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clutter
July 2009 
What are you saving?
Posted on Nov 16th, 2008
by 
mimi
mimi
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for November 16, 2008:
Not much. Not "stuff". It will all end up in the landfill or turn to dust.
impermanence rules!
I am giving "stuff" away daily so I don't have to dust it, wash it, move it, store it, pack it.
I actually had an expensive bar of soap that was 35 years old. I opened it yesterday and used it for my bath. It was Klorane Rosemary and assorted herbs for combination skin. I haven't had combination skin for at least 25 years. It was 1973 when I bought it with my first paycheque after my husband left me. I made $125/week and spent $7.00 for this bar of soap as some big statement of something. I giggle about it now.
The books are going too and the clothes from eras past. Some things I treasured that belonged to my mom and dad, some of my lovely wedding gifts - Moorcroft vase, Japanese tea set, mean nothing to my kids. These are my memories, not theirs.
So my friends who admire anything, get it. This is what my grandmother did. Anything you admired in her house, she would give it to you. I remember going home with a new frying pan, a Wiley Coyote hand puppet, and marshmallow cookies because I made some favourable remark about each thing she showed me.
I am saving myself from clutter and from my children saying, "what was Mom thinking keeping all this old stuff/junk".
impermanence rules!
I am giving "stuff" away daily so I don't have to dust it, wash it, move it, store it, pack it.
I actually had an expensive bar of soap that was 35 years old. I opened it yesterday and used it for my bath. It was Klorane Rosemary and assorted herbs for combination skin. I haven't had combination skin for at least 25 years. It was 1973 when I bought it with my first paycheque after my husband left me. I made $125/week and spent $7.00 for this bar of soap as some big statement of something. I giggle about it now.
The books are going too and the clothes from eras past. Some things I treasured that belonged to my mom and dad, some of my lovely wedding gifts - Moorcroft vase, Japanese tea set, mean nothing to my kids. These are my memories, not theirs.
So my friends who admire anything, get it. This is what my grandmother did. Anything you admired in her house, she would give it to you. I remember going home with a new frying pan, a Wiley Coyote hand puppet, and marshmallow cookies because I made some favourable remark about each thing she showed me.
I am saving myself from clutter and from my children saying, "what was Mom thinking keeping all this old stuff/junk".
Access: Public
awesome! every day, you are lighter. one day you may float away altogether! :)
Well, Mimsie, since I'm coming to see you next Sunday, I'll have a look at your treasures.
Mimi, thanks for inspiring me to begin my own de-cluttering program. I have far too much “stuff.” Giving “things” away to those who appreciate them is a great idea.
save some of that stuff for when Liza and I will visit.
I'm decluttering too. In prep for selling my condo (yes, even in this market I plan to try) I've adapted the philosophy of “less is more”.
I've sold stuff on Craigs, donated a lot, given away via freecycle.
I've even taken to the local charity thrift store a lot of stuff my neighbors tossed out by the curb like a solid wood sewing machine table, a wooden cradle, a rolling wood kitchen island … hey. If they don't want the tax deduction I'll take it.
But I'm keeping the bike.
A metal ironing board went to the local Demos for their use in registering people to vote and tables at events.
The classic French lugged steel frame mixte that a neighbor put on a dumpster and I turned into the lovely freewheel bike that graces my avatar. I'm keeping that and very glad they tossed it out.
thanks all for reading my blog and taking time to comment.
Getting rid of stuff is so therapeutic and why not give some of that stuff a new life at a new home.
Onyl - you sound like my Dad, he used to harvest stuff the neighbours put out for the garbage and would recycle it - to the needy or as parts to repair stuff for people.
We have to stop being a throw away society. That bike is so fabulous and you have given it a wonderful new home.
Well yes, I harvest neighbors throwaways in good condition for all the ecco, kind, giving types of reasons. But I'm also very practical.
Although it's against the condo rules to “dump” stuff on the grounds there are some areas people commonly do so. If these throwaways are in good usable condition yep, I take them to the thrift store and get receipts.
Thrift stores help non profits which strugle in these tough times.
They in turn help the needy and the planet by re-using and re-cycle.
And it all helps me! My tax refund last year was much larger than expected and was helped by this. The refund is a big chunk of my being able to remodel.
So to all my neighbors who just toss things out …. THANKS!! You paid for my cabinets and new counter.
I do talk to my HOA and suggest they do this too with the waste they pick up each week.
I was wondering if i said i liked you could i bring you home ;-)
Well, my wife might object. ;-)
And I'm not tax-deductible ;-)
But if you need help decluttering I'm pretty good at that. It's fun and easy to do.
Just keep me full of coffee and chocolate and I could help anyone to do it.
Very nice-I keep one thing from each year of my life, but when I'm old and gray I'll likely throw most of it away. The notes seem to help my friends a grade behind me though :)
I do have some family heirlooms, and they were Daddy's, and they do mean a great deal to me; and I hope that a few of my things-my writing-will mean a great deal to my children, if I have them. I wish my grandmother wasn't determined to get rid of her journals. But I'm a sentimental person, so perhaps that's it?
Good for you though. ~Dianna
Dianna, I hope you can save your grandmothers journals. That history is so important. Every time I see my Mom I try to ask some questions “what happened during the years that ….” and while I don't sit there writing or recording what she replies, later on I write it down.
I only wish I'd done the same for both grandmothers. My paternal grandparents did write their biography, but maternal side did not. Fortunately my mom has a simply incredible memory.
My grandmother went through a lot, much of it unpleasant; and she doesn't want her kids to see that… but I really hope there's a way to save those journals.
~Dianna