A picture is worth...a lifetime.

Well, today I started going through the pictures. Many years ago, when we moved from my childhood home, I somehow became the "keeper" of the family pictures. Both sides of the family. Old black and white photos of unknown relatives, pics of my famous Grandfather, Skip Nelson,(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3-2R7wUsf0) my own baby pics, and thousands of pictures, bringing me to the present. 

Again, as with the books, I have been boxing these up and moving them, as they have multiplied, for more than 20 years. I have given many away, sharing with my sister....but still the boxes grow. Now we have the pictures from Mike's family as well.  

I made it through two boxes today. Tried not to linger when I got the puppy pics of my beloved Nala, whom we just lost at Christmastime. Or when I got to pictures of my mother. Resolved I would not cry. 

I ended up making four "piles". Pics for myself, my sis, my dad, and the trash (recycle bin). I have always felt a bit strange about that last category. I have come to the realization that if they are in a box, and nobody EVER looks at them, and they are blurry, random shot of nothing...they can go. It's ok. I am ready.  Two boxes boiled down to a half a box.

The quest continues......

Spring Cleaning

Well, I have begun the process. Cleaning. Going through boxes. Downsizing. Simplifying. The first task was to decide what to do with it all. Toss it? Sell it? Donate it? The mere thought of holding a yard sale, watching the vultures sort through my belongings with a judging eye, only to offer pennies for what was once priceless to me, was more than I could bear. An Internet search yielded the answer: Donating the items to the Vietnam Veterans Association (http://www.scheduleapickup.com) was the first option, and they would take books, household items, and clothing.  Winner!!!

Books. Books everywhere. I recently went to the home of two university professors, and I no longer feel so bad about the number of books I have accumulated, but I still want to downsize.  As I began to carry box after box of books down the two flights of stairs, I reflected on the fact that I have carried many of these books around since I left home at 20 - 20 years and about 9 or 10 moves later, I am still carrying the hardback version of Firestarter. Don't get me wrong, I love Stephen King. But I have NEVER read this book beyond the first time when I was a teenager. And yet I pack it up and move it. Over and over again. This, and hundreds of pounds of other books just like it. I sort with impunity. If they are damaged, they get recycled, in good condition, donated, and certain items, sparingly, we decided to keep. I believe we downsized the book collection by at least 7 or 8 boxes. I cannot say that I didn't have a pang. Many of these older books belonged to my mother. But I think she would understand.  So, this is the beginning of the quest.