Day 14 – letter S – SO . . .

Have you ever had one of those days, (or should I say weeks?) where life gets extremely busy and you feel like saying “So what!” to the whole idea of decluttering?

That was my space for the past couple of weeks. Supply teaching assignments, a sudden opportunity to speak to the local Kiwanis club about “Kid's Company”, my church's after school club, a push to finish my promotional bio sheets, some other opportunities to write, and a bit of personal “stuff” thrown into the mix....you get the picture. Decluttering was the farthest thing from my mind.

I did notice a few things, however, that give me hope.

Once you experience that sense of peace when you walk in the front door, being greeted by delicious open space rather than the “Oops, I forgot to put that away” sort of entryway; when you walk into the kitchen in your early morning daze, and no longer see last night's dishes drying in the rack, or worse still, waiting to be done; when you don't have that “Oh, no. I can't” feeling about inviting someone home on the spur of the moment; once you've experienced these things for long enough....even for the short time we've been working on this, you get to enjoy the freedom that decluttering brings. Like old Henry Higgins, you discover that you've “grown accustomed to that space...” Yes, I know, HE grew accustomed to her face, but WE, we can grow accustomed to that sense of freedom in our home. As Martha would say, “That's a good thing!”

Even though I was falling off the wagon, so to speak, on my decluttering mission, I kept having little spurts to keep the process going. For one thing, I started getting up earlier, even setting the dreaded alarm! Discipline in any area seems to have a habit of leaking into other areas of life. For that I am grateful. I found myself grabbing moments to do my “Boogie Fling” (see day 2) and felt proud of myself when I managed even that small step. Despite the craziness in other areas, I tried (and let me emphasize “tried”) to keep the areas I had already worked on up to snuff. If truth be told even the word “tried” is a bit of a stretch. At times in the past two weeks, I really let things slide.

“Why do I do this?” I ask myself. I don't know. But I do know that I don't like it!SO..... We come back to the question, “What do we do when we fall off the wagon?”

Yesterday I decided to tackle my office closet. Like a mausoleum stacked with cardboard coffins, it holds the remains of my career. I pulled out one and cracked open the lid. Things I will use at Kid's Company are now neatly stored in folders in my new Kid's Company filing system. Things that I have no idea why I kept are safely esconced in the garbage. (That felt good!) Things I will try to sell, and if not will give away, are in their own small box and are NOT allowed back into the closet! As I sit here typing, I can look over and see a little bit of closet floor smiling at me as that area begins to come to life again. The rest of the office....that's for another day, maybe even today if I stop writing and get back to the project!

Something that helps me to get back on track is accountability. I told you, my readers, that I was going to do this. I have a few good friends who will ask, “How's it coming, Helen? I haven't seen a Blog entry lately.” Even though sometimes I wish they weren't quite so supportive, it does help. I would encourage you to tell a couple of friends what it is you are trying to do. Share your successes. Ask them to hold you accountable. If you are anything like me, it is just too easy to give up. We need emotional support, so don't be shy; ask for it.

I think this entry has reached the point of procrastination, so I will wish you a good day and go out to inspect the damage... no, to bask in the successes. Enjoy your day, and remember to stay grateful for small steps!

Day 13 – Letter N – New Ideas

On coming home from work today, I decided to watch a little TV. Oprah was on, and what do you suppose her theme is this week. You guessed it – decluttering! I decided to pass along some of the ideas that I found helpful.

There is a connection between what your house is like, and what your life is like. Does your house tell you that your life is cluttered and disorganized? Decluttering your house will actually help you to improve your life.

The speaker mentioned that it is important to think through what you want from your living space. Knowing that, will help you to know what to keep and what to throw away or donate. That was a new thought for me, an interesting thought. As I ponder what I would like my home to be, the words that come to mind are such things as peace, beauty, freedom, a sense of comfort and ease, a thoughtful ambiance. Perhaps to attain that I need to clear my shelves and only have a few carefully chosen items on display. Those scraggly- looking plants that I am trying to overwinter ...they certainly do not add to the atmosphere! And the collections that I started, when I am really NOT a collector....what is that about? Get rid of them, Helen.

He suggested that one must set strict limits as to what you allow in your office and desk area. I already knew that! It is how to achieve it and keep it that way that is my challenge. Joking aside, it is a good piece of advice. What am I going to allow in the office? Just my materials for my writing? Or am I also going to use it as my bill and records centre? That makes sense since I make my payments on line. But what about the closet full of materials left over from my teaching days? They need to go! My books...yes, I think they will stay, but after I clear the unwanted items, I will have a better idea as to whether this is the right place for them.

He suggested using the same approach in other areas, like the closets, the kitchen, the bedroom. I could add the cellar, the laundry room...you get the picture. As you work through each area, set a limit as to what you will allow to be there! For some of us it would be encouraging to know that he had his client decide what she could sell, and what to just donate, or pitch. A little extra cash never hurts, and if it provides incentive for you, then go for it!

The last idea that caught my attention was his question, “Does your house say that you don't care about what you own?” When you spend money on something, you should value it, and therefore take care of it. Otherwise, why buy it? Save your money! If it is lying around, guess what? Maybe you don't think enough of it to keep it. If you do, then pick it up and put it away in a place that shows it is important. Here he was not talking about precious items, but clothing. Are your clothes neatly folded or hung in their spot? ...a thought for me to remember on those nights when I come home tired and just want to crash.

Thank you, Oprah and friends, for providing these new insights in the quest for peace and order in the home. This week on www.Oprah.com there is a program you can sign up for, Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour. You will find the things I have been sharing and a lot more.

Remember to keep smiling, and enjoy the ride!

Day 12 - letter A - The Appetite is Whetted

Today was a housework day. It's amazing how when you begin to see progress, it whets the appetite for more.

Yesterday I had oragnized a few shelves in my kitchen. This morning, as I was innocently doing my dishes, a sudden urge overtook me to tackle more: the cupboard with my good dishes and all the wasted space, and the one I had trouble getting things out of because it goes way back into a corner that is hard to reach. Aha! The perfect solution! Put the good dishes into that cupboard where they can await their rare ventures onto my table, and use the cupboard with all the handy space for large and frequently used items.

I am not sure everything has reached its final destination, as one really has to give it a trial run to smooth out any kinks. This I do know. I open that long cupboard and see my dishes, and crystal neatly stacked, and I feel proud, proud of myself for persevering, proud that I was open to doing things differently, and proud for finding a good solution.

That's what this should be all about; feeling good in our nest. And that I am ... for now.

Day 11 – Letter E – ESCALATE!

Yesterday I mentioned that I wanted to shake things up a bit today. To be honest, I was starting to get bored with the process, and for me that it not a good sign. It means I am going to be tempted to give up.

I woke up thinking, “I have to do something where I will see more progress.” Dealing with papers is good, but it takes a long time, and well, one can get bored of making progress by inches, so to speak.

With the big Give Away box in hand, I headed to the kitchen. The use of my shelves to house my family heirloom china has still been weighing on me. What could be done? I actually started with another cupboard, the one where I keep my everyday dishes.

You may remember that my house was built in 1870. I think the kitchen cupboards may be the originals! That is probably an exaggeration, but they certainly are not new. They are like old farmhouse cupboards; big, solid, and with unmoveable shelves, with a LOT of space between them. How could I make better use of the space and still have things accessible? Home Hardware had just what I needed. With one of those rubbermaid stacking units for dishes, and a stacking corner unit for my glassware, all for the enormous outlay of about $12, everything I use regularly is now on ONE shelf, and two shelves have been opened up to house items that free up space in my storage unit.

Exciting! Now there is an E word. This escalation of the attack was just what I needed. I can see my progress, and once more I am keen to carry on. After all, I still have my fancy dishes taking up too much space, and my storage area needs to be more efficient, and there are all those other cupboards still to be culled (farm kitchen, remember?), and,...and, ......and ....... You get the picture. My enthusiasm has returned.

So if you get bored, just remember an escalation to an area that will show faster progress can be a good diversion to get you back on track. Keep flinging! Happy cleaning! Take tomorrow off as a day for you. Monday comes soon enough.

Day 10 – Letter L – LOVE AFFAIR

How appropriate for Valentine's Day. But this is not a love affair of the romantic sort. This is a love affair with things. I think it is a malady of the times. We love our things. I watched a movie last week-end called Love Comes Softly, a romance in a pioneer setting. At one point the little girl, who is quite the tomboy, says to the woman in the story, “ I don't see why you need so many dresses. You can only wear one at a time!” A cute line...but with some truth attached.

No, I am not bundling up all my clothes and sending them to the Thrift shop, but I do need to open my eyes to look and see how many possessions I have. Our western world is crazy for possessions; and although I live reasonably simply, I too have fallen into the trap of being a collector of things.

This culling we're doing is good. It is cathartic. As one more shelf is tidied, one more file emptied, one more bag in the trash, there comes a sense of lightness, of freedom. Are you beginning to feel it? I am a long, long way from having my office as I would like it, but in my hour today I made more inroads. I have to keep reminding myself, this stuff did not arrive in a day; it will take more than a day to deal with it. It gets discouraging at times because it takes so long. Perhaps a change of pace is in order. Stay tuned for tomorrow's shake-up!

Day 9 – letter C - CULLING

As we cleanse, we need to release those old things that are no longer valued or needed.

My day began with my Toss, Save, Not Sure, and Put Away boxes around me. I was tackling ONE of the To Do piles that have accumulated in my office. I hate to think how many boxes of quickly cleared papers and other things I have awaiting me on this mission. That was my old method of cleaning.

“Company's coming!”
“Quick! Grab a box and run through the house. Toss everything in it that looks out of place!”

Do any of you have that habit? It would not be so bad if when the company left I dealt with it, but not me. Oh no. Out of sight, out of mind.

And so, over time the piles, the boxes, the bags of untended items has grown.

This morning, with the alarm set for an hour, a small pile disappeared and the collection in one of the boxes began to diminish. Unfortunately there were magazines en route. Even though I KNOW this is not appropriate during a cleanse, I must admit I did flip through several of them. (After all, I had to know if I needed them for research, right?)

Perhaps tomorrow I wil be more dedicated to the task at hand, but for today, I'm happy with the recycling pile that is growing in my blue box.

By the way, I apologize for not blogging yesterday. It was one of those work all day, meeting at night kind of days. It happens to us all. I hope you forged ahead without me. I've heard a few of your success stories...shredded files, clean closets. Good for you. Keep sharing the victories. It adds to the pleasure of achievement to be able to brag a little!

Day 8 – letter E - EVALUATE

You now have some of the daily clutter out of the way, I hope. I am really making an effort to keep the kitchen counter and the bathroom tidy, and the areas that I have tackled so far in the bedroom, notably the windowsill and dresser top. In the evening I try, not always successfully, to pick up the newspapers and put them in the recycle box. If I don't get that far, they at least get put in the stacking area where they can await transport.

In thinking about that last statement, I decided to check how many steps it was from my newspaper chair to the recycle box. Fifteen steps!! Wow! Perhaps with that little bit of knowledge tucked away, that task may never be left until the next day again!

I was not intending to discuss evaluation in this way, but it does bring up a good point. Maybe it is time to evaluate the organization of our major traffic areas. Are they as convenient as they could be, or do we have to go out of our way to put things away? Are our storage areas for frequently used items easy to access. I have been pondering my good dishes, passed down from my family home for at least one generation, possibly more. Right now they are beautifully esconced on two large shelves right above the kitchen counter. (There are 12 place settings plus accessory serving dishes.) How often do I use them? Maybe once or twice a year. Do they even merit room on a kitchen shelf, or should they be stored in a box somewhere? It certainly would make my kitchen more convenient.

Part of what rises to the surface during such decisions, at least for me, is the whole values issue. These are a family heirloom and as such should be treasured. Surely putting them in a box does not show enough respect. Who am I kidding? Can dishes feel respect? Really! When I take it apart and look at it logically, that attitude makes no sense. The problem is, when it comes to family treasures, we aren't dealing with logic, but with emotion.

I remember talking to my sister about this at one point, as I was feeling guilty about not wanting to keep a certain piece of furniture that came from my family home. She told me that when she had to get rid of a treasured piece of furniture when her family was moving, she spent time thinking about the wonderful memories that it held. She was able to hold the memory close to her heart, and that freed her to let the object go for someone else to enjoy. I've heard others say that when you no longer need something dear, you could take a picture of it to keep the memory intact.

“Goin' on a sentimental journey...” Sometimes evaluation takes us on there and that's OK. It may take us a little longer as we reminisce, but that is time well spent in this journey that we are on, the journey of not only decluttering, but cleansing our lives. Sometimes the cobwebs of the past hold us too tightly and we need to take the space and time to disentangle ourselves. So grab your kleenex box, if you need it. Tell yourself that it is OK to let go. As you consider an item, if you are not sure, it may not be the time to let it go. In that case, either put it back in its place of honour, or put it in the “unsure” box to evaluate again at a later date.

May you experience lots of happy remembrances as you tackle the past and evaluate the present.