Day #116 Cleaning Out Boxes of Junk

How can I possibly accumulate so much absolutely worthless detritus in one room?

Thursday afternoon I had a few hours to spend, and I tackled the boxes of stuff—yes, stuff—sitting around the sides of my office. I hate to admit it, but my usual way of dealing with pieces of paper that I don't know what to do with is to pile them in a handy cardboard box. Once that one is overflowing I set another empty box on top of it and proceed to fill it up.

The third box down had things in it from 2007. Good grief! My recycling bin is filled almost to overflowing.

But I did find a few goodies in there:
            A cat toy I’d forgotten about
            Some school pictures of my children (who are now grown)
            Seven pretty rocks
            More half-used notebooks than I can shake a stick at
            A gorgeous photograph of an eagle
            A gray hat I knitted a few years ago
            And—here’s where the bees come into this monologue—two thin sheets of beeswax designed to be rolled into candles (the package even includes the wicks).

I seem to recall having bought the candle kit originally so I could roll candles with my niece when I visited her in Colorado Springs. We tried it. They didn’t burn very well, which is why I still have the makings of the last two candles. But we had fun doing it, so I guess it was worth it.

I don’t think I’ll go into the candle business.
           

BEEattitude for Day # 116:

       Blessed are those who leave the beeswax for the bees, for we shall make better use of it.

One thing Fran is grateful for right now:

       Netflix   

http://www.franstewart.com

Day #96 Cleaning Out My Closet

Cats wear fur, bees wear fuzz and wings, people wear -- well, as far as I can see it, we have way too many choices. A dozen or so years ago I visited a long-lost cousin in Tennessee, and she showed me through her house. Her closet was the size of my living room. I felt completely overwhelmed. My clothes closet was half the size of her linen closet. How can anyone ever choose when there are so many possibilities available?

Still, even with relatively few choices, I've found that sometimes I put an outfit on, only to sigh and replace it with one I'm more comfortable in. I read once that we wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. I think that's right. Last week, when I was talking with my Master Mind partner, I decided that I would delete a quarter of the clothes in my closet -- all the ones I don't like wearing anyway.

I went through my closet and pulled out everything that I didn't absolutely love to wear. Loaded it all in the back seat of my car to take to Goodwill. And there it still sits, since the ice is so bad I can't get to Goodwill. Or anywhere else.

Things will melt eventually, and in the meantime, my closet has in it only what I will wear with joy.

Of course, this whole past week I've been wearing nothing but sweats. When one is snowed in, it doesn't make sense to dress up.

A quarter of my cousin's closet would fill a small U-Haul. Have you cleaned out your closet lately?

BEEattitude for Day # 96:

       Blessed are those who live simply, for they shall not be confused. 

One thing Fran is grateful for right now:

       All the room I have.     

http://www.franstewart.com