July purge

[Chicken lady]

Nobody ever started one, and I haven't worked on my "item a day" since I left on "vacation."

which is not good, since my "vacation" netted me three books, a small lunch box, a ceramic chicken dish, a pillow, two sets of sheets, two small (card deck sized) framed needlepoint works, a fountain, a table, and six chairs. Plus paneling for the addition.

so, today I'm back at it - one 2.5" ring binder in the goodwill pile (larger than all 3 books together). And a book.

[nswef]

Good start CL. I brought several things up from the basement for trash tonight- kitty litter box lid, (don't know where the bottom went) , broken laundry basket and big plastic jug that isn't recyclable) . Earlier in the week I had put in the garbage can styrofoam from a dehumidifer that had been in the basement for months and old ashes from the wood stove we haven't used for 15 years...and the contents of the shop vac. Also a huge 30 year old cushion we thought might be ok here, but isn't. I'm feeling lightened. Now to get rid of broken porch furniture, snow blower and an old bicycle. I'm tempted to just stick them at the bottom of the driveway , but have to convince my husband that is an OK thing to do.

[Chicken lady]

Wel, clearly you don't live near me, because my reaction is "why would that not be an ok thing to do? What else are you go into do with that stuff?"

we we once dragged a lawn tractor with two flat tires up to the road and put a sign on it that said "free. No engine." It was gone in the morning.

[Sloeginfizz]

In our city, anything metal put out in alley, side of the road, etc. goes fast. The scrapers come by and pick it up to sell. Or if you're not allowed to set things by the side of the road, due to town ordinance or local CCRs, list on Craig's list free section. People will come pick almost anything up for free.

[Chicken lady]

Two books and two doll boxes down today.
and a big bag of dirty, torn, used plastic bags.

[Zoe Girl]

I am ready to start purging at work. I was so overwhelmed transitioning from my year-round school to storage, then to camp. Well in 2 weeks I have to move everything back to storage for a month before I can get back into my school again. So a great time to purge. I shredded a lot of old papers at my camp office, consolidated the office supplies, and am collecting the duplicates and extras to put out to share at our main office. I am not sure why I thought I needed payroll records for 2 years, it is all scanned into my computer anyway.

I did get rid of 2 pairs of socks, 2 bras that had seen better days, and a pair of underwear plus a few clothing items that I liked but hadn't worn in a year. My kids got rid of one litter box that was not working out well and all the empty cat litter boxes that sat around. I want to throw away one rug but it is useful in the winter in the kitchen so I am going to wash and store for now.

[Chicken lady]

Ug, I'm putting off thinking about my classroom. Last year they "cleaned" it over the summer and I had to go all over the building reclaiming things I actually use almost every day.

yesterday I didn't get rid of anything, but this morning dh brought me coffee in one of an old set of mugs that I don't like (I'm a potter, so the coffee mugs are kind of a thing in this house) I asked "why did you bring me this mug?" And he said "you don't like these mugs?" And I said "no. I wanted to get rid of them when we moved, but you wanted to keep them, remember?" And he said "on. Well, let's get rid of them. We have more mugs now."

so the mugs shall leave!

[Zoe Girl]

As far as classrooms go I hope I can find my stuff, part of the reason I moved so much to storage at our main office over the summer. They emptied entire classrooms for the huge construction project (it will be good to renovate the 1970's open classrooms to something really nice). Mine was one of them, but I did have one storage closet they were not going to touch. Everything is in large storage containers on the playground over the summer, we can get into the building on August 31st and school starts September 8th.

[Gardnr]

My last trip to the thrift store: 1 small area rug, 1 planter, 1 basket, 2 plexiglass collage photo frames.

To my sister: a photo collage frame that was at Mom's house that i just couldn't part with 7y ago.

To my SIL: a cross stitch wolf picture nicely framed-also from Mom's home.

[iris lilies]

This isnt about purge, its about collecting stuff I don't have a use for.

Yesterday I walked away from a thing at Goodwill. And while I wont say it s "haunting" me, I will say that today I am still thinking about it.

The thing is a handmade pottery vase from a pottery in N Carolina. I bought a smaller version of that pot a few years ago and won a "best in show" award with it in a floral design. So, I am sentimentally attached to that design. But the problem is that this 6" vase sitting in the shelf at Goodwill for a $2 asking price is not a size I can use. And it doesn't matter that it retails on Etsy for $35 because if I cant use it, it does not matter how much it is "worth." So
I am telling myself.

If I buy it, what will I do with it? No, cannot buy it. I have lots of extra vases on hand to use for floral gifts.

But this one has character! I feel I need to rescue it from Goodwill shelves, no one there will understand it.

Once I found a piece of expensive china at Goodwill, something in my former china pattern, and bought it for 50 cents and dropped it off at the local Chna Finders guy who would go on to sell it, getting it into the hands of someone who wants it.

Such are the thiughts of a China/pottery hoarder who is not actively hoarding.

[sweetana3]

I feel the same way when I find something at a thrift store. Last weekend they had a scrapbooking box right full of beading supplies. $4 but I have made a resolution to not start another craft and I did not have anyone right away to give it to. So I left it. A couple of years ago, I would have snatched it right up and been happy.

Got to 100% stop looking at craigslist and ebay too.

[Chicken lady]

I am not purging because I am at fair all week. Fair is home of the free things! So far I have only brought home an Emery board (I broke a nail), a planner (for my fall classes schedule), And rubber squishy chicken. The rubber squishy chicken was entirely Dd's fault.

someone was mean to me today though. They asked me to watch a goat and I spent too long sitting with him and petting him. He's a meat goat, so he will be auctioned off and go on the processing truck Saturday night unless someone buys him as a pet. I do not have the time, money, or space for that goat. But now I want to buy him. I can't and I won't, but I'm really sad about it.

[rosarugosa]

Chicken lady: That is really tough about the goat. That would make me very sad too. :(
Last night a pretty vase fell off the shelf and smashed, and I thought, "on good, I'll never have to dust you again." It prompted me to take another item off the shelf that I don't love (itwas recently given to me), and put it in my Salvation Army box.

[Chicken lady]

I got rid of a handful of pencils and a plastic accordion file folder today by donating them to a 4h club where they are useful.

[mschrisgo2]

Chicken Lady, how did you make out at the fair this year?

[Chicken lady]

In addition to the previously mentioned things, I have two temporary tattoos, three free plastic necklaces that I picked up goofing around with dd and her friend - they will go in the goodwill pile, a small notepad, and a refillable souvenir cup from the 4h lemonade stand, which will go in the picnic basket for next year - saves me 20% on lemonade and avoids styrofoam. (There is already a refillable fry bucket kept down there that we use from year to year and share around the club - over the years it has probably saved our club a couple hundred dollars on fries)

i bought a goat from a 4h kid (not the meat goat I was petting, a dairy doe I think will improve my herd, we started discussing the sale in June) and it looks like the two rabbits I was going to adopt have found other homes. So I think I did pretty well.

i also have a bunch of ribbons tied to things that won in the fair that I have to do something with. I would like to return them for reuse, but I don't know how to go about that (in a socially appropriate way)

dh likes the rubber squishy chicken. He has named her "ruby the fair chicken" after a family joke and I think she'll be hanging around for a while as a form of non-verbal communication.

[Teacher Terry]

If you have a dog it should like Ruby. If not you can throw it at each other when someone is annoying:))

[beckyliz]

I have a plastic tote full of stuff that I thought about tagging for a consignment sale or even posting some stuff on the local buy/sell/trade sight. Have decided not to, though. The consignment lady charges a $10 up front fee, then there is a 60/40 split after that. You can mark items so they go half-price the last day. So, after that work, I'd maybe make $25? There is a new non-profit thrift shop in town, so I will just bag it up and drop it off there. I'm more and more of the "self-selection" mindset - let it go and let God/Universe/Your Deity of Choice find the next right owner of it.

[Chicken lady]

We have a sponge rock to throw at people, it lives next to the tv cabinet. Ruby's job is to make random arbitrary decisions.

when dd was in art school and we asked her about her projects she would say "I have no idea why he [liked/didn't like it]. They just throw some corn on the keyboard, and whatever letter ruby the fair chicken pecks - that's your grade. Oh look! I got a K! What does that even mean? We don't know...."

if i don't get to the grocery store and the dinner menu is strange, it was selected by ruby the fair chicken. Ruby has also been known to select outfits for my husband, or pick out gifts.

[iris lilies]

We have a sponge rock to throw at people, it lives next to the tv cabinet. Ruby's job is to make random arbitrary decisions.

when dd was in art school and we asked her about her projects she would say "I have no idea why he [liked/didn't like it]. They just throw some corn on the keyboard, and whatever letter ruby the fair chicken pecks - that's your grade. Oh look! I got a K! What does that even mean? We don't know...."

if i don't get to the grocery store and the dinner menu is strange, it was selected by ruby the fair chicken. Ruby has also been known to select outfits for my husband, or pick out gifts.
Now c'mon, this is hilarious! Let me laugh!

as for the ribbons, it is customary in our lily society to turn in ribbons after winning them because who wants them?!!! Not me. Other than Best in Show rosettes, I have never kept ribbons. One of our newer members said sadly "I wish we could keep ribbons" and we all felt bad because we hadnt made it clear to him that he certain could keep the ribbons if he wanted them.

[Chicken lady]

Ruby is supposed to be funny. I understand why ruby is funny. I also think it's funny that we now have a physical ruby. I will be tossing her at a pile of catalogs to select mil's Christmas present - she never likes it anyway.

"ruby says we should order from..... Heifer international!"
"ruby says your mom wants.... Page 7 - ducks!"

Do you think it would be OK to take the ribbons back to the fairboard office and ask if they can reuse them when I go in March to get my fair decal? I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I don't want to cost them extra money.

[Tammy]

Tell them you think of it like a traveling trophy. Ribbons can get passed on to the new winner each year.

[Teacher Terry]

In our house we blame everything on one of the 4 dogs. Someone farted-it is one of the dog's fault, etc. However, after the big guy had one of his anal glands removed it really was him farting and OMG he could clear a room:|(. thankfully that phase has ended.

[Teacher Terry]

When I was working one of the people had these soft things with faces that said weird stuff when thrown or dropped. So we would throw them at each other when annoyed. It was a fun group of people.

[iris lilies]

Ruby is supposed to be funny. I understand why ruby is funny. I also think it's funny that we now have a physical ruby. I will be tossing her at a pile of catalogs to select mil's Christmas present - she never likes it anyway.

"ruby says we should order from..... Heifer international!"
"ruby says your mom wants.... Page 7 - ducks!"

Do you think it would be OK to take the ribbons back to the fairboard office and ask if they can reuse them when I go in March to get my fair decal? I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I don't want to cost them extra money.

Well, it depends entirely on the resources necessary to put away the ribbons so that they can be used next year. If you think that your time, gasoline for your car, time for the fair person to go to the storage place for ribbons and put them away is worth it, ok. They cost cents, assuming you are not talkng about rosettes. This also assumes that ribbons have no date printed on them.

I dont think that it is worth all of that to re-use a few ribbons.

last Saturday we entertained members of my plant society here at my house for a luncheon. If one of them had arrived with a fistfull of ribbons saying they no longer wanted them, I would have smiled and said "thnak you" but internally would have been annoyed because guess who gets to store those ribbons until
I make a trek to our storage locker 30 minutes away? Yeah, me. thanks but no thanks.

Give the ribbons to the thrift shop. Sometimes people want them for something. And then next year at the fair remove the ribbons from your objects and leave them on the table.

[iris lilies]

Since we are talkng about purging, I had a Rubbermaid tub full of miscellaneous objects from our plant society's storage shed. These are all small items that we have not used in more than a decade. I brought them home for the purpose of offering them to plant society members.

I knew that one member would take everything! Unfortunately, she did not attend. So I offered the objects to all others in the room. One object was a wooden plaque, hand carved, had the name of all best in show winners from the past, 1980's to 2005. No one wanted the wooden plaque although they suggested that perhaps past winners might want it. All past winners were dead. Finally a couple in their 80s took it, not surprisngly because they have a lot of stuff. I have seen their double garage and it is full to the brim, they cannot park in it. They like their stuff.

I'm sure the plaque will be one more thing that their children will have to sort when they downsize in a few years.

[Chicken lady]

The ribbons have the fair printed on them, but not the year. They store them in the office. Where I am going in March. So if I drop them in the folder with the reminder notes from this year that I want to be able to find next year, I can just ignore them until I pull the notes out and go to the office.

Then the person who sits at the desk and talks to people who come in can put them away - when there are no people coming in - which is often.