Except the Textile arts you could have easily described my library of books there - add in tarot/divination, womens spirituality and as I said my massage/holistic healing books and that is me in a nut shell!!

Nice to meet a kindred spirit. I actually have some of those subjects too.

Well, back to 'take it or leave it' - we gave 5 bags of clothing to the charity shop last week and we're now going through boxes of photos and souvenirs sorting out what we want to keep. My husband is naturally more of a hoarder than me but he's getting quite brutal now. We're sorting out all our photos, picking the ones we want to keep, and filing them in index card boxes. If we have time, we might even scan them all and get rid of the paper altogether.

I still have more clothes to sort through and tons more books to give away but we're making good progress.

At least you have started, well done!!

It's not until you are faced with getting rid that you notice just how much "stuff" you have gathered over the years, up the back of cupboards and in drawers.

So Sally does this mean your hubby is right on track with you about moving back home.

Good on you for getting started now - I admittedly left it to the last minute - but all along I felt I didn't have that much living in a one bedroom apartment - boy was I wrong

The same for me Lorac, I was in a 2 bedroom apartment, not forgetting that I had chucked out HEAPS when I put my stuff in storage and took off for my 1 year trip back to the UK. I was only in that flat from July 2010, my stuff came out of storage, then more stuff came that I had sent back from the UK to Oz, and now it is all gone again, down to 6 boxes, a TV and a flat pack with 3 wall pictures in.

I hate to think of how much money I have wasted with all this ping ponging.

I am definitely going to be living more minimally this time around, it has made me realise that I REALLY don't need so much stuff.

I dont know yet although I think so. He's always said he would decided after our trip home in September. But we're definitely going to move somewhere, so all this work will have to be done anyway.

I have to stop going through boxes of old letters and photos. It's making me quite melancholy.

Oh yes I had many meltdown days doing this kind of thing. Couldn't stop crying, etc.

I think it's all part of the process, no wonder it took me a full 2 weeks to get over my departure/arrival.....

Me too. I am halfway through my box of photos and it's like seeing your life flash before your eyes. I do believe, as you said Bee, that it is an important part ofthe process... an important part.
I am just starting this process but I am amazed at how things I thought were so precious to me suddenly are relabelled "sell", "donate" or "garbage". I am quite excited at the prospect of lightening my load and being left with the things that truly are special to me. But I have a loooonnnnngggg way to go!

Today I found two old diaries I kept when I was 18 up to 21. My God, I just seem to have fallen for one boy after another! If I wasn't having my heart broken I was breaking someone else's. I don't know how I had the energy. I'm exhausted just reading it all! There's one poor guy I'd really like to meet again just so I can apologize for being such a PIA

The worst thing today has been the dust. Some of these boxes have been in the back of cupboards for 12 years and the dust is really irritating my throat and chest. But I got two whole cupboards completely cleared, vacuumed, and washed down so that there's not a speck of dust to be seen. Several more cupboards and the basement to go. I think I'll take a break for a few days. Enough is enough with the memories.

One year when I was in UK (not so many years ago) I told my friend Judi I would like to look up an ex. Apparently everyone thought I would marry him. Judi and I were friends with his sister so Judi said she would contact her and see where he was. The reply came back: Dead! Heart attack!


Way to go Sally ! I started a little yard clean-up but not much accomplished. At least I am motivated now though.