Taking Baby Steps

So we finally got motivated and started going through some boxes we had stuffed in a closet. Unfortunately, we kept getting interrupted by phone calls. When you live far away from your kids, you gotta take the phone calls when they come. We also had other things going on that kept us from getting through more boxes.So we didn't get as much done as we would have hoped, but at least we got started. We really don't have too much to go through at this time. As we get closer to an actual start date, we can start selling off the big stuff. For now, we just have some boxes and clothes to go through.

Fortunately, we got rid of lots of stuff when we downsized six months ago. We went from a big house to a townhouse. We took that opportunity to scale down quite a bit. At that time, certain people weren't as motivated to get rid of stuff as much as they are now.....(not mentioning any names because I think we both had some attachment issues.)  We are both really seeing just how much we accumulate for no good reason. We tend to keep things just because we have always had them. We get attached to silly things that just take up space. I mean, do we really need 7 staplers. I can't even remember when the last time was I used a stapler. And don't get me started on pens, paper and envelopes. Really! What were we thinking!?!

We went and looked at 5th wheel trailers this week at a few dealers. It was nice because the units were open and we were not bothered by sales people. I was relieved because we are just looking and nowhere near ready to buy. Sales people just don't get that.  Looking at all of them really got us motivated. I am always looking at Craigslist and other websites dreaming of what we will get. I am so ready to do this.

Here's some background on me:

Eight years ago, I lost almost everything I had when a tornado struck our house. I had to start over from scratch. I learned at that time, possessions aren't as important as we think they are. The important things are the memories we make in life. Those can't be taken away. The best thing to come out of that event is that my whole lifestyle changed. You could say, I had an awakening.

By the time Brenda moved in with me, I had replaced my furniture. I didn't have a whole lot of stuff but we sure filled up the house when she moved in. Before we moved out here to Tucson, we got rid of so much that we were able to rent a 22 foot truck to make the move. That was a major accomplishment. It took several garage sales, giving stuff away to family and many, many trips to Goodwill.  However, since moving here, we seemed to have added back so much more stuff.

I really do enjoy living an uncluttered life. I tend to get overwhelmed when I am surrounded by too much. I feel so much better and life is easier when there is less clutter in my life. I am looking forward to getting that feeling back.

The best thing about an uncluttered life?   Less to clean. That works for me.