The Slow-Growing Cancer of Clutter

[SiouzQ.]

Only now that I have taken most everything off my walls do I really see how cluttered my home of twenty years had become! I am finding I really like how restful it is to see blank walls!

Each day for the last two weeks has been so productive: my basement is almost empty except a pile of things I am going to give away to friends, two folding tables which I am taking with me, my friend's safe that I had been storing for her (to be picked up this weekend, I hope), the washer and dryer (which hopefully will go to the next tenants), an dmy camping equipment (which I am taking but it is in three neat little piles that fit exactly in the trunk of my car).

I have pretty much gotten rid of all the superfluous stuff except some large furniture that is being picked up soon. The stuff I want to take is being put into the spare bedroom and packed, the rest of the stuff I still need to use for the next few weeks. I have tried very hard to recycle what can be recycled, and to take things to the thrift shops. I have thrown very little away as outright trash.

I spent the better part of the week on and off cleaning out my oven and broiler. I don't think I have ever done it in the twenty years I've lived here. I don't recommend leaving it that long

I am down to the nitty-gritty - there is stuff that I really, really like, both visually and emotionally, that I am not sure I have the room for. I may end up with room in the trailer, but no where to put it when I get to New Mexico. Each day I reduce the amount of special decorative stuff by putting the I-don't-knows away so I can't see them. After a few days I then decide if I can live without them. It's definitely a process!

Tonight I was SO happy to give some artwork to one of my best buddy's, the guy I've played music with for the last en years. I gave him my latest art guitar and he chose one of my mixed media found object collages right off the wall. It made me feel so good!

My other collages will be dealt with in a similar manner. I will let my daughter take first pick, and then I am going to post them on my Facebook page and invite my friends to "bid" on the one they would like. I'm not going to charge money for the but I certainly wouldn't mind getting a little monetary donation in any amount towards the moving cause. I hope I can get rid of all the artwork this way so I don't have to pitch any into the dumpster!

[pinkytoe]

I'm right there with with you on the packing and moving healing process. I have ten days left and the amount of stuff that has left this cocoon of 16 years along with their attached emotions is amazing. It is a wonderful feeling when someone really likes what they acquire from you. There is still so much to do. I read that a good trick when one is feeling anxious about something life-changing like this is to substitute the work "anxious" with "exciting". Isn't this exciting? It really is...

[razz]

As I am finally sorting out and setting up my pantry after 18 months of living in my new home, I strongly recommend discarding by any means (donation, etc) any dry foods or other and their storage. I moved too much and realized that I should have simply discarded at the time of packing - herbs, containers, and anything to do with food or its storage. You will free up a lot more space now and buy what you really need in your new location. Voice of hard experience.
You guys are awesome in your efforts, BTW. It is exciting to read about it!

[lhamo]

I'm also feeling the cleaning and decluttering pain -- and sometimes joy. We're selling our apartment in Beijing and this is probably my last trip back here, so I'm trying to get rid of as much stuff as we can so that DH doesn't have to deal with it on his own. Have spent the better part of the last week sorting/purging/listing stuff on local yahoo groups for sale. Looks like I will net over $1000 for what I am able to sell, so that is rewarding. But it has been exhausting, both physically and mentally. DH has not been much help because he is not happy about the move and dealing with depression/mid life crisis. He did say he will start on his stuff tomorrow (I have just about completed the rest of the house, at least in terms of identifying what needs to go).

[pinkytoe]

DH has surprised me with our move. At first, he was very reluctant to part with things - especially any of his vast camera collection. But then the reality hit him that we have to leave and he went into high gear tossing, craigslisting and making multiple trips to Goodwill. I think he was somewhat embarrassed and overwhelmed by all that he had accumulated. SiouxQ doesn't have the encumbrances of people and pets - that I envy. Trying to do all this with three pets is not making it any easier except that they provide some comic relief.

[TVRodriguez]

Wow, impressed with all the progress being made by you all! I imagine that a move/sale really pushes you more than just the "someday" of wanting to clean stuff up. Keep on trucking!!

[Lainey]

Wow, impressed with all the progress being made by you all! I imagine that a move/sale really pushes you more than just the "someday" of wanting to clean stuff up. Keep on trucking!!

Ditto - reading along and admiring everyone's progress. I also agree that Craigslist is great - I listed 2 loveseats and a coffee table for free and they were picked up in 48 hours by the first person who responded.

[pinkytoe]

Yesterday, I counted up all the bills from Craigslisting that I had been stuffing away - $1900 - and then I remembered another $50 in some pants pocket from a week ago. Figured I better stick most of it in the bank with all the chaos around here I might lose it. The funny thing is I don't miss any of it and the money can be used for all the moving expenses.

[Teacher Terry]

Great that you made money!

[SiouzQ.]

The clutter is mostly gone and now its the big stuff that is leaving the house. The big futon couch was picked up yesterday, the washing machine will be picked up this morning, and a load of other items are going to be picked up by the consignment shop later today. The living room will be virtually empty by this evening!

The rest of the week will be spent organizing and setting up stuff for my open house on the weekend. I will bring up my two folding tables from the basement and use those to set out the art work and other random housewares I need to get rid of.

I have 12 days to go and I can't believe how relatively easy it has been to disassemble this house! Six weeks was a perfect amount of time to get it all done; now I am just waiting to go. My last week in Michigan is going to be a breeze - I will have already quit work, so I have lots of time to do last minute hikes and see people and enjoy myself! It all couldn't have worked out better (better knock on wood here though, so I don't jinx myself somehow!