Monday, May 21, 2012

Organized? Who, Me?


As you can see by this picture of my working area, I'm not a neatnik. Clutter doesn't bother me like it does some people. In fact, I can't work in a pristine environment. I have no idea what that says about me, but I just know it's true.

I'm a collector. We're moving in a few weeks and I've decided it's time to pare down a little. For years I've been asking my kids to tell me what they want when I'm gone. I guess they don't want to think about that and they've steadfastly refused to give me instructions, preferences, or even hints.

We're talking about the Hummels that my mother-in-law gave me, the Christmas plates my good friends and former employers sent me for ten years, my pewter collection, the crystal my mother bought on a trip to Venice, and other treasures.

The impending move threatens to cost us more than we'll be reimbursed. For years our moves were corporate, and fully funded. This one is not. So I'm giving more thought to exactly what I want to move.

I broke down and took some pictures so I could post some of my things on Craigslist. However, I first sent the photos to the kids to see if they wanted any of the "stuff". Guess what? It all went to good homes. The kids decided to claim it all, rather than let it go outside the family. I have the best kids in the world! I guess I don't have to die to get my things dispersed, after all.

I've even gotten rid of a few books. Not enough, by my husband's standards, but I can't let go of my books! Now if I could just figure out how to move my office stacks intact.

4 comments:

  1. You are making me feel so much better! My workspace is a bit on the messy side, too. I tell my husband its because I'm an artist so its allowed. He never buys that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Creative people are not neat! At least not these two.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've got a lot of clutter too. I moved to a new place last fall, and I couldn't believe how many boxes I managed to fill up. It made me go through all my stuff and throw out everything I didn't need anymore, and I ended up throwing out a LOT. It was hard to get rid of several books though (I sold some to a used bookstore), because I kept thinking I'd want to read them again someday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You're making me VERY nervous, talking about getting rid of books. I find that is get rid of them and end up buying the same ones I just got rid of. Hey, I don't see it on the shelf and don't remember reading it--until half-way through the first chapter.

    ReplyDelete