Day 168/365 It’s time to go, more books on the shelf

       So far I’m been loyal to my commitment to clear off a shelf a day in the parlor. Books continue to land in paper bags destined for the put-and take or the church fair. Others are in piles for friends who have young children. This is when letting go of stuff is at it’s best. I pay a visit, read to the kids and leave the books with them. It makes it possible/easy to let go of favorite story books, books that I read to my children and grandchildren, books that are out of print. 

     Then there are the puzzles. Which to keep, which to let go of? I don’t mind 1000 piece puzzles, in fact they are my favorites, but I like to be able to match the piece to the picture. All those puzzles in which the colors all blend into each other, out, out, out—it’s time for them to go. 

    NO!                                                                                                                   YES!

Day 167/365 It’s time to go, spring and summer flowers

This was written by a guest blogger, my husband

It's October, and  flowers that bloomed happily in pots all spring and summer must now go.... either inside, or to flower heaven.

Sadly, the impatience which had a glorious six months of life are annuals.     They are still hanging on, but their days are numbered, inside space is limited, so their fate is to stay outside and face the music. 

Everything else  goes inside...   The lucky geraniums, cacti, and other  perennials,  get to be coddled and nurtured over the long winter, then moved back outside for another wonderful  six months.

This cycle continues, year after year, and just like their owners, the perennials tolerate the short days and cold nights of winter, protected by hot air from baseboard  and electric  heaters, and on some fine days, the sun.

Day 166/365 It’s time to go, more books on the shelf

      I cleared another shelf yesterday. I know, I know, it doesn’t look like much, but it’s all I want to do on a given day. I’m good for about a half hour.

       I’ll take today off. After all, isn’t it the Sabbath?  

Before                                                                                           After

Day 165/365 It’s time to go, books in the parlor

I’m back. Back from vacation in Italy and back to letting go of things. This month it is all the stuff in our front room, which we euphemistically call the parlor. This catch-all room is filled with books from my teaching days, and even books from college days. Over the years it’s accumulated the family archives, my father’s and most recently my mother’s. My mom died two years ago at age 101 so you can imagine the long lifetime of papers and files to go through. And then there is my husband’s framing hobby, which continues to be bolstered by his weekly trips to the put-and-take.

     I’m starting, shelf by shelf. One a day. Today it was organizing jigsaw puzzles and sorting children’s books into piles: for the put-and-take, the church fair, gifts, and to keep. 

                                             After

Before