It's a good thing I'm not
a drinking woman.
But-
on the other hand-
this would be a good time
to start.
I have been so busy the past two weeks
that I feel like I need a vacation ASAP.
(I wrote in an earlier post about
the home improvement project
that we just started).
I wonder if my house will ever
go back together.
I wonder if my feet will finally
deflate to their normal size.
I wonder if I'll ever look at
another paint roller without
becoming nauseated.
I wonder if I could just run away
and come back when it's all done.
As you can see by the photo-
almost everything in my house
has been moved to the garage.
Except for the larger furniture.
What a mess!
But, what's even sadder
is that all my worldly possessions
actually fit in there!
On one hand, it's an enormous
amount of "junk" to accumulate
over the years.
But on the other hand,
Is that all I really have
after all these years?
To be honest, I think that almost
a third or more of that huge pile
will be sent off to Goodwill.
I'm becoming more discerning.
I've almost learned to identify
old-fashioned, out-dated,
gaudy, and just plain ugly
when it comes to home decor.
And clothing.
My girls say I should just
shuck my entire wardrobe.
But, you know they say that
shoulder pads are coming back.
And stirrup pants.
And neon-colored jeans.
Not that I own any of those things.
But, I'm just saying.
You never know.
I'm ready to give up three years of
Country Home Magazine,
a shoe box of dried up craft paint,
two rickety tables,
spice racks,
an assortment of canisters that
never really held flour and sugar-
but dog food and peanuts-
a bag full of tablecloths-
(the red poinsettias
and giant turkey were a bit much)-
and a rabbit fur coat.
I'm tossing out the
unusable flashlights,
dead batteries,
half used notebooks,
bad novels,
ancient encyclopedias,
gold cupids,
napkin rings that I never used,
and the nifty little booklet
that teaches how to make
flowers from foam egg cartons.
But, you know-
there's got to be compromise here.
I'm trying to talk my husband
into keeping only 10 or 15
of his favorite old albums.
And cart off the remaining
75 or so to Goodwill.
But, so far, he's not budging.
I did manage to get rid of
an old recliner we had in the
living room.
It was still super-comfy,
but the arms were a bit soiled
and the footrest wouldn't
recline properly.
I just set it out by the road
so that anyone that needed it
could scoop it up for free.
Within a few hours,
a couple of young boys slowed
down in their car
with some interest.
My son-in-law Daniel was just leaving
and they asked him about
the lopsided Lay-Z-Boy.
"They aren't getting rid of
that chair, are they?
Daniel answered.
"Yep".
They zipped their car in reverse
and backed into the drive.
"You aren't putting that
chair in your car, are you?
Dan questioned.
"Yep", they answered.
And proceeded to stuff the chair
into their little Geo Metro.
There they went.
Off in their tiny red Geo Metro
with a used recliner hanging
out the back.
Makes a woman feel all
warm and fuzzy inside
that she brought such joy
with so little.
I'm up to my eyeballs
in painting trim today.
No fun.
Hopefully,
next week I can sit back-
light a harvest candle-
curl up on the couch
and admire our handiwork.
Until then,
margarita anyone?
