Treasure Hunting aka Decluttering

The week of Thanksgiving, as I was switching my winter clothes into the front of my closet (Winter comes late in Houston; in fact, this year it hasn't come at all.) I had an inspiration: I would clean out every closet, every drawer, every cluttered nook and cranny of my house, even my garage. I figured I'd be done by the end of 2012. Surprise! I became so obsessed by the idea that I finished today, barely three months after I began. This is why I haven't been blogging regularly; I just couldn't stop cleaning.

I am sooo pleased with myself. I have gotten rid of at least 50% of the stuff overflowing my closets and bookcases and drawers. I have taken innumerable bags to the Salvation Army, sold suitcases full of old books to Half Price Books (I've only made $136 but it's better than nothing.) and I've filled my recyling bin so full I've required help to get it to the curb.

So much for the junk. But along the way, I've found treasures I'd forgotten about: for example, the deed to my parents home, built in 1935 at a cost of $7500. Today that would hardly cover the construction of a closet. I found an auditory training program I've been searching for and figured I must have thrown away. I discovered my husband's baby book and a box of his keepsakes from long ago. Tucked away in a closet were the plans for the house I live in, a tape of my granddaughter's early language (What else would a speech pathologist grandmother save?), pictures of long-forgotten family gatherings, book reviews, birthday cards, and yes, a censored picture Ralph had once taken of me, which was locked away in a little metal box.

My house is spick and span but still contains enough memorabilia (I refuse to call it junk) for my children to deal with someday, hopefully long in the future. The cleaning as tiring but liberating. I'm glad I did it. Now I have to start on my taxes.