A Personal Odessey

It is blustery cold and snowy outside and I have no pressing need to leave the house.

So I steel myself to go out on the back porch and open yet another box from our recent move.

I have told myself that I don't know where I'm going to put the contents, but that avoidance tactic is wearing thin.

It all has to go somewhere, and my husband has begun to suggest

that it should all go out for the trashmen to pick up.

"No, I will deal with it!",

I say in a pack ratter's panicked voice.

So here I am.

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I choose a mostly empty, black trash bag, thinking,

"It doesn't have much, so this shouldn't take long."

Yeah, right!

I pull out some of Rebbecca's clothing, a brocade jacket of mine, and a t-shirt for Seth.

Things thrown into the bag last minute as we were giving our former house the once-over.

Why do I let this stuff sit?

So I hang up the jacket in my bedroom's closet and take the rest up to the kids' rooms.

After I put away Rebecca's clothing, I spy a small plastic bag thrown into a corner of her room, forgotten since our move.

Since I am in an organizing mood, I open it.

Miscellaneous bed linens (what?!) and hand-me-down clothing for Rebecca.

I put away the clothing that will fit her and put the rest back into the bag,

mentally labeling it "thrift store".

While in her room, I also empty a small suitcase and "treasure chest" ;

the former full of still more clothing and the latter full of debris and missplaced Legos (aaarrGgggh!)

The Legos are reunited with their friends, the debris is thrown out (like it should have been to begin with!), the suitcase has dress-up clothing put into it (formerly strewn about on the floor) and both pieces of luggage are stowed into the closet, hopefully far enough back where Rebecca won't discover them immediately.

I don't want to have to repeat this process again too soon.

In this process of tidying up, I find a pair of sweat pants with a hole in the seat and a pair of tattered and stained shorts.  They will become rags.

My studio is next door to the kids' rooms so I can get my hands on a pair of scissors quickly, without the risk of distraction, which a search in another part of the house would surely have brought!

The rags made, I go into the bathroom (also upstairs) to put them away under the sink, but not before I spy the smeary vanity mirror and spattered sink.

Well, no time like the persent to use one of these rags!

I end up cleaning not only the mirror and sink, but also the toilet and around the shower where hair, dust and whatnot collects. (ick!)

It took two of my rags, but I have the satisfaction of knowing that I recycled some old clothing instead of throwing away several paper towels in the process.

 

And so reads my Personal Odessey as a Stay-At-Home-Mom.

It's no wonder I avoid opening the boxes and bags on the back porch!

 

But after a quick lunch, I go back to find another box-- this time with what I know to be creative stuff.

Spools of thread, embroidery hoops, cards of buttons, and sewing machine bobbins are already stowed away in a large, glass candy jar.

It can't be all work!

Some assemblage ideas are swirling in my head, but I have to be disciplined and finish emptying the box.  The kids will be home from school any minute and then I will have small hands

 grabbing and asking,

"What's this?"

"Can I see?"

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Have you had an adventure today?