WHERE IS THE WIZARD OF OZ WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE to commemorate the occasion of parting with a couple of my old sweaters that I hung onto for so long.  

My purple sweater was one I had for sure 30 years as I wore it to my Mom's 60th Birthday party and she is now 90 1/2 years old.  It still fits and is in very good shape.  It went to Goodwill yesterday.  Said good-bye to this vintage thing that needs a different home. 

The other sweater I parted with was purchased from a thrift store for one dollar when I was a Senior in High School.  So I'd say that was a good 50 years ago that I got it and no telling how old it was before I got it.  

50 years I had it.  Are you kidding me and I still wore the sweater.  Did I get my money's worth or WHAT?  

Between the two sweaters alone, they represented at least 80 years.  That one makes me blink.  80 years!  WHAT A HOOT.  The sweaters were both wearable and in great condition so why did I decide to turn loose of these two that I had neatly folded and stashed in my sweater drawers not bothering anyone?  Would it be acceptable to say because it was TIME?  That's a joke.

Moving right along.  

I'm morphing into a minimalist right before my eyes very, very, very slowly.  This transformation is extremely slow.  The changing of the guards is a ritual that took years to perfect.  My change is taking place.  Perhaps, I will begin picking up speed and not drag my feet anymore.  I don't have to be so cautious as to what to keep and what to give away.  Yes, I shouldn't be reckless, but the pace needs to speed up.  Life is passing me by.  I'm not getting any younger, am I? 

THIS PAST WEEK, I purged some sweaters, clothing, coats, purses, leather shoes, clogs because they didn't fit, beautiful framed pictures, books, old vinyls, glassware, dishes, toys, I forget what all else there was.  They are gone.  No longer my property.  My Husband is a MASTER when it comes to packing things in the car.  I don't know how he managed to get all the STUFF in our little PT Cruiser, but he managed.  If we had taken a picture of the load from the side of the car then you would have seen the depth of this mess.  Crammed full.  The cruiser's back seats fold down and the car becomes a small pick-up for us.  

I drove the car to GOODWILL, parked the car in their donation driveway as a helper came out to take it ALL away in two of their large carts.  Two.  Everything went except a beautiful light fixture.  This will go to GOD's STOREHOUSE later.  They accept light fixtures as this GOODWILL didn't. 

I sure could have used the great Wizard of Oz especially this past week.  If we had his help, he could have pulled some levers on his switch board from behind the curtain and made all of this mess just vanish before we loaded up.  Better yet, he could have made our stash not be there in the first place.  No mess just blessed.  I could have visited with him asking for a completely clean and orderly HOME that didn't need a thing done to it.  In his great wisdom he could have restructured my brain and heart so it wasn't bogged down by being so emotionally attached to THINGS.  No clutter my dear. 

There is no Wizard of OZ except in the story books and movies.  I need real help now and that comes from the LORD.  He's real.  I have been praying for help and a change of heart toward having too much stuff.  Having a changed heart will do miracles.  Taking a mess and making it orderly is a godly thing to imitate.  Not being fearful.  

As I drove away, I was slightly relieved that this STUFF is now GONE.  I kept saying, WE DID IT!  We managed to rummage through things in our house and basement, Carriage House, Cottage Storage Shed, and Cottage to get rid of.  WE PURGED.

I'll rest a while then I'll be back at purging some more.  I don't need this and I don't need that.  It's amazing how little we really do need to have a functioning HOME to live in.  At this stage in LIFE, I'd like to be set free of clutter and have less to clean.

When I visited with one of my Mom's neighbors, I was blessed to see how clean her apartment was.  It was impressive to me how she had managed her HOME.  I'd like to be more like this.  I was this way as a young mother that was a stay at HOME wife and mom.  

Our little house wasn't crammed full of things and we managed nicely.  True, I am way older than I was when I was 20.  It is hard work for me to declutter.  First there's the having to decide what to get rid of and cutting loose of the attachment to the thing, then there's the loading it into the car to get rid of and actually parting with it.  It's physical as well as emotional.  I still can have some sentimental items just not as much.  

It may sound silly, but after the things are parted with, there's that thought of I shouldn't have turned loose of that because I will probably need it sometime in the future.  These thoughts have to be cast down.  I don't have to be held in bondage especially by things.  Be gone, in Jesus name and that's that.  There's so much more to life than these things.  Life goes on and so must I.  There's a better way to live and be alive than tied down to junk and a messy house.  

Like Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz, I want to go HOME.  It wasn't a bump on my head that made me think There's no place like HOME. 

~d

BECOMING A MINIMALIST IS HARD WORK

MY BODY ACHES BEYOND WORDS.  HORRIBLE BACK ACHE when MY RIGHT FOOT DECIDED IT WOULD COMPETE FOR ATTENTION.  ALTOGETHER NOW...I need some Ibuprofen to ease the discomfort.  The purging this week has about done me in.  Friday was the worst.  

I made a promise to my Husband that I would do things different in the future and not have so much junk.  I told him I would do better.  Dealing with so much stuff isn't the way I want to do things anymore.  

I'll be going through books in a few days and thinning them out some more.  Hauling them to the thrift/charity stores will be a good feeling.  Not having so many will lighten the load.

We worked in the Carriage House Friday and we have a mess to deal with.  I will continue cleaning.  It's a disaster to say the least.  I believe I need to put more hours into this.  I think we need muscle and sweat and time and courage and time and sweat and muscle to get this job done.  I have a vision...it's called MORE PURGING until the job is done.

HOW TO PURGE?  One item at a time.  Group like items together.  Decide if they are to be given to family and friends, donated to Charity/Thrift or sold.  Ebay, auction or garage sale?  I can understand how some people get a dumpster and pitch things for good.  I can't justify this at the present, but I'm not saying I will never do this as it is a great deal of work loading one load after another after another to take to the thrift shops and donate.  

Over the past year, I have taken so many loads to thrift that I am in disbelief that I am still doing this.  We have way too much stuff STILL.  Not bragging, but dealing with the reality of the situation.  I am ready to turn loose of more stuff.  I know I have dishes and glassware in the basement that I can downsize.  Get rid of a few more dolls in the closet.  Turn loose of more clothing so I will have more of a capsule wardrobe.  China in a china cabinet.  Cookware and utensils.  Some furniture will go.  What else is there?  Books, records, movies, magazines, figurines, coats and hats...shall see.

As AUTUMN gets started, I pray that we finish the Cottage shed and fill it with a smaller amount of Christmas decor that I hoarded in the Carriage House and in the basement.  I thinned out Christmas decor last year.  As I fill the muscle racks in the shed I will deliberately go through more of the boxes and turn loose of more.  I can do this thing.  The things in the basement will migrate over to the shed which will mean the basement will begin to be emptied.  October project.

I think while the temps are starting to cool off that this will be an excellent time to completely clean out the Carriage House.  I'll pack things in boxes that will be taken to the Cottage later. They'll be ready to be moved then.  I will begin boxing up things to store them in the Carriage House in preparation to move them.  Better get some fresh boxes as the ones I have are losing their strength.  They've seen better days.  

By the time this is all said and done, I might just be a minimalist.
~d on the prairie wishing I were more carefree and stress free.    

PURGING

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?  I'm not talking about purging food, but rather purging my HOME of belongings.  Decluttering and deliberately looking for things to turn loose of that I no longer need or want.  This is not an easy thing for me as I seem to bring more things HOME to deal with throughout the year.  A little here and a little there.  

We're DOWNSIZING and this isn't the easiest TASK for me to do.  It's doable...just not easy.  I cannot take anything with me when it is my time to die.  I truly want to have a better organized LIFE while I am alive.  

Deciding where to begin has been a mess and a half for me.  I get distracted so easily.  Part of this is my thyroid hormones are off and not what they should be to be at my best.  I've notice that when my body temperature isn't 98.6 that my hormones aren't what they should be.  OPTIMAL matters.  Hello.

To make matters easier, I think gathering items that need purged from about the house and garage need to go quietly.  Perhaps just removing a few items each day and donate, sell or give away is the way to go.  I suppose a person's preferences is the way to go.  What ever is easiest.  I don't plan on ebaying.  

I have been gathering things and taking them to donate just about every week.  A bag at a time.  Doing it this way stretches out the amount of time it takes and it seems like it is taking longer than I like.

Each day this week I will be doing my best to PURGE more items. then I will get back to the paper piles.  I have made great progress.  

TODAY was definitely a purge day.  I'll continue purging through the week as AUTUMN begins in a few days and deem it necessary to purge for FALL.  FALL PURGING.  I will survive and be victorious over this.   

I went through our COAT CLOSET and pulled some coats and jackets.  Pulling sweaters out of the chest of drawers was next.  Going through old records or vinyls as some like to call them.  Movies.  Pulled some books off the bookshelves.  May turn loose of our Encyclopedia Set.  Bedding, older purses, leather shoes, wood boxes, glassware, Santas.  Took to the Basement and found some odds and ends.  KEEP PURGING and get organized.  I have been a bit of a PACK RAT and it's not flattering. 

Hard to believe that it's the middle of the month.  This week is speckled with medical appointments.  Hubby and I have labs for our Endocrinologist appointments.  He's due for a scan appointment and a hearing appointment.  I have to go to the Dentist.  I think that's plenty. 

HERE's to a terrific TUESDAY.  

We're off and running.

d

CLEANING UP

FOLDING T-SHIRTS and putting away took a little more time as there were so many of them.  After a few more chores are completed, I will color code my hubby's t-shirt drawers.  I think maybe he needs to have less than what he has.  An over abundance in t-shirts is a blessing, but not a necessity.  Four drawers stuffed full is more than enough.

I keep thinking about when we downsize that our closet space will be small and the drawers even smaller as the vintage bedroom suite we will be using belonged to my Husband's Grandparents.  It's from the 1930s.  Between the two of us, I will have to come up with a creative way to store our t-shirts, jeans, sweaters, sweat shirts, undergarments, socks.  

Going from having a His closet and a Hers closet to one small closet between the two of us, is going to be a challenge that I will have to MASTER.  Baskets on a closet shelf might come in very handy for t-shirts, socks and underwear.  Folded sweaters and jeans will make be stacked on a shelf as blouses, shirts, slacks and skirts will hang on rods.  A smaller rod will hold dresses and dress coats.  This is how I imagine it.

I emptied the metal rack on wheels of hanging clothing that is in the Kitchen.  This is where I allow the freshly laundered clothing to air dry for the time being.  All put away as I had hoped.  Now I have started hanging clothing on it that will be turned loose of.  That mess I said I was going to make has begun.  As we gather up things to turn loose of, the house is looking like we are getting ready to move.  It'll get worse before it gets better.    

We deliberately scoured the basement for things to turn loose of.  A basket full of small figurines I cherished and treasured while living in the rock house were discovered in the basement.  Smoke stains from the 2016 House Fire covered all the lil treasures.  I hadn't the heart to pitch them... still they were ignored all these years so I'm using All Purpose Cleaner by Watkins.  I can only clean one at a time with the cleaner and an old toothbrush.

The stains are coming off pretty well.  After the house fire, these figurines were taken by Service Master to clean and came back to us not cleaned as we were told they couldn't be restored.  Here it is 5 and a half years later and I am cleaning them with success.  They are becoming refreshed as I run warm water over them after scouring them with Watkins.  Makes me think that when we get saved and washed in the blood that we are made clean.   

I can't help but smile that these lil figurines are cleaning up rather nicely.  I have an old bookcase that I kept them in that has glass doors on it.  During the fire, every item that was displayed in the case was completely covered in stains from the smoke that molested our HOME.  The furniture piece was refinished and returned to us.  I will return these little treasures back to the book case and it will be relocated to the COTTAGE when we move later in the year.  I was thinking that I might display my miniature dolls in this piece also. 

Hubby toured the Carriage House and I the bedrooms.   

I went through some old hats that I have collected for years and will be thinning out.  I believe I can let go of some of these for the time being.  Later I may get rid of some more.  Shall see.

More clothing is going away, some books and glassware.  I have a tea set that can go.  Some drinking glasses, plates, bowls, tea cups and saucers.  Teddy bears and puppets.  Old tools and cameras.  Picture frames.  

I looked at the basement Christmas decor and that will come another time for sure.  As I thin out belongings, I am thankful that I do not need them anymore.  Someone else can be blessed by it.  May they use the items in good health.  I can clean up around here as I am being cleaned up in a different way.  I don't have to be afraid of turning loose.  Bye bye.  

I bought a new boom from the hardware store over the week-end.  A good one cost me nearly $16.  I think this is the most I have ever paid for a broom.  Maybe it will last a few years.  Amen.

I checked out three movies from the Library.  We watched them and ate popcorn.  The Sentinel, Victoria and Abdul and The Silver Lining Playbook.  Hum.  What can I say?  

The Sentinel with Michael Douglas wasn't so great.  

Victoria and Abdul with Dame Judi Dench was entertaining to a degree.  

Silver Lining Playbook was terrible.  Foul language and adult content.    

This week, I will continue purging our estate.  I know there will be more of this.  This week I will be busy purging.  The bathrooms need throughly cleaned, the rugs vacuumed, the cars cleaned out and vacuumed, paperwork gone through and the Kitchen porch cleaned.  I need to eat more salads and drink more water.  Walking to continue and praying.

I believe one day the purging will be complete and it will be a great accomplishment.  Cleaning up is taking place.  June is here.  Before it gets entirely too hot, I hope I can go through a storage unit and make some sense out of it.  Hubby will continue gutting the Cottage Bathroom.  I'll be painting the pantry when I have completely stopped coughing.  Going on week number three when Bronchitis is suppose to have ran it's course. 

I have newspaper clippings that I want to clip and mail to loved ones this week.  I managed to purchased greeting cards that I will mail to my Grandchildren to communicate with them that I am very proud of them and love them.  This week I need to order a plant for a cousin who had a death in their family.  

I will be taking my Mom to an out of town doctor's appointment which means I will have to drive an hour and a half to her home and an hour and a half back to mine plus drive her 40 minutes one way and return to her home again, take my Husband to an eye appointment in Topeka.  This week, I'll be having an ultra sound to check for aneurysms and our yearly physicals.

 

Life is good and I will praise the Lord all day long.

The week will be a busy one.

Blessings, 

~d