While you still have all your marbles in a row, and are physically able...please clean up and clean out your home of unnecessary junk! Get rid of all those damn butter containers your saving, because you think at 92 you still will be gardening.It is not necessary to save every twisty tie to garbage bags, that you can not even empty yourself. You have not cooked a real meal or had a dinner gathering in years, you do not need 30 different sized bowls just in one corner. Paper towels, left all over the house for whatever reason, mail you have never opened because it is junk mail anyway. Stop ordering things just to be stored in a house that already is out of room. You have not worn that old suit hanging in the closet since 1977, ditch it. You out grew those shorts and tops, five years ago,chances are you will never wear them again, ditch them. Endless seas of items, and things that could be used by your grown up kids, or donated, or sold to help pay for your care, need to dealt while you still can and have choices. Look around you people, what is really important, or valuable that might be passed on now, instead of waiting until you can not remember who you wanted to give it to. would not listen to reason 10 years ago, you certainly are not going to ten years later. So now family must try and sort through a house filled with stuff since 1963. It will take forever, because the house is one thing, then there is a huge garage and storage building to go through. Point being, you will not be doing your loved ones a favor, by saving, hoarding, ordering , and storing useless crap that you thought you could use at some point. Yes, you do have time, we all do...get off your tushy and get busy. Make notes of what and whom you want to give to. Donate, yard sale, make some money and have fun at while you can. And clean out your dang fridge and freezers. The deer meat your son in law gave to you in 2005, trash it. For some reason, the older people get they feel the need to keep everything. It is not necessary and only creates a headache for those you leave behind. Stop worrying about how much money you can leave your kids, and gran kids, and leave them a house they can walk into and say " Yep,I see this won't take long to clean out". Oh, and please, all the cash you have stored in God knows what all over every where... gather it all up and take it to to the bank. You have no idea who will be going through your house at some point, do not leave temptation around. Clean up and clean out you computers also So here ends my rant for the day . LOLO.. afraid all of us here are going to be busy for a while.
I lost me marbles about a year ago, I've asked if anyone's seen them - no luck But - you make some good points, I wait for certain days to arrive where I think I can tackle clear outs, but its one or two drawers and cupboards at a time now Gloria - till the next 'certain' day
Because of our plans on moving, we have been going thru some things. We have a Community Garage Sale coming up in a few months and............yep, there will be things laying on a couple of card tables for sale. If not sold, or to heavy to ship as Christmas presents, off to the Goodwill they will go.
My sister's stepdaughter is having to go through this problem at this time and it's really rough on her. Her Mom died recently and left not only a house full of "stuff" to sort through, but storage units too. She is overwhelmed with having to deal with all of this "stuff"...most of which she has no use for and does not know what to do with. So I agree with you @Gloria Mitchell. If you love your children...don't leave a mess for them to clean up after you are gone. I gave my daughters the things they wanted that I had when I down sized to a smaller place. And I am always looking around our cozy cottage to see if there is more I can downsize on too. It won't take my daughters long to clear out our place and they know if they come over and see something they want...unless I am still using it...they can take it home with them. Stuff we don't need or use clutters up our lives too. It's better to clutter our lives up with meaningful relationships, etc. then meaningless things.
Having to do the nasty deed of putting a loved one in a nursing home. Seems we have argreed to save the clean up and out until fall when its cooler. But since the process will be very long and tedious that sounds best. In the meantime there is still plenty to do.
@Gloria Mitchell - horrible situation for you but a good idea to leave it for a while Or - you could do a Patsy and attend to one drawer (or cupboard) when the urge to do so, takes hold ................
I've had a good clean out in my pantry I've had Tupperware containers for years ....that hold 3 kg of sugar and others the same size for plain and self raising flour ..another for pasta why do I need that size containers when there's only the two of us and I rarely use flour or sugar or pasta I guess we all get to the stage in life where we have a clean out before we think about downsizing or we fall off the perch