Just a little update

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. As I reported earlier, i started cleaning out my closet. I now have one garbage sack of business clothes that I no longer use to go to my sister who does use them and another bag of semi-business/dressy casual to go to a local charity that helps families get back on their feet. I have two rods in my walk in closet and now one of those rods is half empty. I love it. I also have one of the shelves above the rods completely empty. Yippeeee! And 2 of the smaller shelves on the side are empty! Yippeeeee, again! I absolutely love getting rid of stuff that I simply don't and won't use anymore. It is a real challenge for me to do this because I am one of those people who thinks I might "need" something and would hate to have to go and buy something I once had. I don't know if that is a hoarder type mentality or just frugal or maybe a little bit of both. I do know that it is freeing to get rid of stuff. our society is so focused on having more and more "stuff" that we are emotionally and spiritually smothered by our "stuff". Some "stuff" is easier for me to get rid of than other stuff. Obviously, broken or damaged is easy to toss in the garbage. Books are another easy thing because we use a book trader and simply trade them for more books. We do keep an extensive library and have tons of books in our home, but I do find it easy a couple of times a year to weed out the ones that will not be read again. The kids toys are easy to get rid of also and this is next on the list of downsizing our "stuff". Each little area that gets downsized, is a little more spiritually freeing. Sometimes, the first time through it is hard to be really tough in getting rid of things. Each time you go through something it gets easier. I love shoes, so my shoes are also a tough issue for me. I have some that are absolutely worn out, but I like them so much and find it hard to toss them out. However, shoes are coming soon. I will spend the winter getting rid of what i do not need or do not use. I plan to be harsher in my judgement than I have ever been. We still have tons of boxes of "stuff" that came from my mother in laws house when she passed away. Some of it I plan to use, but it never made it out of the boxes because we had no place to put it. The bad thing is that most of our "stuff" are family heirlooms. Most of our furniture belonged to grandparents, great grandparents etc. We have very few things that we bought for ourselves. So we have to be extra harsh on the little stuff that we have bought or were given that is not an heirloom so that we don't get overwhelmed. I love our heirlooms and they will one day go to our children when they begin to set up their own home. i don't really know what to do about my artwork. I have a art gallery at home and more artwork than I can hang on the walls. I am an artist, my grandmother was an artist, and my mother in law was an art collector and so was my mother. Most everything in the house is an original and they all have a story behind them. There is nothing that is tremendously valuable monetarily (especially with this economy), but my grandmother's paintings are as valuable to me as if they were a Renoir or a Monet. I was an art dealer in another life and artists that came through my gallery became friends. I have some of their work and it too holds a special place in my heart and home because of the face and story attached to each piece. I guess my artwork will always be an issue until the children grow up and much of it can be gifted to them. My oldest is showing an affinity for being an artist, so she may one day wind up where I am.....too much artwork. Much of my own work that has not sold, I will donate to charity auctions so that does help thin out the overstock. I have not painted in awhile. I am sure the bug will strike again one day when things settle down a bit. It is hard to be motivated when so many things are going on. When I am painting it is an all encompassing obsession. I get tunnel vision for however long the craving lasts, sometimes a few weeks sometimes a few months. So for now, I am just too scattered about with things to do to have that tunnel vision. Anyway, cleaning out unused and no longer needed items is great! i love the freedom that comes with letting go of "stuff". Slowly, but surely things are getting to be more efficient and organized. Yes, i am a bit obsessed with being efficient and organized. The closet is finished despite this nasty cold and i now vow to not start another project until others that I started are finished. Now let's see how long I can keep that vow! Have a blessed day!