Too many cookbooks: 204/365

Two days into the renewed purging. If I can do a little each day, it will get done—whatever that means. Yesterday I spent no more than ten minutes getting rid of cookbooks. There is more room on the shelf, and  I am free from household obligations for the rest of the day. I’ve kept enough books to lift something different out of the oven and onto the table every day, even if I live to be my mother's age of one hundred one.

Purging more clothes and shoes: 203/365

    Decisions are getting easy. I don’t have as many shoes and slippers to chose from. Sounds simple, and it is. Just one less thing to think about when getting dressed. Alas, I have more to purge, but this is a start.

Turtlenecks and shoes, out you go: 202/365

I’m back, determined to purge again. The forty year collection of stuff in this house has got to go. Every day my thoughts about stuff clutter my mind, or should I say  the thoughts about clutter stuff my mind. I lament to friends but I don’t take action. Maybe this time I mean business. I hope so, in fact I will it to be so. It will just be a little each day but I have faith in the cumulative effect!

      Yesterday it was a closet, not tidying up but purging twenty turtlenecks, three pairs of slippers, and two pairs of sneakers. Some is being washed ready for the spring church rummage sale; the rest is on its way to the dump.

Washing pillows: 201/365

     Again, I’m not getting rid of stuff. Lately this blog has become about organizing stuff. Oh, well, I figure that anyone who want to purge always wants to organize.

     The other day, in all earnestness, the salesman at the local mattress store told me, “Of course, you know that we should get rid of our pillows every two years.”

      “Even my favorites from childhood?” I responded.

     Wow, that feels like one of the worst should of life. I’m not even close. But the man has a point, a really good one. So, I have taken on the project of washing all the bed pillows in the house. Here’s how it goes:

1) Put pillowslip protector on the pillow

2) Wash two at a time--balances the machine; use very little detergent; press the two-rinse button

3) Add three tennis balls to the dryer and dry away; fluff pillows a few times; air dry if needed.

     I use the same procedure with all kinds of pillows, from down to very cheap.

     Hum, throwing away pillows isn’t very GREEN. But neither is all that water and energy that my machines use. 

Thanksgiving hiatus: 200/265

    How pathetic that on this 200^th day of letting go of stuff, I am reporting a Thanksgiving hiatus.

     We don’t seem to be letting go of anything this Thanksgiving week. In fact, I made my semi-annual trip to the outlets to refresh my wardrobe, although I plan to get rid of the same number of item in my closet.

    I do want to share, however, how excited we are about using a U-haul, something that might be of use if we ever decide to move from our home. Jim drove the smallest truck-size U-Haul to help our friend move things from her home in Vermont to our area. Packing it may be more of a challenge than driving it.

Summer furniture out, winter in: 199/365

Summer furniture out, winter in. We’re not really getting rid of anything, but this is clearing up and clearing out that has to be done. Twice a year I switch from blue stripped summer to light forest green for winter. Patio furniture and cushions are stored away in the barn. We feel like bears ready for hibernation. 

All that remains of Camp Fisher is the flag. 

Stuff to recycle: 198/365

The good news is that at the fair on Saturday neither of us bought anything to add to our stuff. My purchases were consumables. I got a great deal on Christmas wrapping paper, and bought a pie for Thanksgiving. I already told you about the puzzle, which will be recycled next year.

    AND, I didn’t buy any jewelry! Actually I never planned to, but I must tell you that there are many women just don’t have enough. They were lined up ready to enter when the doors opened at 9, and in they rushed, knowing where to go, never even glancing at the bake table. I am told a similar line formed at the door leading to the white elephants. Evidently 12 Shoppes of Christmas at MCC has a reputation.