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Showing posts with label friend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friend. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

I may not have the cleanest closet on the block, but I am working on that!

I have a friend who moved into a new apartment and he has worked very hard to get rid of "clutter" and that got me to thinking.  His idea of clutter and my idea of clutter are definitely 2 different things!  I have spent many years collecting "things" that I really need.  I have 2 bookcases full of cook books.  At one point in time, several years back,  I decided to sort them and only keep the ones I really needed.
So I made 3 piles: One for cookbooks I definitely wanted to keep.  One for maybe I wanted to keep.  One for "never look at these and why are they even here?"  I very carefully leafed through each book and placed it in one of the three piles.  When all the cookbooks were in respective piles, I put the "definitely wanted to keep ones" back on the shelf.  Then I took a closer look at pile number 2.  When all of them were in pile #1, I put them back on the shelf.  Pile #3 was now in pile #2 position.  And I sorted them and they were now in pile #1 which went back on the shelf.
I picked up the one remaining item and looked at it.  I could not think of a single soul that was worthy of having it and it looked so lonely there that I put it back on the shelf.  Now you may think this was an exercise in futility, but it wasn't.  I did exactly what I set out to do.  No, I did not throw anything out or give anything to the Goodwill, but I convinced myself that it was alright to keep all of them because they were my friends!  I love books and I worship cookbooks!
So now I have this friend pointing out the virtues of "purging" and I decided to try it again.  This time I decided on the closet.  Man, there is stuff hanging on those rods that I do not even remember ever seeing before.  This body has not seen a dress draped over it in 15 years and yet there are two dresses and 3 skirts hanging there waiting for the right moment.  Patient little things, I will say that for them. 
Now, last year I purged all my shorts after the summer was over.  In all fairness I did that by sheer virtue of not knowing where I put them.  The only thing I can figure out is that they wound up in the Goodwill box quite by accident.  In all fairness, I decide this year that I am a little old for shorts so I have narrowed the summer selection down to the ones that end at mid-calf.  Those are called something like "capri, jamaca or something else."  I think those are going away this year.
So, into the closet I went with my little bag.  First to go was the brown dress with the necklace to match, still complete with price tags.  Then came a pretty little white gathered cotton skirt with a turquoise band embroidered around the bottom.  I really liked that, but into the pile it went.  Little old for that one.  Then there was a beige almost denim fitted skirt that actually fit me, but there again, it was a skirt.  Then some sort of African caftan, that God only know where that came from!  And a slinky black number with huge blue and red flowers.  What the hell was I thinking when I brought that home!  Also pulled out a long sleeved light blue shirt with a frilly bow-tie and a vest to match.  (I can not picture me in long sleeves, or frills, and sure as hell not a vest!)  There is even a Japanese kimono hanging in there; a gift from a friend.  I can not imagine what my friend thought I would do with that, but I can not toss out something a friend gave me, can I?
OK, so I am setting here at 6:00 in the morning looking over at that black bag and some how that white skirt is peeking out at me.  I know if I touch that bag, the skirt is coming out and going into the closet.  If it gets out, so will that beige skirt and then what?  OMG!  I think I am a hoarder! 
So, here is what I will do...When my friend asks how I am coming in the closet, I am going to tell him "Really, really good.  I have a giant bag!"  As long as he does not ask what is in the bag, I am good to go.  That sounds like a very non committal answer to me.  Not a lie, exactly, and really not the complete and unadulterated truth and with a little luck and a cookie waved under his nose, he may not push it.   Damn! 
 

Another year down the tubes!

Counting today, there are only 5 days left in this year.    Momma nailed it when she said "When you are over the hill you pick up speed...