Decluttering Photos

Boy in a Box

I have mixed feelings about photos. When I worked as a hospice nurse, I used the pictures that people displayed in their homes as conversation starters. It was a good way to learn more about the people I was caring for.

I enjoy looking at photos of my own family once in a while, but I don’t really like to see the same image, whether it be art or photo, day after day after day. It’s too static. I do like the digital photo frames that have a variety of pictures on a reoccurring loop. I may get my favorite photos on one of those someday.

Recently, my youngest son gave back to me all his childhood photos. He didn’t want to take them to college. I used the opportunity to go through them and discard poor quality pictures and duplicates. The stack of keepers was one-third the size of the stack of discards.

Photos are a kind of clutter that is hard to resist. There is a historical quality to them, and once lost, can not be replaced like a sofa or a corkscrew. That said, it was easy to discard photos that were blurry, or that recall sad or bitter memories.

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Moving Again!

Okay…I’m still in the apartment and plan to be for a year or so. Nope, I’m moving websites.

For years, I have blogged here about how to make single parenting easier and how minimalism helps that process. I have a few followers who are single parents…and a whole lot more that are minimalists/budding minimalists.

I am very thankful for each and everyone of you who have contributed to the vibrancy and wisdom of this site with your excellent questions and support to the other readers.

Every beginning has an end…and this portion of my life (single parenting) has ended. My children are all living independently of me. And I am moving (there is that word again!) on to the next chapter of my life. I have bought my decrepit travel trailer and have started the process of fixing it up. I will always be a minimalist, so those of you who enjoy this blog will not be disappointed to read the new one. Those of your seeking tips on single parenting can look up the new voices that are making themselves heard. And if you just want to be able to shake your head and laugh at me as I move into this new adventure…come along. I won’t be posting here anymore, except in response to questions/comments.

My new blog is at:  https://smallhousebiglifeblog.wordpress.com/

I hope you will move over with me.

 

Apartment Kitchen Count

As promised before the move–here is a kitchen count in the new place. This apartment is a place of transition. I have gotten rid of a lot, but will get rid of more when I move to the travel trailer (which I haven’t bought yet.)

It has been a summer of change. Youngest son moved out again. He will spend his senior year of high school living in a house with friends. This time, when he moved out, there was no conflict and we see each other regularly. The other big change to the house hold is that Max, the cat that would sneak into the photos, died a week ago. He did not suffer and was surrounded by the humans that loved him as he died. Daughter is back at school in St. Paul and middle son is in Ireland for the year. On with the count.

There are 27 dishes in this cabinet.

5 pieces of cookware

coffeepot, coffee container, cutting board and salt & pepper shakers (#5 items)

bamboo divider and the utensils (#28 items)

4 utensils that did not fit in the other drawer

There is a microwave also, which brings the count to #60. The oven and fridge are part of the rental.

 

With it being just me and one cat, I am not cooking very much. Breakfast is likely some yogurt and a banana. A mid-morning snack is a hardboiled egg and a piece of fruit. Lunch is usually on the road so it might be cheese and crackers or other finger food I can eat while driving. Dinner is a vegetable and a protein. Sometimes, I cook them. Sometimes I eat a frozen dinner. I do not need all the dishes and kitchen items in the house, but I’m not in a hurry to get rid of stuff yet. I will see how the next year goes, what I use…what I do not.

I have not lived alone since 1980. I’m letting the experience wash over me.

The Guest Bedroom

Here is the bedroom that has my daughter and son’s things stored in it. I’m sleeping on this bed while they are away. I’ve bought a gel foam mattress for me to sleep on when they are here, but I haven’t sewn the cover for it yet. I’ve got a month to get that done.

Son’s bed, tables and lamps. Daughter’s mirror.

The closet with the mountain of boxes.

Daughter’s shelf, toaster and basket.

My Son’s Room

This gallery contains 3 photos.

The Living Room (Space)

Since this apartment has an open floor plan between the living and dining spaces, we will just call this the “couch area.” How’s that?

He is heavy, so I put his sweetness on the bottom shelf.

Facing south: the book shelves, movie poster and most of the items on these decorative shelves belong to the kids. I’m just storing this stuff for them.

The new WiFi cabinet

The cabinet by the entry way, is hiding/storing the wifi unit and other electronics

Living Space facing west

A Celebration!

I closed on the house today. Imagine carrying two buckets filled with water, one in each hand for five miles. When you reach your destination, you set the buckets down and your weary arms, relieved of their burden, seem to float up of their own accord.

That is how I feel today. Relieved of a burden that I have carried for a long time. Floating. And then a friend dropped by to celebrate with me: the house closing and my recent birthday.

My friend brought flowers (and she loaned me a vase) and sparkling wine and raspberries.

This little porch is my favorite space in the new apartment. It feels very private due to the trees. I have been having my morning coffee here each day.

This is the view of my little porch from the dining room. See? It is like being in a tree house!

My New Closet

I commandeered the coat closet in the living room for my own.

This makes me happy! It is the perfect size for me.

And here is that mountain of boxes that belong to the kids in the bedroom closet.

Straight on shot

This side is for Patrick’s things

This side is Kathleen’s.

Moving Starts Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I get the keys to the apartment and will start moving the items that fit in my car. Including this mountain of boxes that belong to my daughter and middle son. My daughter is in St. Petersburg, USSR studying and middle son is in St. Louis, working.

At least they were kind enough to box things up before they left town.

Since we are all sort of in transition, the easily portable, labeled boxes will come in handy in the coming year. When beloved daughter comes home in August, she will be packing up virtually all her things, including some furniture not pictured here to move to her own apartment for her final year of undergraduate studies. Middle son, will be leaving in August for a 10 month study abroad program in Ireland. So, his stuff will stay with me while he is away.

On Friday, my brother and his wife are driving down from Chicago to help youngest son and me move the bigger items with a rented truck. We will spend the night in the new apartment. They are bringing their own air bed. Saturday, we will celebrate my 57th birthday!

Exciting times!

Decluttering Before The Move

Here are a few of the things that have left my home this week–and where they have gone.

The bed frame went to Goodwill, the mattress to the landfill.

Chair, pillow, tangle of hangers and waste bin to Goodwill.

These decorative items were returned to the friend who loaned them for the staging of the house.

These items went to Goodwill. Except the books (I was finished reading them) the items were things the kids did not want out of their own stashes.

This is a huge and heavy dead amplifier. I took it to the shop that recycles dead electronics.

More dead (and antique) electronics in the front went to recycle. The chair and bike rack in the back went to St. Louis with middle son.

This bed frame went to Goodwill. The mattress went to the landfill, sadly as it was still in good shape.