I am purging my home and a lot of great memories are going with it.

Ruth n Jersey

Ruth n Jersey

Well-known Member
Location
Northern New Jersey
These last few weeks I've been going through my house with a vengeance. I'm having a lot of luck selling on the Market Place. Selling dirt cheap but at least it's out of here. It feels good to lighten the load. We have no intention of moving but at our age things can change fast. I've held onto so many things that made me happy in the past. My large size cake pans for my wedding cake venture, which I loved doing and haven't done in over 30 years. Canning jars, flower drying equipment. All held memories but it's time to let go. An enormous supply of jars,coffee cans and washed out aluminum tins, flower pots of all sizes.. So much I had to put some in my neighbors recycle bin. Heavy old furniture stored in our basement. I got $35.00 for a whole living room set but it probably would have cost me a fortune to have someone carry it up the stairs.
To think of all these years, I've moved the stuff to keep it organized and clean.
I still have my craft paints and my new sewing hobby to focus on.
Yet,I was watching my hubby eat the last piece of store bought cake and was hoping his fork wasn't going to go through the aluminum tin the cake came on. I resisted and put it in the garbage. I'm making progress.
 

Good to hear your making progress.
The price of vases when purchased at flower store or retail is ridiculous. I can't part with six I have on top of kitchen cabinets:
Empty containers of memories...
I'm a hoarder, purging is extremely difficult.
"...at our age things can change fast." So true, cannot think of how those that lack the history of my possession will probably put them in a dumpster.
 
I think the reason that it is so hard for me to get rid of certain things is that it makes me confront the fact that the reason I have those things in the first place is gone forever. For instance, I used to paint, and I still have a raft of brushes, etc., that I have resisted getting rid of but the fact is that the arthritis in my hands has made it impossible to hold those little brushes in a way to create anything beautiful and I will never do that again.

I do let go of things because I hate clutter and useless stuff, but sometimes it is hard to do.
 

Cleaning out the clutter can be both challenging and refreshing. None of my stuff is worth enough to try to sell, so I am either tossing or donating.
I have a friend's brother who went through a few bad years, and is now getting back on his feet and moving into an apartment. Giving him a few pieces of furniture
But cleaning out is great, right?
 
Good for you, Ruth. I've never been one to "save" stuff, so I don't have clutter to deal with. We have a lot of stuff but it's still used and enjoyed. Like my kitchen gadgets... I love to cook and it's fun having a well-equipped kitchen. My husband has a garage full of tools but he still uses them frequently though he has given a lot of them to our sons.

Also there's my huge collection of shoes and purses, but I will be carried out of here before any of those go. 😊 👠👜
 
Good for you!

I'm working on it, constantly working on it ...

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oh' gosh how I hate clutter ' I would love to get my hands on my husbands garage yikes''''' what a dam mess full of old tat ' I never go in because I have phobia of spiders …. so he could have a dead body in there far as I know '
but one day I will get the biggest tip and==== hey presto))))))
 
I am so ready to do this again.....just waiting on the heat to go away.

Most is in my shack and it is way too hot to venture inside it.

A lot was accumulate when my daddy died and Lord knows I don't want to visit that stuff again but I must.
 
Butterfly said:
I think the reason that it is so hard for me to get rid of certain things is that it makes me confront the fact that the reason I have those things in the first place is gone forever. For instance, I used to paint, and I still have a raft of brushes, etc., that I have resisted getting rid of but the fact is that the arthritis in my hands has made it impossible to hold those little brushes in a way to create anything beautiful and I will never do that again.

I do let go of things because I hate clutter and useless stuff, but sometimes it is hard to do.
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My sentiments exactly.

If you ever decide to get rid of the brushes and other art items, if you don't sell them inquire of the art department in a school nearby. They will probably be grateful for them.
 
Seeker said:
I am so ready to do this again.....just waiting on the heat to go away.

Most is in my shack and it is way too hot to venture inside it.

A lot was accumulate when my daddy died and Lord knows I don't want to visit that stuff again but I must.
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Know what you mean. Its funny how we handle these things.

My mother died in 2006...she lived with us for 26 years, and was legally blind. For over a year after she died, I wouldn't dare move anything on the kitchen cabinets or in her bedroom...it was much easier for her to locate something if it always stayed in the same place. That was my way of honoring her I guess.

My mother in law lived with us for less than 2 years, but I've still got her jewelry- a lot of it- and some of her clothing - even her mom's stamp collection. Every so often do "rid out " some stuff to give to Goodwill, but always leave some be, too.
 
Take care. I had one of those 'gotta get rid of it' days during my last move. Every week since, I've wished I had at least one of the thrown/given away things. Nothing of value, just useful one-of-a-kind items I thought I was tired of having around. :cautious:
 
I have stuff crammed everywhere. Most of it, I really haven't thought about in decades. It's not really hoarding, but being a pack rat with a problem. I have to go through, and get rid of it. A lot of it is things like an extra connector to a printer, I threw out in the 90s. Some of it does have sentimental value. But I guess the best way to look at that is, I'm not throwing out memories, just junk.
 
Butterfly said:
I think the reason that it is so hard for me to get rid of certain things is that it makes me confront the fact that the reason I have those things in the first place is gone forever.

I do let go of things because I hate clutter and useless stuff, but sometimes it is hard to do.
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Butterfly, you hit the nail on the head for me. Letting my Vespa go for health reasons and then getting rid of all my riding gear was painful because it marked the passing of something I enjoyed. I felt the same pain giving up my hiking gear, shotgun, and numerous other items which I can no longer use. The passage into a different phase of life isn't easy.
But, I must press on with downsizing so that we can sell the house and move to an apartment.
 
Pecos said:
Butterfly, you hit the nail on the head for me. Letting my Vespa go for health reasons and then getting rid of all my riding gear was painful because it marked the passing of something I enjoyed. I felt the same pain giving up my hiking gear, shotgun, and numerous other items which I can no longer use. The passage into a different phase of life isn't easy.
But, I must press on with downsizing so that we can sell the house and move to an apartment.
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I agree!

It helps me if I'm giving things to an individual that takes an interest in the things and will enjoy them as much as I did.

The depressing part for me is giving them to a charity shop, selling them or putting them on the curb.

I much prefer to give things to a young person, it gives me a feeling of passing the torch instead of burning the bridge.
 

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