Tidying
Over the weekend and yesterday, I read Spark Joy, Marie Kondo's odd little book about the joy of tidying. I don't buy into all of it, but it did get me moving to clear out some things. I dumped dozens of brooches and clip-on/screw on earrings I no longer wear. I got rid of a jewelry box and am well on my way to consolidating the jewelry that remains and emptying a second one (maybe even a third, and fourth!). I took a huge stack of records to The Record Centre and touched base with the owner, so plans are now starting to burble for summer swimming (his wife and I met through swim club but we now swim in different locations). Another large box of stuff went to St. Vincent de Paul's second-hand shop. My daughter came with me and now she wants to go back to the area and check it out more thoroughly. She loves vintage and funky, and Vinnie's is a very good place to start, plus there are lots of other great shops in this walkable neighbourhood (and the occasional concert at The Record Centre).
Today I made arrangements to dispose of a darkroom set-up that I have never used. I put out a call looking for ideas and it turns out the local French-language arts school has a photography program. It's close to the house, so I'll bundle everything up for them. I really like the idea of at least some of it getting used by future artists.
More mundane pieces include a jack post for construction (to be picked up Thursday or Friday), and all my extra small hand tools, some dolls, and a wifi thingy (for the Syrian refugee project). Every household needs at least one hammer and maybe a few screwdrivers. I have many; some abandoned by Ratbastard when he moved out, some given to me by a friend of my mom's after her husband died and she downsized. I'll be glad to give them new homes.
In other tidying news, I figured out how to book a settlement conference (the next stage to get money owed by Ratbastard) and sent him the notification. Now I just need to file my affidavit with the court and finish my brief. I swear, eventually I will be able to wash that rat right out of my life, hopefully with more success than Mitzi Gaynor had: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzu8ZxBHMWk
Today I made arrangements to dispose of a darkroom set-up that I have never used. I put out a call looking for ideas and it turns out the local French-language arts school has a photography program. It's close to the house, so I'll bundle everything up for them. I really like the idea of at least some of it getting used by future artists.
More mundane pieces include a jack post for construction (to be picked up Thursday or Friday), and all my extra small hand tools, some dolls, and a wifi thingy (for the Syrian refugee project). Every household needs at least one hammer and maybe a few screwdrivers. I have many; some abandoned by Ratbastard when he moved out, some given to me by a friend of my mom's after her husband died and she downsized. I'll be glad to give them new homes.
In other tidying news, I figured out how to book a settlement conference (the next stage to get money owed by Ratbastard) and sent him the notification. Now I just need to file my affidavit with the court and finish my brief. I swear, eventually I will be able to wash that rat right out of my life, hopefully with more success than Mitzi Gaynor had: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzu8ZxBHMWk