May Days be gone...

Hi Guys,

Wow!  When I said complete halt, I meant it. 

I have done nothing with my decluttering at all.  Not a good feeling. 

This is when it makes it ever so difficult to get stuck into it once again.  It feels like you are starting from scratch again and drags you way back to where you don't want to remember.  But life will get in the way and I had to get over that virus for once and for all as it also was holding me back from the 'doing' of all things decluttering.

Have had a weeks break up in Sydney to remove myself from all the duties and day to day routine.  That and family reasons. 

It will be my big sis's 60th on 2 June and I needed to plant something on her grave in Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney to celebrate her milestone.  Which I did. 

The last plant I planted was 10 months after she died and now almost 2 years on it was still alive!  You have to choose hardy and tough plants that thrive on neglect.  My niece, her daughter, has 3 little ones and doesn't live close by to the cemetery and do not wish to add to her 'workload'.  I must say the grave still looks wonderful due to my sister's work.  She is placed with her first born, Lija and Sylv made it look like a Japanese tranquil garden and I am mindful to uphold her vision and work.  Sylvia loved lavender, but the soil and spot just doesn't like it so I chose a low lying Grevillea with these gorgeous small but plentiful pink star like flowers that flowers and flowers for long periods of time. 

Anyway, the break was great and in an area of Sydney I had not ventured into much before now.  Where I stayed the place was like 'Home Beautiful' out of a magazine.  Simply gorgeous.  My friend has worked hard to get her place to be just as she wants it to be and has had 'stuff' issues of her own.  Through the death of loved ones she also has inherited 'stuff'.  It has taken her all of 2 years just to go through the paperwork and shred it.  But finally that part is at an end. 

My friend used to live in a very small house and only recently moved to this new location.  The house backs onto a slope and so has this huge enclosed area under the back part of the house and decking, which enables her to store the 'over flow' of items till she can deal with them. 

This is what I am lacking and I too would look like a 'home' and not a 'mess' if I had the use of such a space.  But I am not in a situation where I can up and move to better digs just yet I am afraid, but it did show me that I am on the right track at least.

I have just recently come back from Sydney and immediately started in my new 'casual' position for The Peter Mac Cancer Foundation asking for funding of their Research area in the detection, prevention and treatment of cancer.  This again is timely as I have to travel far to do this work, albeit parttime.  

I will be, however, starting my foray into all things 'eBay' tomorrow with a little help from one of my beautiful friends!  I am hoping that this is the solution to all that ails me in my cluttered home.  The deal will be I place said item up for sale and if it goes, all well and good and if it doesn't, off to the Sallies (Salvation Army) it goes.

Up and out!

I also have to get the last of my Mum's boxes from my neighbours garage over to my carport, which I will organise some help with next weekend to sort through.  Once the garage is clear of all my gear, it will be in one place for the first time in 5 years!  So I am down sizing.  Before this I had 'stuff' in 4 locations, now soon to be 1! 

My friend who I stayed with also has some very large furniture pieces and assorted gear stored near Newcastle, which she will need to deal with eventually as it is costing her in storage fees.  Her dilema is distance.  We strategiesed as to what to do etc and I know that soon that will be sorted out now that she is at a certain point with her home front. 

None of this is ever easy.  Decluttering and getting rid of stuff especially after loved ones dying is never a pleasant road to travel.  It is just one hard slog. 

I have tried to do this with humour. 

I have tried to do this without whipping myself. 

I have tried not to worry how long it is taking. 

And I try not to get tired of trying to deal with it constantly!

Life is far too short for that.  Live for today for I am here. 

Yes, there is work to be done, but all in good time.  I needed these last few weeks to improve my health and my state of mind.  Without it you just would simply curl up and stop trying altogether and then you are in a world of trouble of another kind.

Little by little you know you will get there.

Little by little you see your way through that tunnel.

Little by little you begin to see the slivers of light.

Little by little you know you are achieving the impossible.

Little by little you know you will get to the end!

It has been my friends who have been instrumental in helping me emotionally, mentally and at times physically through this ordeal.  It has taken it's toll, but if not for my friends I do not know what I would have done or where I would be.

I have some of the best friends anyone could possibly have and it is to them that I say a simple 'thank you'.

No more words required.  Just the knowledge of how lucky and thankful I am to have what I do have and not to ever take them for granted. 

Life is for living. 

Life is for sharing and I mean not of things, but of each other.

I would like to crack a joke right now, but just cannot think of one that lends itself to what I am writing about.  Maybe next time eh.

I am off now to go look for items to place on eBay tomorrow and bring it on... sell sell sell... and hopefully people will... buy buy buy... my 'stuff'!

Toodles for now

A much rested and a tad more together Anita.

ps - My new motto ... Stuff - be gone! 

Okay it needs working on...  cheers...