October Clutter Control

[Harmony]

Oh, Harriet, that would be funny if it wasn't so annoying! Are your trash cans issued by your municipality or county? They changed our system and we now get to use one big county-issued can with a lid that swings on and stays on. It has transformed my life here! I no longer have to bungie cord a lid on top against prying paws of raccoons. I no longer have to stockpile garbage in the house until garbage morning, I can take stuff outside when it piles up and the critters can't get into it!

Oh, I see where you called for another can or lid..now this, sheesh!

And I read somewhere someone who was doing freecycle or Craigs list or something similar set out a bunch of stuff to be picked up and people took even the folding table the stuff was sitting on!

[blessedw2]

donated a bag today
I have been so behind on decluttering.
my mom keeps giving me things that I really have to make decisions on.
congrats to all who are working to declutter their home.

[Harriet]

I've been concentrating on my parents' dining room/area (separated from the living room by a fireplace wall of brick, so enclosed on 3 1/2 sides). It's very hard. Previous bad decisions were made to store things there during 3 events (I may not have these in order, even).

1 - when their furnace did a "puff out" and a cleaning service hired by the insurance co. came to deal with residue
2 - when they redecorated after that and had to pull everything out for wallpaperer/painter
3 - when they recarpeted

It does not look like a too bad a junk room because the fireplace hides so much, and also because those things stored there by the pros (insurance hired) were neatly stacked in large, identical boxes along a hidden wall. But slowly, my parents had been letting other stacks and piles accumulate beside them. With the dining room table dominating the room, it's hard to walk around it and work. My dmom loves the room, where she invested in nice furniture, but still stacks things out of weariness. My ddad has no concept of anything but utilitarian use for space anyway. Trying to tell him the room should be ready for company is a new concept, even after these longs decades of my mom trying to keep it nice. He figures it's right beside the kitchen, why not use it for extra pantry space, etc.

I've been chipping away and have freed up maybe 6 more square feet of walking space in the last few days (probably 20 total square feet 3-dimensionally, about the size of a large appliance). I've washed the contents of a bag that said, "curtains to be washed", and have hung those 14 pieces (cape cod with tie-backs) on a large skirt hanger in the spare bedroom closet. There is a place my parents could use them - thinking about whether they are what we want. Dealt with the contents of a large bag marked, "Some good buttons". (In other words, entire garments saved because the buttons were good. And that's only the first of 2 bags marked like that.)

Still no trash can delivered and pickup is tomorrow. Thankfully, we have the second one and the 2 houses can use the one at least.

[Nancy]

Today I was able to bless dgdaughter with the doll house,
and the stand it was on. This is her birthday gift
and such a blessing for us to be able to free up that space too.

[Harriet]

Nice gift, Nancy.

I have gathered all photographs of my ddad's AKC field trial days and got them into one box.

I've gathered all paperwork related to the kennel and dogs, and gotten that into another box.

Labeled both.

I'm sure I'll run across more to add but at least I'm closer to corraling it.

My dmom had already gotten all his ribbons into one box - it is by far the biggest.

Still no trash can after multiple calls to Waste Management, whose reps have me wait on the line while they get "confirmation" from the locals that the can WILL be delivered - again. This Wednesday will be the 3rd Wed without one.

[blessedw2]

dealing with your own stuff is hard, to help someone you love with their things is very difficult more because of decision making I think. And as a previous helper with grandparents I understand trying to convince a family member that there may be a different way. If it was your own stuff it is easier to say "we are moving this". ((()))

dnancy what a nice gift.

[Nancy]

Thanks!