Decluttering blog 7: Back to the salt mines

Decluttering blog 7: Back to the salt mines 

Thursday, September 20, 2018 

One of the beauties of being retired is that when I have a packed weekend, as I did last weekend, I have the option of using weekdays as my weekend. And I did. Monday was already scheduled, so that wasn't part of it: I took Tuesday and Wednesday mostly "off". 

Today, though, it was time to start piecing again at the de-clutter project with the goal of getting it "tied off" at a good stopping point so that I can pack my bags and head out next week! 

I hadn't mentioned this yet, but the cats appear to know that something's up, since I started working on the decluttering, especially down in the lower level which they've pretty much had to themselves. They greet me in the mornings with more than their usual attention. And they ask to go outside while I'm working at it; they never have been fond of me cleaning. I think they recognize that when I do, it means company is coming or I am leaving them in the care of others! They will really start to go nuts when I pull out the suitcases, though. 

The thing about working on "the kids' level" of the house is that it feels just a tad voyeuristic. I still have to look at each piece of paper I pick up to see if it goes into their box, the recycle bin, the trash, or the shredder! And every so often I trip over one that... I really didn't want to read! But the stuff is too enmeshed to avoid at least some of this, and as much as I'd LIKE the kids to do this themselves, face it, it's been eleven years since they moved out and they haven't yet done it! 

And the dust! OMG, the dust! Eleven years is a long time for stuff to sit untouched. I had pushed the stuff all together so that I cleared off about half the room back in the beginning, but since then? Not much poking at that bear! And the worst part of it? The electronics... parts and pieces in addition to old towers that had been cannibalized by the former residents! 

My challenge will be getting myself to stop in time to pack and travel... but let me tell you, a few minutes addressing this mess has me running to the training session or heading out the door to run!

To show the progress, this photo was from last week: 

And these two from this afternoon:

This should not need to be said, BUT... 8/13/2021 Four days left! Including today. - 8/13/2021 Five Sparking days to go! - 8/12/2021 Only half a dozen Spark Days left 8/11/2021 

And now I'm calling it "good enough for today". Like I said, the challenge is to STOP when overwhelmed! 

 Healthy habits for today: 

• Food is on point between breakfast and lunch. 
• Hydration in progress. 
• Recess was working out with the coach (and now I need another recess as the project has me anxious)! 

 Here's hoping my Spark buds are out there making the best choices you all can, wherever you are on the path to a healthy and balanced lifestyle, on this one and only Thursday, September 20, 2018 we shall ever get!