In our kitchen repainting job I had to move each and every d*mn thing out of each cabinet. Well, I tossed a lot of things then, but now, today, putting them back , I am letting go of more crap:
1) Red Chinese pattern dishes that we hauled home from China. We are idiots. This is the kind of thing that I could buy at Chinese restaruant supply houses or in China towns, and now, of course, on the internet. That was 23 years ago. I have used them 2 times. Time to go!!!
2) I had this brilliant idea for my "good" dishes: get rid of the coffee cups and saucers since they are awkward to store. Trade them in for more appetizer plates and a couple of dinner plates. We use the appetizer plates failry often, they are so handy.Brilliant I tell you!!!! We will get simple white china mugs to use for both every day use AND for the rare occasions where I use the good china and wish to serve coffee in fairly nice containers. We have a china replacement palce here that does business all over the country and so I trade in stuff with them. Love them.
Let me just say that I've been getting a handle on my china addiction in the past few years and have been able to let go of several things to par down to 3 main sets.
3) Today I gave up the fantasy that I will ever be a baker and I offered a few cake pans to our neighborhood.
4) Let's be realistic: wine has an important role in my life. So today I assigned wine accoutrements to a separate drawer right under the wine rack. It's no longer a messy area. Wine has its own assigned space and that is right and good with the world. I have 2 serious modern wine openers, 1 antique one from England, and 3 cheapo ones that I can take anywhere and lose, no problem. I am more than a little reminded of the paraphenalia that heroin addicts have for their habit. There is a ritual with getting high, setting out the equipment.