a journey

Several weeks ago while I was trying to muster the energy to attack my house again. I typed in clutter to the google search engine. Wow, I got sucked in for the afternoon! But it's been a journey well worth taking.

I've really been struggling for several months with my house and my life. I know that the last four years were intense and that it had taken a toll on my health. By last summer though, I was pretty much back to normal....health wise, I may never get my mental state back!

So then the plan was to tackle the house chaos and get back to living life. Right......not so much on the house anyway. I've really struggled to make any kind of inroads on the house. I did manage to get the kitchen painted, thanks to a wonderful friend and her help. I did manage to get the living room painted, thanks to the kids and Christmas coming.

But I still have no pictures up in either and I have not fixed the cabinet doors.

And I'm still very overwhelmed about the house. I had a dialog last week with Brent about this. I had been casting back into my brain trying to pinpoint when I was the happiest. And it is at a point in time when I had minimal stuff and maximum time for going places and experiencing life. So I want to get back to that.

I am still a bit confused as to why my brain is more energized by the concept of dumping so much stuff vs. selling everything possible to pay off debt. But it seems to be the way my brain works. I was supposed to have emptied the house Jan/Feb of all salable items. However I haven't sold one item.

Now a week after deciding that dumping stuff was the object, our two desks and book shelf in the office have been gone over with a fine tooth comb. The desks have a few drawers left, but the surfaces are much clearer. I would be farther, but half the week is spent in running boys to do their stuff....their active stuff, which recharges me and I enjoy taking them to and/or watching them be involved in. The stuff I want to free up my time to pursue!

When I say dumping stuff, I mean clearing out the house of everything that is excess. Otherwise known as clutter.
I wandered over to http://rowdykittens.com/2009/10/living-with-72-things/ Which is an article about living with a 100 things or less....and then I wandered over to...... You probably don't want a step by step account of my journey that day. But the point is that I found plenty to think about.

I love the concept of living with a hundred things. Especially in light of our current travel plans over at http://onetravelingwoman.blogspot.com/ .

Could you live with 100 items? I like that this author has an excel sheet posted with her items.

I am still pondering why the thought of selling stuff and getting money to pay down my debt stagnates me, while the thought of purging the house of anything excess energizes me, but in the meantime, while I ponder it I'll get a move on downsizing!