Corralling

Just beginning...

As we inch closer to our final moving day, I can't deny that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.  In just over 48 hours I will be officially homeless. But unlike some folks who find themselves in that situation by the circumstances life has thrown their way and many times not by their own choices, mine is completely by choice. In the last couple of days we have filled a 10x30-foot storage unit and it looks like there has not been a dent made in the stuff in my house. Right now we're just taking the "small" items on our own, so as to make moving day easier and more streamlined when the movers arrive. So how do you fill up an entire storage unit and where have all those objects been hiding? Safely within the confines of the absolutely amazing closet space I have had in this house. 'Tis a blessing, but also a curse. I've always hated basements and attic storage because if you have a basement or attic, you WILL find stuff to fill it. Ditto for numerous and extra-large closet spaces.  I've found things lurking in the backs of closets that I forgot I even had, let alone have used in the two years we've been in this house. But in all fairness to me, I also have noticed quite a few items in the process that have found their way into my stuff by virtue of the fact that they were my parents' and I simply cannot part with them. At least not right now. 

So the hubs and I have been talking about why, why, why it seems that we have so much stuff. Is it that we cannot live without it? We all know that's nonsense, because if we have a bed and a pillow to lay our head upon at night, a few clothes to put on our backs, and a couple of pans and dishes to have for food, you officially have everything you need to exist, right? I wish beyond wishes that I will one day get to the point where things don't matter so much. And it may be hard to believe, but I have pared down, I really have. But it is so easy to bring stuff into the house and fail to take stuff out, which is one of my own rules I've broken lately.  For example, I've been on a mission in recent months to replace many of my throw pillows (I use throw pillows A LOT in my decorating), but instead of donating the old ones to Goodwill, I still have them. Other things I can't seem to part with? The aforementioned parents' items. Even though I've struggled to find a place for it, I simply cannot get rid of my mother's wicker bench. She bought it and she loved it, so I love it too. Boxes of old cards and love letters my dad sent my mom during the Korean conflict; have to hang onto those -- after all, they're history, right?! The gold and black china my sweet mother-in-law gave me before she died which I haven't used in probably five years. But she gave it to me and to give it away would be giving away a piece of my heart. We've lugged some of our kids' stuff around for years. Like boxes of outgrown baby clothes, boxes of pottery, old yearbooks, old prom gowns, even bicycles! Come on, kids, you gotta come get your junk!

In the race to find a spot in the storage units for all the treasures (haha) we own, whether it's a box of greeting cards dating back to 1995 (I'm turning into my mom) or a ragged crazy quilt that belonged to my great-grandmother (which is starting to dry-rot, by the way), we are attempting with passionate abandon to find a place for each and every thing. Right now it's taking up every moment of every day, crowding our minds with the dilemma of how to best house all these items safely and securely until we have found a new home for our babies.  And I just pray with my whole entire heart that I have some closet space! I can see us now on moving day. After the last floor is mopped, the last toilet cleaned for the new owners and the door locked behind us for the final time, we will get into our fully-loaded-down automobiles to find a hotel room where we can sleep for a couple of days before beginning the real work. And that is finding a new place to flip, but not before we fill it with our stuff and hunker down for awhile.  

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By day's end, this 26-foot truck was completely filled!

Hubby taking a much-needed break; he's the hardest-working person I know. Me, on the other hand...

So thankful for a beautiful evening to move...cool and clear...see Mr. Moon looking down on us?

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So for now our stuff remains with us. We have sorted and re-sorted, filed and re-filed, considered and re-considered, and accepted the fact that our life right now is a bit crowded with things that we pack, unpack, and once again find a place for not only in our hearts but in the house, no matter its size. Or at least until we wake up like crazy fools one day and get rid of it all! But some day in the future, as we've sold our final fixer-upper and pared down all the baggage we can pare down, I look forward to hauling "all my stuff" to my forever home in a pull-behind 4x6 trailer or maybe just a van loaded with the bare essentials for daily living.

Or maybe everything in the hatchback of my little Nissan.

Or maybe everything into a beach bag...my swimsuit, a blanket, and directions to the nearest beach where we can ease into our ultimate profession...total beach bums with all our possessions in that (very large) bag, with nothing but time on our hands, listening to the water swell along with the catch of the day swelling in our very-contented bellies.

Hey, it could happen.

I do believe my mom kept every single solitary greeting card ever given to her...note the dates, carefully cataloged all the way back to the seventies!

I'm a self-confessed pillow hoarder...is there a rehab program for pillow addiction?