Again and again and again... I have had to learn patience!!!

Hi Guys,

I have found out once more what it feels like to wait.  That is eBay in a nutshell.

After you have set yourself up you then have to set up the shots for what you are selling and decide how long and make sure that the end date is a date where it is suitable for those bidding on said items to do so and so on.  You have to constantly check for emails, messages and queries and respond.  Then once the winning bid goes through you then encounter even more obstacles to manouver around and then there's PayPal.  Well, that just adds another layer to your 'to do' lists.  Like as if you don't have enough to do already ... that one invariably doesn't get done all that quickly anyway!

But after having gone through the process I am now set up.  I didn't do brilliantly and I certainly cannot buy that car as yet.  Nonetheless, the diamonte shoes went into a cyberland bizo as I put down no PO Box addresses and this person wanted it to and there has been no ended of tooing and throwing.  But I am sure that will be settled soon enough. 

It so happened that that blog had the most hits!!!  Was my story?  Or the diamonte shoes?  Or my daughters feet?  Never the less it proved a huge hit.  In the end some guy in another state just had to have them.  Don't ask as a woman never tells...

Anyway, then I had placed 3 items of clothing.  Two were bought with one not.  Didn't make anything but am learning as to what is sellable.

The learning curve is steep ... very steep indeed.

I haven't had much time to do any decluttering, but now September has come along and our annual hard rubbish day has finally been and gone as you know and there has now been even more going out this time round.

Here is just some of what got thrown out this time round that really wasn't worth giving to anyone.  However, the 2 bikes went first followed by an oil heater with the lead cut off for safety reasons.  What anyone would want with that just makes me puzzled, but it went as soon as I put it out. 

I mean, where do these people come from.  You turn your back for just a second and 'poof' an item is gone!  Just like that.  Total stealth if you ask me.

I wasn't the only one getting rid of rubbish.  The council only do this once a year and the suburb just looks like a tip for about 2 to 3 weeks as some people put it out wayyyyy too early and others the weekend you are told and then the council don't pick it up that week and leave the whole mess for others to ravage and make the street look even worse by the time the guys who do this work come along to retrieve it all. 

I am more used to a council that provides this service 3 to 4 times a year on call, which means the streets don't look like a tip.

On top of that my lawn mower guy came to cut the grass while my pile was there and I now have a nice unmowed patch where all the junk used to be while waiting to be collected!

But still looks way better than it was!



Voila!!!  All gone.

But wait there's more!!!

And this is where the patience comes in. 

I deal with one lot at a time. 

One segment at a time. 

One shelf at a time. 

One drawer at a time. 

One box at a time. 

And with each one done comes a small victory. 

More out of the way.

More gone. 

More dealt with. 

But, boy o boy, would I love for this process to go faster. 

Must find more patience...

This picture will show where I am heading next.  One of my mega piles. 

This mega pile are boxes of stuff most will be given away and some items good enough to eBay.  But it must be dealt with and gone by Christmas.  It is time.

Same pile with the POV from the porch!

Kind of makes you want to go and run away now doesn't it.  But, just think, I had at least 20 times more of this 'stuff' that is now GONE! 

It is what you no longer SEE that is important. 

That is why one who has found themselves in a situation of being classified a 'hoarder' be it of their own doing or inherited and in my case both and it was the inherited that tipped my over the edge that you find you don't give yourself credit when each and every items does GO OUT FOR GOOD. 

Because, there is more that you can still see.

It is quick and easy to forget the small victories.  But it is extremely important to add these up and remember how far you have travelled and how much you have achieved.

Here is the other mega pile! 

Being brave now showing you lot these photos.

This lot I have shown you guys has to be either thrown out, given away or eBayed. 

My rule with this lot will be if I need to keep something and take it inside ... two  items inside must then be taken out of the house to replace what is being taken in, so I don't add to what I have there already and lessen what I have inside.  Clever.  I will do this. 

I call this the 'Addis' factor.  It is a suggestion one of my friends made to me long long time ago and now finally being implemented.  Hey, Addis!  What do you think of that?

Even though I have downsized from 2 and a half houses to maybe 1 and a quarter, it still is alot of 'stuff' for me to deal with. 

I still after tackling this lot have the last areas to go through:- 

The small shed. 

The lot (not much) at the side of the house. 

And last, but not least the Attic. 

Then a serious look in cupboards and shelves that I haven't tackled and then my job is complete.

I make it sound like a piece of cake don't I now.  But it is far from that. 

I have to keep reminding myself that little by little I am getting there.  That light at the end of the tunnel isn't so small any more. 

I have to keep reminding myself not to be ashamed of having found myself in this situation.  That in time I will be out from under all this 'stuff'.

I have to keep my sense of humour and know that in the end I will still be able to do just that.  Laugh freely.

Just as long as I keep finding my 'patience' that is.

Cheers guys

hope you stick at it also

from not so impatient Anita

ps... another huge bag of clothes is out the door tonight as well...  gotta love that! And again ... chime in any time. 

Why Hoarders are shy and try to hide!

Hi Guys,

Well, I haven't written for a while now, as I have just started a new job! 

Finally, after 5 months of looking I now have my dream job.  After I catch up on debts, I will be able to 'pay' others to get my work of decluttering done more easily and with less stress involved for me.

This new Dashboard 'blog' look is very useful.  I get to see how many have read my blog and an overview from where! 

At first I thought I was writing to myself only.  Now it appears there are those out there as far as Alaska reading about my efforts to declutter my 'stuff'. 

Why I can say we are a shy lot --- and those who know me know that I am NOT shy --- but when it comes to my clutter I do get very 'antsy' for a better word, when someone says they are coming to visit me!!!  Now that sends shock waves right through me and into such a dither that I just want to go and hide away somewhere till it is all over.  They don't know that it was double trouble and has taken me over 5 years to get to this point in my decluttering!  All they will see is the 'mess' and not the 'progress'! 

This is where I find myself 'explaining' my situation.  Invariably, all say 'don't worry about it'.  But, hey, guys, get real... we will still worry and fret.

It even happened to me in reverse the other day as I was to meet up with friends and ended up with me visiting a friend who was at another friends house.  The friend's friend was saying 'no no no' in the background (we were on a mobile/cell call) and thankfully my friend said she was not keen on me seeing how her 'home' looked.  To which I said 'she should see mine'!!!  I did end up there and I did manage to settle her nerves, fears and worries and told her of my situation and she relaxed.  And to be quite honest we were on par and just goes to show there are many of us out there struggling in silence alone, which is so unnecessary. 

This is why I decided to not hide any longer.  We can find comfort and solace in communicating with each other who understand the struggle.  Instead of hiding, we should come out bold as and help ourselves and each other without the shame and judgement that is always there in the air lingering like a bad smell.

Why I also say we are a shy lot is some have found me on facebook and communicated with me directly their horrendous problems that would be difficult to overcome.  Yet, not one person has commented on my blog directly.  I can understand this as that would then highlight that you may have the same issue.  I decided long ago to not worry too much about what others think and let it as they say in comedy's 'let it all hang out'!

Till then I lived in shame and horror against judgement about my plight and situation by those who were judging without knowing the full story.  This is human.  This is normal. This is what we ALL do, even me.  One day I will be brave enough to place photos of my progress... those photos that I have dared to take.  Like as if there is no evidence then no one will be the wiser and I can easily fool myself and whitewash it much more easily that it never really existed.

So if you do feel so inclined to chime in, whether you have a struggle with 'stuff' or not, please do.  As this is a forum to help each other where all judgment is left out of the equation.  Not one person has ridiculed me for writing about my journey.  If anything, I have had only pure support, which has helped me enormously.

So please try not to be shy.

Onto my next efforts, which is that I have a 'hard rubbish' collection the local council organises once a year where I live. 

My adult daughter will help, but lord knows in what state she will be in seeing she only got in around 3am. 

My teenage son is to help also.  And again lord knows in what state as he is still at a 'sleep over' at a mates place overnight and that usually means one cranky dude rocks up.  This time he is bringing a mate along to help as well.  So two cranky dudes.  Oh what fun.

My saviour will more than likely be the last minute offer of help from a longtime and dearest girlfriend. 

I am sure between the sleepyheads and the two of us shall fill the nature strip (curb for those in the US etc) in no time.

Then I have to get the yard ready for tree lopping and clearing.  It is all taking shape.

After getting the weeds in the front yard removed, surprisingly people in the street began smiling and commenting as they walked passed my home.  All very friendly all of a sudden! 

Also, a few of my friends felt compelled to tell me they drove passed my place as they no longer recognised it!  Now I do think that is going too far... no matter how funny it is... no all in good humour.  At least this means I am making progress, as slow as it is.

Now all I have to do is kill the grass, clover and wondering dew and after a while, now thanks to my new job, get a crap load of mulch to suppress the regrowth.  I have 'Wild Iris's' to mass plant and they should clump out for a low maintenance garden bed in our dry aussie harsh climate.

This shot was taken not long after the weeding of the front and side.  If you take a careful look under the carport you will see what is left to be sorted through.  Not ideal as it is cold in winter and one does not feel like sorting out in the elements, which tends to halt my progress.  Even though I look like that british show from years gone by, 'Steptoe & Son', under the carport, it is the only area I have to store the 'stuff'.  At least it is all in one place now.  But there is more inside to be dealt with as well... the carport is not the only area to be dealt with by any stretch of the imagination.
 
Wish me well with the 'hard rubbish' today that I will be dealing with shortly.  Will try and take a photo as a momento to remind me that I am 'getting there'.

Happy decluttering everyone and will check in soon with more updates.

Cheers to one and all
from one 'getting' very happy Anita