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[gidgetgh]

I'm still purging diligently and have taken several shopping bags of things to Goodwill over the last week and have thrown some things away. I keep my open shopping bag for Goodwill downstairs now so it's more readily accessible than upstairs in our office. I have gone through the kitchen repeatedly and have been ruthless.  With it just being me in the house now, I just don't need, or want, tons of stuff. Not that we had tons at all, but I really want to live with much less. 

My stepsons are coming on the 15th to go through things like tools and miscellaneous items that belonged to my husband, to take whatever they would like.   Also a few pieces of furniture that were "family" furniture from my husband's mother and grandmothers.  There are two small pieces I would like to hold on to (that didn't belong to the grandmothers) because I really like them but if my stepsons really want them, they can have the pieces.  On the things in the basement that his sons don't take, I will be calling 1 800 got junk a day or so later to finish the basement clean out.  My plan is to have the basement totally...and I mean totally....empty in the next few weeks. 

Then on the 22nd, my sister is coming (she's also coming this Saturday) to help me go through the more personal items like my husband's clothing, etc.  

[gidgetgh]

I just spent almost an hour in our garage.  We did a great garage clean out some months back and it was in really great shape.  I went out there and blew the leaves and stuff out of there. 

Then I threw away a plastic covering, an old 5 gallon (or maybe 10)  plastic bucket that my husband used for painting (wasn't in good enough shape to donate) and also one of those hard plastic/vinyl mats that you put under office chairs. Took me forever to get that thing folded in half and then folded again because it's a stiff piece, but I prevailed.  All our trash has to go in garbage bags.  I also threw away a smallish broom that mostly fit in a bag.  We'll see if they take it tomorrow. 

Then I drove up to Goodwill and took 2 small and 1 large Igloo coolers and my shopping bag, half full of stuff. 

I put the few things I want to keep on one side of the garage and out of the way.  What my stepsons don't take is going to be hauled out.  I plan to be a garage minimalist.  We are almost there now, but soon it will be spartan in there. 

[Fifi1]

Hi all - gidgetgh - glad you're keeping busy - I think of you often. 

I have purged zip lately - I'm in a huge funk.  Maybe if I'd start purging I'd feel better.  Anyway, you all inspire me.  Take care everyone. 

[rnmom]

@gidgetgh - My thoughts and prayers are with you as you go thru this process. I cannot imagine what you are going thru. 

[rnmom]

@Fifi1 - I"ve been in a huge funk lately too and I've had a hard time getting motivated to do anything either. I did a few things last week, more organizing than purging, and it did feel good to get some small things done. It actually gave me a bit of motivation to do other areas. So maybe if you just start with something, it will give you some incentive to keep going. 

[rnmom]

I puttered on a few things last week finally. I did some more filing and shredding and filled the shredder and dumped it again. I also organized in my loft area a bit and found another empty box to recycle, and found 3 cassette tapes and 5 books to donate.

Tossed a portable DVD player that didn't work and a pair of galoshes that leaked. We already replaced them for my son.

Added 2 pair of socks to donate and gave a friend a pressure cooker. We had 2, definitely only need one, but hubby does the pressure cooking and canning so I just couldn't get rid of it. I'm glad he did. 

We also got a ton of canning jars for free, 10-12 boxes full. We already had empty ones that we weren't using, and I told hubby we didn't need that many, but he kept loading them up. We also gave away one box of those. I don't mind having them if we're going to use them, but I just don't think we're going to can that much, our garden just isn't that big. 

[gidgetgh]

Yesterday I dragged out a brand new 20 pound bag of potting soil out of the garage, dragged it across the driveway, opened it and dumped the contents out among the trees. One more thing out of the garage. 

I moved a small white folding table from one side of the garage to closer to the inside door. 

Everything that my stepsons are welcome to (and it's not much) is all on the far side of the garage except for a free standing shelf thing.  If they don't want that, out it goes. I'll put it on freecycle or something.

[RetRN]

Mattress pad, pillow protectors, a couple pair of sandals, and a manicure scissors. Every little bit counts. 

[rnmom]

Hubby sold an old canoe yesterday which I'm very happy about. We had 3 canoes here and one rowboat. This canoe he sold he's had sitting here for a couple of years and never used once because it needed to be patched. I'm so glad it's gone. What an eyesore it was. 

[gidgetgh]

My sister came today and we went through my husbands clothes.  I only got choked up twice.

We had 5 totally full shopping bags for Goodwill and one large shoe box  with a pair of new work boots in them.  We've already taken them to Goodwill.

We also had 4 kitchen trash bags totally full for trash.

It was kind of hard going through his clothes but then again kind of not.  It's something that has to be done and it's not going to be easy whenever you do it.   I kept a few items that I just wasn't ready to part with yet. And I also kept several shirts for now which I am going to have made into throw pillows, I hope enough for 4 pillows. 2 for me, 1 for each stepson and 1 for our grandson.