Going, Going, Gone!

"When you have cleared all of your clutter,
you can be of greater service to those around you. "
Michael B. Kitson 

  "The more you have, the more you are occupied.
The less you have, the more free you are."
Mother Teresa

Hello dear friends, 

Decluttering may not be the most exciting activity but it is certainly an uplifting one.  I have managed to put together a huge bag of shoes, 3 large garbage bags of clothing and 2 medium size bags of magazines/books. These were all picked up by 1 person after posting an ad on the website for my local Freecycle chapter.  Within 2 and a half hours after posting on Sunday evening, I had my first response and she offered to take the entire lot. Starting at 6 a.m. the next morning I had 5 more takers.  This was great because it meant I had back up takers in case the first woman changed her mind.

I gladly give to the Goodwill but since I shop at the thrift stores myself, I often feel my local thrift stores charge way too much money.  It is getting rather ridiculous some of the prices they now ask which are often higher than purchasing brand new in a retail shop. For example, at one local thrift store today they wanted $16.00 for a small used, good condition Corningware roasting pan. Last night, on line, I found the same roasting pan as part of an 8 piece (4 different pots with lids) brand new, for $44. 95. If you do the math you can see that one set would cost under $12. a piece; clearly less than the used item. You can see what I mean by ridiculous prices. I digress but what I'm really trying to show is that the thrift stores in many cases do ask more than the retail stores especially when there is a big sale. This is very bad news for those people on low income that really need to buy second hand so I really like to give things away when I can find a willing receiver. I find the best way is to put an offer on my local chapter of Freecycle.

A woman who works with the down and out came to pick up these items. 

My next task after cleaning my bedroom closet was to reduce the number of products under my bathroom sink. Despite limiting what I've been buying in the toiletry department it seems I still have far more than I can properly accommodate or use.  Some of these items were gifts. I was happy to give them to a woman who works with women who live on the street, or who have a very low income.

Then came a quick survey of my foyer closet and the kitchen.   I found a Spring jacket and the new winter car coat (winter coat in the photo). I bought this coat many years ago while I was still working and for whatever reason I just never wore it. I also found a few little kitchen items that I didn't want to throw away.

A nice young woman sent her boyfriend to pick these items up.

A student is expected to pick up on Thursday for a charity.

I still have a lot of crafting items of all kinds too.  Once I execute some of my projects in the coming year, the stash will be reduced.  But I did manage to gather together quite a few balls of left over yarn and a couple sets of knitting needles.

 

Donated to an senior who teaches knitting.

The last thing I am sorting this week is papers. I don't know how far I'll get but I want to clear as much as I can before the end of the month. This is my least favourite job and that why I'm here at the computer looking for a distraction and taking a short break.  I don't have a shredder that takes large amounts of paper so I have been keeping the paper aside in a small tub so I can burn them.  I've been culling papers for what seems like forever but I can "see" the finish line in sight though it will still take awhile.



Most of you who have a lot of stuff that you haven't looked at in years will know that a true decluttering project takes plenty of time.  You have to go through things that have accumulated over years and years. I don't think I've ever undertaken such a massive decluttering project and perhaps it is because I used to move on a regular basis and that kept the clutter accumulation in check.

I find that in the early stage of decluttering I get rid of the obvious things I don't want or use.  But I don't always get rid of things I don't use (that is why I have clutter, lol). I keep things I know I will use down the line.  As time goes on, I reassess whether I will still use things and sometimes go through them two, three and four times, before I make my final decisions.

Part of my hesitation in getting rid of some things, especially craft items and books  is because I do not want to have to buy things again that I know I will need later. With clothing it is always easier to go through things and get rid of most things you no longer want or need.

What I'm trying to get to is a life of greater simplicity.  That is a little hard to do when you like to do crafts or read books.  Anyone who does crafts knows you have to have stock and supplies on hand. This is a challenge when you live in a small space.  Anyone who loves to read knows it is hard to pass up a book. These days I try to buy second hand or get things free. I only buy a book if I know I'm going to read it and then I pass it on. I have quite a few books so I shouldn't be buying any more.

Missions of Hope

Hello everyone,

Jonah, of Missions of Hope (MOH), has placed his missions outreach on hold for the foreseeable future. As many of you know he has recently graduated with his Masters Degree in International Development and is currently looking for employment. While he puts his energy toward that, he will not be able to continue with his volunteer work helping orphans and widows.  That means his MOH blog is no longer available and he will not be taking any donations at this time.

If and when the work resumes, I will let you know.  He wants to thank any of my readers who have contributed toward various initiatives over the past few years. Your contributions are not unnoticed and they mean far more than you know. To date, we have fallen far short of the funds needed for little Linet's cleft palate surgery. I am still hoping to proceed with this initiative but it will take much more time. We value your prayers for Linet, her family and her surgery need.  When I have something concrete to report on this need, I will provide an update on my own blog.

In the meantime, I will continue to do a small part toward assisting the villagers in the villages around around Kericho, Kenya.  This work is modest and sporadic (and includes things like the Jiko Stove project which you can read about in my blog).  I am currently trying to raise funds through sales of my crafts.  There is a link to my Etsy shop on the right if you are interested. Alternatively if you wish to make a small donation, please let me know.

A panoramic view of Kericho, Kenya.

God bless. xx