Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Decluttering

I have been decluttering for the past three years.  Seriously that is, being ruthless and determined.  A friend is having a garage sale to raise funds for our Relay for Life team so yet again I'm sorting out stuff for her. Over 100 craft magazines - I'm never going to make any of the stuff in there and they are just taking up room. Tapestry yarn in colours I would never use, I've kept a few skeins back for dolls hair but out the rest of them go, glasses to use as candle holders - out, lots of crafty bits I picked up at garage sales, never used - out they go.  Clothes, bagged up for the op-shops.  Where does it all come from, surely after all these years I should be getting to the end of it, my home should be neat and tidy, I'm only bringing in things that I know I will use.
Books I buy from the op-shops are read straight away and then passed on.  The yarn stash is mysteriously re-growing. I keep finding odd small balls in strange places - why did I have a ball of lime green yarn in my underwear box. I opened a unused cupboard and found three unfinished projects hidden away - cardigans started for my grandkids three years ago, well at least I know the larger size will now fit the youngest - a wool scarf knitted in lacy panels, the yarn horrible and scratchy (it was vintage, never used and came from an old haberdashery shop), so I'll frog that and use it for felting, an embroidery that was meant to be finished four years ago, the child who's birth it was meant to celebrate nearly five years old. 
I've decluttered friends and relationships, those past their best and those who have just faded away.  Sometimes that happens, we outgrow them or they move away their lives taking a different path. I no longer worry that 'was it me', I've let then all go and moved on.  Grateful to them though for the wonderful memories. I need to de-clutter a few more feelings that are not serving me well. Fear being a big one I can't seem to let go of, inadequacy another. My mind definately needs a good de-clutter, lots of unused stuff in there, locked away, very dusty and old-fashioned, very vintage.  
So this is the year of the grand final de-clutter, the big one, the ultimate upheaval. 

Thanks Tallis, the lillies are from my garden, rescued just before a big storm hit. 

Jan

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