I am a planner. If twenty people who know me best had to come up with one word to describe me, it would be “organized”. This rings very true at work and makes my job easier. Plus my vendors tell me they love me for it. At home it’s somewhat of a different story. I’m still a planner. And I’m still somewhat organized, but I call it organized chaos, because my once neat and tidy home has become a receptacle for massive quantities of “stuff”. Now most of that stuff is there for reasons that are quite acceptable. Henry moved in two and a half years ago so we have all of his stuff. My father downsized when he moved in with my brother so I have stuff that belonged to him and my mother. My kids accumulated stuff throughout college, which somehow found its way into my basement. Plus I have all of my own stuff that I’ve acquired over the years.
My basement is like an obstacle course. Henry’s office is in the basement so that’s one corner. I have an area that I’d like to call an art studio in another corner, but between Corey and me, we have so much “art stuff” lying around that there is no room to work. There are boxes and bins filled with photos, frames, books, kitchen ware, personal trinkets, gadgets, games, toys, clothes plus extra furniture like chairs, lamps, desks, tables, all held onto just in case one of the kids needs something for an apartment. My Christmas stuff fills up about ten big bins plus four boxes for the artificial trees. There are an untold number of boxes that have “Henry stuff” in them that have never been unpacked. And one grand piano, which simply won’t fit anywhere upstairs.
It’s definitely time to put a new face on our basement. I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but the proliferation of “stuff” has become overwhelming. I have been thinking about it for far too long. It’s time to start doing something about it, even if it’s just one square foot at a time.
Hmmm…Sounds like a plan.
To be continued…
