Productivity at Last!
I think everyone knows I've been sick for the last few years. And I hate to admit it, but my house does look like something that could be featured on one of those Hoarders programs.
It's for a number of reasons…
In the 1920s. They were raised with the mantra of: "don't throw anything away, you might need it someday." I've contacted the Smithsonian and I'm still waiting on a reply, but there is the history of VCRs in my basement. My parents started with the earliest available model and put it in the living room. When the price came down, we added one upstairs. Remember, these things for about $1000 when they first came out. So when one would break down, it would be replaced. Then it would go spend the rest of the days in the basement. My cellar is where old electronics go to die.
Added to the fact that my mother was elderly and trying to take care of the bedridden son. When I moved in back in 2000, I tried to help, But my mother… I don't know… Maybe she felt a little threatened? Giving stuff away, it just scared her. By the time she loosened up, my health was failing, and so was hers. And for the last three or four years, I was taking care of them both.
I tried wiggling my nose. I did the Genie hair toss. I painted the doorways with lambs blood. But things continued to pile up.
A few years back, my aunt and uncle helped with the Great Purge. I think I've described exactly what a FUBAR that was. Basically, they made a path through.
About two years ago, I hired a woman to come in and she managed to clean out two rooms. And she ripped me off. I don't think I'll be as trusting in the future when someone confides that they need to leave at a certain time to go to an AA or NA meeting. At least I won't pay them in advance.
Then an angel appeared last summer. Her name is Mary, and her brother is my brother's best friend. We filled almost a garage bay full of stuff. Thank God the original garage was an 8 car garage, and my father put on a six car addition to the back. That was his business, and the empty bays are certainly coming handy now.
I promised my mother I would not throw out or give away her things. I know she's in a nursing home and all the family tells me I am a fool to stick with that. She'd never know if I threw out everything. But I did promise her and we have room.
Mary, the answer to a prayer, has helped tame the house. That was supposed to be all she did. A few hours a day, a few days a week.
She's doing so much more than that. She manages to get David in and out of the car and takes him to his appointments. She takes me shopping, and not only does she bring in all the groceries, and because she's helped me organize the kitchen, and she puts them all away. She takes the animals to the vet, with or without me. And in 1000 different ways has made my life a lot easier.
God bless Mary!
The only drawback is that I've become incredibly lazy. :-) which brings me to the point of my long-winded post. ("FINALLY!" Cries Fearless Reader). Early this morning, I completely organized the bathroom so it is finished.
So that makes the bathroom and the kitchen completely done. My room has a little organizing left, as does David's. The living room has stuff that needs to be moved out, which leaves the dining room the only room on this floor to be done.
With the drawback of snow, which is keeping me from getting the car fixed and most importantly my computer fixed, I expect the house to be complete… Or at least this floor by the end of March. It is going to be so good to have an organized home again.
I'll admit that I'm rather OCD about my house. I'm the one who has movies in alphabetical order. My books were arranged by authors last name. I'm talking about 6000 books. That is when I was able to have them out. My shelves were organized by type, and then alphabetical order. Maybe it's the best that I'm single?
So I feel like my house is coming back to life, as am I.
Actually did something on my own! It sounds rather odd, but that's the first energy I've had to splurge on in a long time. Next on my list is the entry hall closet. We've cleared it out, but now I want to decide where to put things.
Usually, one has to move to get this degree of organization in the home.
I'm posting on my brothers iPhone. The voice recognition software is pretty decent, but I know there are some mistakes in this post. Please disregard them.
It's hard for me to reply to comments. But I do love getting them! I sometimes feel like I faded away and nobody remembers me. But I'm coming back!