Okay, who wants to come to Ohio and spend a couple of weeks helping me purge our belongings? My goal is for each of us to get rid of 50% of the stuff we own. We’re drowning in stuff here, and I swear that more than 50% of it never, ever gets used.
It’s the beginning of a new plan, a new world order. Something’s gotta give.
In the meantime, I give you these photos taken at sunset last night, as the giant storm drove off to terrorize the east:
"In summer we live out of doors, and have only impulses and feelings, which are all for action, and must wait commonly for the stillness and longer nights of autumn and winter before any thought will subside; we are sensible that behind the rustling leaves, and the stacks of grain, and the bare clusters of the grape, there is the field of a wholly new life, which no man has lived; that even this earth was made for more mysterious and nobler inhabitants than men and women. In the hues of October sunsets, we see the portals to other mansions than those which we occupy."
~Henry David Thoreau
Stories We Need to Know: Reading Your Life Path in Literature by my dear friend Allan Hunter who happens to also be married to my dear, dear, dear friend Cathy Bennett. This one is next on my list!
April 13th, 2006 at 8:55 am
Our village has an unlimited trash day every other year, and it’s in a couple of weeks. It’s amazing - you can cart everything out to the curb and you don’t have to pay extra. It’s such a huge score for kids, too - they love to go around and forage. But best of all, it’s an excuse to just get rid of everything.
April 17th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
It’s a Spring thing, isn’t it? I’m doing a massive de-clutter myself. It’s so freeing. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to avoid yardsales and thrift shops, so I will always be in a cycle of clutter/de-clutter. Everyone needs a hobby, right?
April 18th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
We’re in a 2 bedroom apt and we just don’t have any space!
I keep trying to downsize but I don’t have the time.
We have way too much junk!!
April 19th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Just popped over from Posie Gets Cozy and saw this post - I have the spring purge urge, too. I would totally love to come and help, because it is so easy and fun and rewarding to help other people ditch stuff - you feel like you’ve done a tremendous thing, and it’s so easy and everyone’s so happy at the end. But Brooklyn is a long way from Ohio. Maybe this will be helpful: I’ve been collecting questions to ask myself when the purging gets tough.
If this broke would I repair or replace it?
If I haven’t used this recently, but think I will someday, WHEN will that be? Is there a date in the next year when I will really use this?
If I can’t decide, can I set a “use-by” date? (put it in an “August” box - if you haven’t taken it out of the box by then, you toss it.)
Good Luck!
April 22nd, 2006 at 8:35 pm
Oh it is going to feel soooo good to get rid of stuff. I am so excited to move because I can;t wait to purge my stuff.