I’m not sure if I made much progress this week. I finished Bedroom #1 but one of the drawers took me a couple hours to go through. I had forgotten that this was where I stashed old diaries and calendars dating back to my college graduation in 1969. Eventually I decided to keep them since many were prayer journals that were sobering to read – so I did. Note to self: Always put the year on journals. I spent part of my time reconstructing dates based on which child was referenced and who wasn’t born yet. There’s a big gap between 1984 and 1999. Either I didn’t do much praying during those years, didn’t journal, or lost it. I suppose if I found the missing 15 years it would mostly be prayers of supplication like, “Dear God, which of these 4 children should I worry about most.” (These were the years during which we always had at least one teenager.) Wading through the memories took a good amount of time.
Bedrooms #2 and #3 were quick but not very satisfying. These are now guest bedrooms so the dressers in both of them were empty. The desk drawers, however, were stuffed with our kids’ papers, diplomas, and mementos. Unfortunately, the owners now live in Singapore and Nairobi, Africa. I pruned a few obvious things but know better than to give away those African bracelets or photos. Note to self: The next time each of these world citizens comes home, INSIST that they go through these desk drawers and only keep those things they will need to get their next job.
WEEK 3 RESULTS:
30 Drawers reviewed 20 of which were empty
3 Drawers had nothing I was willing to give away
7 Drawers had things to Give Away or Throw Away
1. Give-Aways
- Several calendar planners. (One was undated and thus could be used any year you care to take the time to put the dates in. One was dated 2002 which means it will be perfectly good again in 2019, 2030, and 2036.
- Some patterns for children’s clothes. I don’t think I’ll be sewing for kids again.
- Office supplies including a whole bunch of paper clips
2. Throw-Aways
- A manual for a sewing machine I no longer own
- A manual for a Macintosh Power Book, ©1997
3. Wait
Jim’s calendars from 1971 – 1981 plus 2001, 2002, 2003. He’s out of town, so I have to wait to ask.- Pretty practical white plastic box that might be good to store something in
4. Keep
- Many patterns that I probably won’t use again since I have little time to sew anymore, but I’m just not sure who to give them to. Are there any takers?
WHAT I’VE LEARNED:
1. Beware of Other People’s Stuff
It’s tempting to want to throw away other people’s stuff that they haven’t touched in years. I’ve decided, however, to give them one more opportunity to prune their stuff before I make the final decision. My rule of thumb is that keeping a good relationship with family members is more important than an empty drawer.
2. Don’t Get Distracted
Since I’m going room by room, drawer by drawer, it’s tempting to also clear out peripheral stuff that I notice near the drawers. I decided I better not since this could escalate into more major cleaning and time. The result would be that something that seemed simple and doable morphs into a major home redo and I then lose motivation. A Drawer A Day feels manageable.
