I have heard it said that junk is something you keep around for far too long and throw away 2 weeks before you need it. And I agree.
Therefore as I see in my minds eye, using plenty of imagination and wishful thinking, and the approach of Spring, I am again contemplating Spring cleaning. And, and possibly most important, always keeping in mind that "one mans trash is another mans treasure."; I have gathered together boxes , some of those super strong and stretchy Glad trash bags, markers and a heap of packing materials { those flimsy plastic bags from the grocery work well} . Yep, entirely too ambitious for me, I thought as I surveyed my clutter fighting tools, which are right next to the mop bucket, window spray, paper towels etc etc etc.
It was defiantly time to sit down with a large glass of water and make a plan, beyond labeling the boxes, with my new magic markers which came in some of those handy dandy flimsy bags. There should be a box , OK, several boxes for what I want to keep, and a box for things that can be recycled, and one or two for donations, and of course a snazzy stretch trash sack for the true junk.
I quickly filled up a few donations boxes with nice jackets that no one ever wore and books that probably were never read, a small box of holiday decorations and a big heap of curtains that didn't fit the new windows. There were a few projects that never made it any farther than the fancy stretchy Glad bags, and some shoes that were passé to say the least. As the mystertious "they" do say everything comes back into style except shoes. So far I had nothing in my for the yard sale box, which was OK because I needed to used the "yard sale" box for some excess donations. And at best I find Yard Sale tedious, if you drive up to my sale in a Mercedes Benz, are dripping with tacky but real jewelry, or are wearing shoes that cost more than my refrigerator, and ask for a better deal on 25cent items, you will not be pleased. Obviously a career in retail is not for me.
Though I had resisted the urge to save anything, a few books did find their way into the "keep" box. And then so did a few souvenirs, and I set aside a small collection of stones, shells and beach glass left me vowing that I would get a shadowbox to put them in the nest time I went to the Mall. And I will continue to resisting the urge to save everything as I progress through the house.
To many years of "hillbilly ingenuity" , "use it up, wear it out make it do or do without" and "slap dash and patch" have defined my existence and after all these years I can't just turn off "might need that someday" because I have found that to be a virtuous trait just too many times. I have prided myself on reusing and repurposing things for years. And sometimes to the point of silliness, consider the range of old pots, pans, pails , diaperpails, basins all things I would drag home from walks through the woods, if it will hold soil I will turn it into a planter.
Sweeping and mopping, dusting and washing, cleaning every little nook and cranny, routing all of the cobwebs, even dusting the lightbulbs. really this is a chore for those who are so totally bored, that anything is better than dwelling on the "Cabin Fever" they must be trying to forget. And besides I need, I NEED some new curtains. Did I say new, yes I really did.
"Somewhere in my youth or childhood", I learned about Fall and Spring cleaning, but I never learned how. Once upon a time there were probably a lot of particulates and soot from the wood and coal heat, and a general settling of dust. Many other things that I can not even think of, needed attention, I feel sure. Possibly even new curtains might be required. Well it could happen. Some years ago I watched a PBS series called the "1900 House" and one episode featured spring cleaning. Among the jobs were to disassemble all of the bed frames and after dusting and wiping them down the springs were painted with a mixture of salts to prevent the spread of disease, tea leaves were spread on the carpets and then swept up to remove dirt. Who thought that stuff up? Lets hear a mighty cheer for , spray cleaners, Swiffers and paper towels.
Returning now to my weighty chore, with a better attitude, for a few minutes anyway.
