sorted through all the stuff. Put the keepers back, grouped by project. The rest i cut up for recycling. Two kitchen bags plus another small bag went out in the recycling tonight. I will have things cowering in fear too.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 14, 2016 3:10:16 GMT -5
Great work, Unswamping. I also have decided at this time to keep a small collection of medium-sized cardboard boxes for future use. In the past, I've cut down so many for recycling, then when it was time to put something in the charity pile, there were no boxes. As long as I don't keep too many, that's OK.
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Post by Unswamping on Nov 14, 2016 9:03:35 GMT -5
Thats a great idea BetsyMarie. Ive been using the boxes that come from my water delivery. Unfortunately i go through one box of water a week and ive already filled last weeks box. So having a few extra is a great idea. Id rather have a few empty boxes around than piles of stuff to donate sitting around loose. So today i will be pulling one out of the ones i set aside.
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 14, 2016 20:37:02 GMT -5
Worked in the garage again today. Was able to bag maybe 6 or 7 bags. Not stuffed so the collection guys won't accidentally break them.
The big thing leaving the house today?
100 Rolls of Christmas Wrap
Yes, it's true. And for the most part, it's been sitting in a corner for 25 years. I love the stuff. All the colors and the patterns. It's so cheerful. The day after Christmas a friend and I would hit all the half price sales and get all the little ornaments and stuff, ...and the paper.
What's odd is that I don't give lots of presents, and the past decade or so, I've almost totally given up gift-giving. (what a relief). But the paper I loved. Even when wrapping something, unless the gift was small, and the person special, I would not use my favorites.
Unfortunately in the garage it was not protected, and most was damaged. I did keep about 6 of the prettiest undamaged rolls, and in prior years I had gone and pulled out a few rolls to use. But of those 100 plus rolls (yes, I had counted years ago), almost all of them were put in bags and tossed. It is a shame they were not clean, or I would have given them away.
That paper had always meant a lot to me. And while it is unpleasant and sad that it was mostly lost, in its time, I had enjoyed both collecting and having it. But that was then, and this is now.
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Post by outfromundah on Nov 14, 2016 21:08:51 GMT -5
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