Getting Rid Of All That Stuff (And Call Your Senators!!)

Folks, before I ramble on with you about my decluttering journey, I need to encourage you to call your Senators, and do it now!  A small working group in the Senate has been working pivately and in secret (away even from other Republicans) on a pan that they refuse to share with anyone. No matter HOW you feel about health care, or needed changes to Obama care, secrecy is, put simply, unamerican. And one cannot but help to believe that anything requiring such secrecy must be dangerous and unpopular (like putting 23 million people on the street with no health care).  Please call your democratic senators as well-if only to give them encouragement and know that they are being heard.

And second, for those of you living in Republican districts, if you are unhappy about your respresentation, this summer is the time to get active for next year. In Colorado, we have one congressman that will almost surely lose his seat next year and a Senator that's on the downhill, but doesn't even know it yet, I expect!  Back to decluttering and frugality and...

On Wednesday, I'll be joining some other bloggers and sharing my summer "bucket list", and I'm so looking forward to joining with others on this summer journey. Meanwhile, I am doing my best to check up on those spring goals. Some done, some not done, unsurprisingly.

One of my less than done goals (great phraseology there!), is the streamlining of my bedroom and studio. As I mentioned on another post, I have arrived at what I call the "storm before the calm" in my downsizing process.  In other words, I've pulled stuff out of the closets, but much of it remains unsorted. I would not dare to share a picture with you at this point! !!!  Added to that disorganization is the fact that my bedroom is almost always the "staging area" for any kind of work in the house and you can understand why I am ready for this room to be done (my room is much larger than any other room in the house-it even has room for a sitting area if I ever break down and actually decorate my sleeping space).

You'd think this would be easy. I mean really!!  I'm mainly not a "keeper" and I was raised by non-keeper types. My parents traveled the world with us. But the only souvenirs were one of a kind art or sculpture or pretty things that were "to be used" (think monkey pod salad bowls, delft china hot pads). I mean they certainly had their wedding china, and other traditional "stuff". But four children divided up and disposed of a retirement condo in four days and I can count on my hands the things I have from  that house (marble eggs, china...). My daughter came over before I moved to Colorado and announced that the Lladro statue, and three or four other family things were hers and she was taking them. I was perfectly fine with that.

So what's my problem?  What to DO with all that stuff you don't want or need. Oh sure, some of it's easy. Take some pictures of my various Vera Bradley bags and earn enough to buy a large purse that can also act as a brief case (meaning it's a nice purse, but big enough to hold file folders).  And some of my stuff like partially used craft remnants, can be donated to my homeless women for crafting.

Unfortunately, everything is not that simple. And while I may end up with no alternative, I am trying to avoid the Goodwill/trash/family options.  It's my sustainability gene kicking in I guess. Goodwill does good work, don't get me wrong. But they also flood overseas countries with their excess goods.  Obviously I would like to avoid the trash as much as possible. And with a few exceptions, my kids do not necessarily want my stuff.

This of course is unsurprising, and I expect I am not alone in this.  In fact, there's a new book out, entitled Downsizing the Family Home, What to Save, What to Let Go.  Now, let me say here that I am not offended by my kids not keeping things that may have emotional meaning to me.  I want them to have things that have emotional meaning to THEM. I also (and this is an issue that I know many boomers struggle with), have no issue if they use something in a different way than I would. My general feeling about life, wether it is someting I have made or give on an inheritance passed on is that once given, it is no longer yours.

 Up to now, my solution  to disposition of family stuff has been simple.  I ask them.  What do you want. Do you think you want this?  And occasionally when it comes to things I am using, the question is different. Do you THINK either of you will want my polish pottery place settings? For me at least, asking this questions clarifies the downsizing process. It also encourages commnication among my offspring-although to date the only disagreemet of any kind has been with regards to memorabilia items and easily resolved.

As for the rest, even if I don't want it, I would rather not see it in Africa, or in a land fill. And with a few exceptions, I'm more interested in having this gone, than receiving any kind of money. A garage sale is probably not in my future. Good crafting stuff has temporarily gone into the "Can I use it to make an item and then sell it pile", and the purses have been sold. Other than that?  I've listed outgrown clothing in lots on my local Facebook swap page.  The craft stuff that could be used by not by me goes to a shelter for crafting. My old day planners (the leather ones), also on the swap page. A few old clothes cut into rags and some sweaters cut to upcycle with.  And so it goes.

And now, time to work instead of write. And maybe I can find my way to bed in the dark once again.