Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Cleaning House

Advent may be a time to clean house spiritually, but for me it's becoming a time to clean it literally -- to wit, tackling (with fear and trembling) the middle bedroom, otherwise known as the Alligator Room, of Cold Comfort Cottage.

This room is furnished with a most unlovely, and very cheap, late-60's-era bedroom set that holds neither monetary or sentimental value. My m.o. is to, each night that I can, empty one drawer of one dresser, sort through the stuff therein, and pitch both the junk and the drawer itself. (The ratio of junk versus salvage-worthy items being about 99 to one so far.)

So far I've found a ratty old set of cotton sheets that will nonetheless make great window-washing rags...an antique bone crochet hook and wooden darning egg of my grandmother's...some of my counted-cross-stitch samplers from a past needlework phase that are actually quite nice and that we're going to have professionally framed. (I've found myself having to resist the impulse to start this hobby up again: This is about simplifying your life, stupid.) And,of course, I've slogged through lots and lots of crap.

It's been an interesting exercise. If I can skeletonize the dressers and haul them out to the curb by the beginning of the new year, I'll feel as if I've accomplished something.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you've already accomplished some stuff. Give yourself a pat on the back... drink a glass of wine... and bask in the pleasure of getting anything done!