What is this crazy photo, you ask? This is six city garbage bags on our curb, full of things we do not need any more, and which can not be recycled or donated to charity. Last week we had one not-quite-full bag, which is our typical trash day experience. What a week we have given ourselves!

On top of that, I took 18 paper grocery bags full of clothing and household items, to a charity resale shop near our house. Included in those items were a good number of business suits and dresses, wonderful clothing I once wore every day. The one dry cleaner tag I found with these items was dated 1998. I think it is time to lighten the load, don’t you think?

Brian and I married about 12 years ago. I moved my daily-living items to this house at that time, but I kept my old house as an art studio. It was less expensive than renting a smaller studio space would have been. I finally sold my house in 1999, when I made the jump to 100% self employment.

Well, you can imagine that a person just starting a new life probably is too distracted to do everything on her plate as well as needed. I moved the remaining items from my old house into boxes. Many of them containing fabric, clothing, and/or sewing gizmos were stacked on the floor in our closet area.

Since I could take care of my daily clothing needs in that area, I just went forward with life. I mostly did not deal with the seemingly huge number of boxes I needed to address.

Well, about a year ago I emerged from a low-energy fog caused by a number of food allergies, some of which were very hard to pinpoint. I now experience good health and my mental focus has returned. I have become able to deal with the letting go. WOO HOO!

Ironically, the closet area is tidy and the attic is holding a lighter load… but the living space? My office? Still messy.

One day at a time, right?