Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Have you ever moved?

I'm changing my lodgings. Exciting, right? Well, if you've ever moved you know excitement is only part of the deal. What also happens is facing the reality of your burden of stuff.
     True, I will have more room. But after a trip to my store room, I begin to wonder! As I start to take stock of all the stuff I've acquired, I'm shocked to realize how crammed my storage is with stuff. Where did all this come from?
     Where to begin? How will I judge what has value and what is a throw-away? There are things I've kept for ten or fifteen years but have never used. If I haven't used them for fifteen years, is there a  point in hanging on to them?
     Then there are the surprises--the "I didn't know I still had THAT" reaction. Boxes of supplies and instruction books for scrapbooking, for example. And here are the patterns and rolls of colorful jute I bought for the short-lived macramé craze. I can't see any future interest in either one of those crafts.
     Ah, yes. And here are the boxes that belong to Hazel who asked me to store them "just for NOW." She moved half way across the country. We keep in touch, but there is no hint of "please forward my stuff."
     And what's all this in the corner? Oh, yes, "generous" Linda knew I'd love to have several items she had to leave behind when she ran out of room in her rental truck. I admit I did want them at the time, but they sure slipped my mind. I never even got around to looking at them after stashing them in that corner.
     Ah, but a brilliant idea just came to me: Here is a great opportunity to pass on things to people for whom they'd be a perfect fit. The large linen table cloths I no longer need are just right for Regina, who often entertains. Here's a long-forgotten-but-still-valid gift certificate worth $15; fashionable Alice would enjoy using that. My fancy flower pots should go to Martha; my thumb is black, while Martha's provides a positive aura for plants to thrive.
     OK. That's a good start, I say as I pat myself on the back. That takes care of three items in my quest for perfect recipients. Now there are only--dozens more. This method is NOT the answer to getting rid of stuff. Uh-oh! I see the glimmer of a yard sale.   hmmmmm   That's a separate project in itself. But it gets rid of a lot more stuff all at once.
     So, I'll get the go-ahead for the sale. I'll print up some flyers announcing the event and search out willing folks to lend a hand. And I figure if the proceeds go to the charity that received the money we made on those Franciscan dolls, that will add interest and maybe inspire a few more eager buyers. Do you live near Claremont, CA? Get in touch through the comments below. I'll send you an email with the particulars.
     If you're wondering why I haven't posted anything about Chaucer lately, all of the above is my explanation. Wish me luck. I'll be back when I'm re-settled.
     In the meantime check out my website    celebratechaucer.com
You'll find a link to my YouTube presentation. There are naughty and nice papers I've written and connections for the Chaucer books to download. It's worth a look.

1 comment:

  1. Egad!! Methinks big changes are afoot--hmmm! Methinks that's a rotten attempt at something approaching Olde English! LOL! Seriously, though, what's up, Doc? I sure don't need any more stuff--I'm doing the same thing you're doing! But I'd love to compare notes. Maybe we could TRADE some stuff, huh? LOL!! Jan

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