Just when I think I'm done with blogging, I get another push to write and bore you to death with all my life "adventures." Hopefully you aren't bored to actual death, as that reduces the number of readers significantly. And I will admit that "adventures" is a stretch for my life right now.
Since visiting with you last I have not been idle. In fact, I have been busy to the point of exhaustion as of late.
Over the last 8 years, my caregiver focus has been almost totally aimed at my mom. After her passing in December, it took awhile to get my "sea legs" back. As the list of mom related to-dos dwindled, I had trouble focusing that "caregiver laser-beam" on anything else. I was adrift. I felt like a gang leader without a gang!
(Can you tell I have been watching the violent TV series Sons of Anarchy?
... which by the way is pretty great! Sort of like The God Father, but not.)
In the last month a major shift of energies and focus blossomed out of me. Hmm ... I guess it was more of an volcanic eruption, than the blossoming.
I finally focused my "laser-beam" around my own house and decided -
Not . Good . Enough .
- Too much stuff.
- Too much furniture.
- Some areas not painted in over 20 years.
- Some possessions not touched about 10 years.
- Some possessions overdue a transition to the dump, or Good Will, or to another home.
- Some repairs and renovations ignored or lived around for way to long.
- Some items not even mine, for gosh sake.
- It is stifling.
- It weighs me down.
Not . How . I . Want . To . Live!!
We did some stuff last summer - hardwood flooring and some painting ... but real issues still remained. So I pulled up my big girl panties and put on rubber gloves - and attacked the real issues of my home head on.
The Goal
I want to live lighter ... with less stuff ... with only the things that I love.
I want space around me and around the things that I love.
Like a ball and chain,
I don't want to drag along possessions on the assumption that maybe, possibly,
I might need them at some indefinable point in the future.
I don't want to drag along possessions on the assumption that maybe, possibly,
I might need them at some indefinable point in the future.
I want to adopt the life style attitude now of "less is more."
When it is time to move to a smaller more senior friendly environment,
I want to be ready.
I want to be ready.
And when my time on this earth is done,
I don't want my kids to left with a house full of dusty junk to manage and/or discard.
Now I am on a first name basis with the dump guy, a healthy contributor to our local Good Will organization, and many worthy former belongings are now loved by others in their houses. Summed up at least 40% of our stuff-occupants no longer reside in this house.
We . Have . Breathing . Room!!
And the odyssey is not over yet. In the near-future ...
- Some cocky "stuff-occupants" that made the first cut this go-round, won't be living here come the New Year. As my husband noted just this morning ... "It is amazing but despite the mountain of stuff we have moved out of the house, we STILL have a lot of stuff." Not for long, Kemosabe. Not for long!
- Our kitchen will get a major face lift this summer.
Oh ... and there is less dust as well.
13 comments:
It all sounds like a great plan. You are and will be busy for quite some time. : )
Nice to see a post from you. I miss them.
A happy and productive day to you my friend. : )
Thank you Happy One. I always visit your blog even if I don't always comment. So much to do here since we haven't been keeping up with our house for some time.
You accomplished a lot; I have those same kind of yearnings recently and am clearing out and improving a little at a time.
Good for you...nothing is as satisfying as a 'chuckin' out' day. By the way, we noticed the same thing....chucked out a ton of stuff and can't really see any difference lol.
You sure have been busy. I'm glad you have found a focus for your energies after the loss of your mother. I too looked at my things a few years back and decided I didn't want to be burdened with them any longer. I also knew I didn't want my kids burdened with them when I was gone. I had no idea how freeing it would be to be rid of all those years of accumulations but it was a wonderful feeling as I know you've found oout.
I hear a lot about folks feeling the same way.
Well it has been many years of various family members moving in and moving out. Finally, we are gaining ground. When it goes out the door - it doesn't come back in parading as someone else's stuff. Eventually we will see the light of day this go-round.
Yes, that wonderful feeling of lightness keeps me coming back for more of less - hahaha! In truth I have gone through this process many many times over 10 years - but the stuff always filtered back because family would always move in with their stuff. Now we are making headway.
Good for you! I think I am still living in my post-caregiver fog. But I know exactly what you mean. I want to get started doing this as well. I just need that kick-in-the-pants to get started. So good to have you back blogging!!!!
Hi Paula, my goal is to blog more frequent than every 3 months which seems to happen to me. Ha!
Good for you!! You should be so proud of yourself. It is so hard for me to get motivated and get organized.
Motivation is critical. But once I get going, I find the act self motivating, because it feels good and I love how the space feels afterwards.
Good for you . . . INSPRING!
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