50 Days to Go

Insights I've had during this "silent" time:

1. I am holding onto things (items) that remind me of a "good" feeling. For instance, I had three dried roses in my kitchen window. I received these beautiful roses from three of my grandsons on my last birthday. I dried them and kept them ...because... they meant that someone LOVED me. Someone valued me enough to give them to me. My grandson's gave them to me... so that means that I'm a lovable Grandmother. Once I realized that, I knew that I didn't need to keep these roses any longer. I KNOW my grandsons love me. I KNOW I'm a loving (lovable) Grandmother.

2. The LORD wants me to "cherish" things that remind me about Him and what He's done or is doing in my life. He is the one who gives me my worth and He is the one who loves me unconditionally.

AND Today ... I now KNOW that I do not need to keep all the books I have, I CAN'T keep them all (don't have room for them). And I'm motivated to let them go.

I am first gathering my books from all corners of the house and categorizing them. Many of them have already had this done. It's the books that are laying by my bed, piled on top of something, lain here or there, stuck away in an unmarked box, or even put on a bottom shelf somewhere out of sight (just for now).

I am a Grandmother, yes, but I do not need to keep ALL my children's books anymore. I will invite my adult children to come and take any that they'd like to have, save a FEW for my house and the rest will leave.

I will be selling books at a homeschool used curriculum and book sale next Saturday (the 15th). I will be working to gather teaching materials together and box them up for this sale : )

For the first time in my life I KNOW that what I need is not more bookcases ... but less books! My family has been telling me this for years, but just like an addict, I had to REALIZE this for myself. I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me. It is His work in me.

96 Days to Go

Today we took a white shelf from the dining room and the tall bookcase from our entry way to our daughter who was thrilled to have them.

We also took a load to Goodwill: a play stove, play dishes and food, a rolling microwave cart and the tray to the high chair (we accidentally forgot to take it last time!)

It was a little bit of a struggle to let the play stove go (now that it's gone, I am fine) but for a minute or two it felt as if I was not being a "good grandparent" if I got rid of it. My grandchildren have enjoyed playing with it, but we just don't have room for it anymore. It's been inaccessible for quite some time too.

The Shoe Is On The Other Foot Now

My husband was offered a set of hand crafted cabinets & shelves. They are very nice (and quite large). We have them in our living room. I really like them ... but I feel claustrophobic now. Have to get rid of some furniture in here! I am tempted to say, "They're TOO BIG. We need to let them go," but alas I cannot. For all these many years, my dear husband has adapted to all the things I have brought into our home. He has willingly moved furniture around and accepted cramped quarters because of my impulses. I think I owe him some of his own.

I asked him to "consider" a different set up for our computers (one that didn't take up half of the dining room). He was not willing to consider that ... at least not today.

After all these years I am ready to create wide open space in our home. I was looking forward to an open dining area ... but I AM the one who wanted to have both computers brought in here as well. He found a screaming deal on an "L shaped" computer desk and hutch. It was just too big to fit in the corner that he thought it would. It now cuts the room in half.

Because of this computer center, I am brainstorming to try to save my dining room table and china hutch. If I don't accomplish MAJOR decluttering and downsizing, I may lose one or both of them.

98 Days to Go

We took a load to donate at Savers. One of the items was a rolling cart that was made to go between your washer and dryer. A lady was unloading some donations from the back of her vehicle the same time that we were unloading ours. Her eyes got big as she asked if we were giving that rolling cart away?

My husband asked her if she wanted it. Oh yes! She wanted it! My husband had to laugh. He said, "She's a rolling cart fanatic just like you."

113 Days to Go

Took a load to Goodwill today.
Two black garbage bags full of miscellaneous things, two computer monitors, a child's booster seat, a high chair and one large glass mug.

114 Days to Go

This evening I worked in the office/workroom again.
I made a point of clearing a surface for my precious hubby to be able to use as he pulls out tools or works on something that needs fixing. He's been patiently waiting for this moment .... for years!

Some things are easier to deal with now (to make a decision to toss or donate them), but there are still some that I struggle with.

Moved some things around in the dining room so that it doesn't appear as crowded. This is just a temporary fix. I still have lots to declutter in here.

I asked my kids what they'd want of mine, someday .... and it weirded them out. I meant as I'm decluttering, I don't want to get rid of something they hoped to have. As you might have guessed, there wasn't much on their lists. All these papers and seemingly useful things didn't make the cut. Of course they're still young. One day, they may wish they had my paper clip collection or one of my many clipboards (just for sentimental reasons). Ha!

115 Days to Go

This evening I found a half full garbage bag (the size of a kitchen garbage can) and a partially filled black garbage bag that had been stashed away after my last decluttering spree. The kitchen bag was trash and the black bag was for items to be donated. I worked in our "office/workroom" for approximately one hour. During that time I filled the trash bag, put more items into the donation bag, rearranged some heavy plastic tubs (put them onto a little "truck"/ dolley thing*) and labeld the outside of them. I emptied one box that was a quarter full of miscellaneous items. I threw away used posterboards, scrap pieces of Christmas wrapping paper and some packing material (things I used to save ... until tonight). I also made the decision to deal once and for all with some items that were making me feel guilty.

This past July, my daughter had her 16th birthday. At our family party for her we played some games that I came up with: Julianne Trivia, Julianne Word Search and the Julianne Word Game. The night of the party we were having so much fun that we ran out of time before the winners of these "contests" could be determined. I had three little winners cups (one for each game). I told everyone that I would take the papers home and I'd go over them myself and award the prizes. And here they were ... still in the bags inside a box I had put them in. Every other time I would see them I would feel a pang of guilt for not wrapping up the results long ago. TONIGHT I decided that enough was enough. At this point NO ONE would even remember and I was THROUGH with feeling guilty. I disposed of all the papers (that is, except for the ones that I will scrapbook).

In the kitchen I purged some old sippie cups that my grandchildren are too old for. I made room on the counter for my bread box I found in the office/workroom. Now we have a place to put the bread that had been on the table : )

* If I could I would put wheels under just about everything. Love to be able to just push something out of the way or move it around the house! I had my husband build a ramp from our office/workroom (where my scrapbooking supplies are) into the dining room so that I can wheel them out and then roll them back when I'm finished.