Christmas is coming up fast and all the duties and jobs that come with it, along with all the invites to celebrations, including those with birthdays at this busy time, means getting rid of the 'stuff', can be well and truly placed on the back burner.
Fortunately, for some reason, my daughter Aija has a bomb underneath her butsky wanting Christimas Eve dinner at home this year for the first time since Mum died. Might have something to do with the new friend! Either way this pleases me to no end, as I could not get the amount of work done in one day like she can. I used to, but I have slowed down.
It has been a few weeks since the last devoted day to decluttering and clearing and cleaning. Most of the empty boxes have been collapsed and gone in recycle rubbish along with what had to go to the Salvation Army (Sallies). However, the broken items are still under the carport, but I may have solved this problem as the new boyfriend's work is in an industrial area and I may be able to get use of the ute and toss some of these items into their skip the night the bin goes out to use only what room is left.
By the way, I got such a fright after the last clean out. I remember 'letting' go of Grandmums rocker and then I vaselated in my head and then thought ... oh maybe ... it's my Grandmums ... it's such a nice one ... and put it under the carport to 'think' about it. Now I thought I had relayed that to Aija as I remember saying just what is on the porch is to be taken to the Sallies... yes you are more than likely ahead of me here. A few days later I drove up to realise there was no longer the rocker where I had placed it. Now to my horror I panicked! My heart started thumping, my stomach churned and I got the jitters. It really was an unpleasant feeling.
I think it is important to bring this up as this is how difficult a process this is and hopefully when those who do not 'understand' or 'get' that this process to purge is a difficult one for us even it you don't get it that by pointing this physical side out that maybe those who tease us will be a little more thoughtful about how far you tease next time.
Anyway, the upshot was I thought to myself... self...'no one has ever taken anything from my carport ever in the 4 years it has been rotating there... (ever changing)' and actually quite insulting when you think of it! I digress, anyway after my initial physical onslaught I told my daughter about this horror upon her return from work and she looks at me quizically and says 'but Mum I took the rocker to the Sallies just like you asked'! Well, you could've bowled me over. It was my fault for not being more clear, but I had to think in a positive vain and realise that this decision was taken out of my hands for a reason and I had to accept what happened without going into a tailspin over it. So C'est le vie it has to be. I still think about it and in due time that too shall pass, but it happened and there was nothing more I could do to change that.
Maybe this was a silver lining to the process and one that I am slowly accepting and gaining some understanding about. Time will tell.
This is what went to the Sallies last time round here on my front porch (later to realise including my beloved Grandmums wooden rocking chair) which now has the next lot on it already...
This is what my couch/divan looked like while doing the last clean up in the lounge room.
Couch to sit on...
Again, Aija set this time round set 2 days aside. This very weekend it so happens. We are halfway through. We started with the bathroom as I had stuff in the bath ... and go figure we want to have a bath ... I know it sounds tragic doesn't it, but the foot massage bath and other items had no where else to go. Any way, that foot massage bath has now found a new home with the Sallies and the rest of the bathroom is clear and sparkle larkleing.
While she was busy doing that, I got stuck into the lounge room once more to restore order, thankfully only a mini task this time round and then headed for the papers by the computer in the dining room. I then moved onto clearing out the stuff in the laundry to get to Mum's old Singer Tredle Sewing Machine, which was under a mountain of boxes and 'stuff'. I wanted to clean the old tredle up and put it on show and enjoy it yet still keeping it in that well used look as it had been to then sit in the lounge room by the window it's new home.
This was the spot I wanted it the Singer Tredle Sewing Machine to go.
Here it is now.
Up a little closer...
I cannot believe Mum had this tucked away for all these years. It disappeared somewhere around when I was in my 20s which means about 30 years ago! I hadn't even given it a thought till I said to Mum one day while I was caring for her 'what a pity the tredle had gone'. It was then she told me it was in the laundry! What a shock. Of all the places to put it. This was bought just before christmas 1951 in my old home town Albany.
Here is the tin and then some of the contents including the original layby receipts.
The Tin...
and now its contents...
Very much like a time capsule. This was bought way before I was born. Previously, I had thought it was purchased when Mum was about to have me, but actually was bought after her first 2 babies. Lija and Silvija, both who are no longer with us whom I miss very very much.
The clean up was steady and concentrated on the surfaces only and not behind closed cupboard doors. However, some areas I had already dealt with cupboard areas and the bathroom was one such area. It really will be nice to finally have that bubble bath. I couldn't have done it ... really couldn't have done it without my girl. If you are wondering about where the lad was... well, he had been on a school trip to Tasmania and came back sleep deprived and had fallen into a heap and was fast fast asleep not long after helping to a certain degree. Such are school trips.
So here is part of the check list for the general 'first' tidy up and downsize:-
Lounge Room - tick
Bathroom - tick
Corridor - on going
Laundry - started
Dining Room - started
Kitchen - about to start there
Carport - on going
Shed - will be last
Attic - once house done will start there box by box which has all my stuff in it
Bedroom - let's not go there
As you can see by this initial check list there is still much to do and then I have to go over it yet again to make sure that what is behind the cupboard doors that I haven't touched reflect what is on view!
I did a cursory inventory on what I had rid myself of in the last 5 years when this process first started.
First, I have given away couches, dining tables twice over, fridges, beds, chairs, linen, kitchenware, clothing, toys, garden settings, lawn mower, gazebos etc.
Second, I have donated more than I have given away.
Third, tossed and thrown out into many many skips and tips and hard rubbish collections at least another third.
To get my head around the sheer volume I had to think in terms of huge rectangle blocks with the measurements in cubic metres. Basically, I am a visual person so you can imagine how living amongst the process makes me feel.
It came to a staggering 280 cubic metres of 'stuff'. WOW!!!
As you can tell I am discovering some of the font and colour formats... oh dear!
I still have around 70 cubic metres of 'stuff' to go.
Hellelujah you hear me shout.
I am well past my half way mark. Without looking back I would never have realised this. You look and live in amongst it all for so long that you loose track of your progress. It is important to take time to do a stocktake just to see what it is that you have thus far achieved. Unbloodybelievable. I have tears of joy right now I am that happy.
Each effort gets me closer to that homely home I am so hanging out for now. To show off my wonderful wares, tares and memories. Things do have a story, a memory, a comfort and a belonging that most times has no words.
I am just choosing better stories, memories, comfort and sense of belonging is all!
We ended the day by watching 'Avatar' of which I promtly fell asleep half way through. But that was okay as I had a lounge room in which to enjoy it in with my children. Now that was special and nothing could have topped it better.
Woke up early and will do the general house duties such as the clothes washing etc. Aija is off to shop till she drops and Zigis is still sleeping of which I will have to get him up so not to have too late a night as tomorrow is a school day. Not long before our summer school holidays, which will be 6 weeks long.
When Aija arrives home we plan to finish off the kitchen area, as in the bench tops etc. This one isn't going to be so simple, but one that I want to get done so that we can enjoy christmas as well as after christmas I can get stuck in behind the cupboard doors and make even more head way than before with my pal Gabby.
Once you start feeling that you are more than halfway it seems to spur you on rather than stopping you. Strange but true and one that I cannot analyse right now. Don't want to really. Just want to appreciate it for what it is. Nothing less nothing more.
This quote does not apply to my 'stuff' though... here it would more likely be 'Less is more' which would be more appropriate.
Chookas from one very tired Anita yet very very pleased.
ps... take care over the silly season and stay safe.
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