De-cluttering

Greetings, It's been a while, so sorry I've neglected my blog. I wanted to share a triumph with you today.

OK, so I have a cluttered home. I admit it, I save things. I am a hoarder. I have this corner in my living room. It's near the front door but behind it when the door is opened. It is my magazine corner. I love magazines. Purchased magazines, free magazines, subscriptions to magazines, traded magazines, craft magazines, art magazines, clothing magazines, scrap booking magazines, any magazines. I love to read, browse, hoard magazines. I read them when I'm sad and when I'm tired and when I'm bored and when everything is just fine. Especially when I'm bored, with the tv on something I have no interest in watching for background.

Why am I telling you this? Because I just spent 4 hours sorting and cleaning that corner. I cannot believe I lost that much of my day to my magazine corner. I did not read, not even browse. I started about 11:00 this morning. My Mr. wanted beef stew for supper and mentioned it around noon. I sent him to the grocery store. He brought back chicken wings and stuffed peppers for lunch. I took a break long enough to eat and went right back at it. I tore my name and address from the front of every subscription magazine and then tore out the order pages because my address and account number is likely there too. It's sad we have to worry about this but in this day and age I don't dare throw out that information. I had a big trash bag and when it was half full I could not lift it so we went to plan B. I made a pile and my Mr. tied up the pile with twine. Then I made another. I ended up with 5 good sized piles that are tied up and a trash bag half full of the torn out things and smaller things. Plus I kept only the treasured ones, like Rolling Stones and Handyman and a few US, Weekly, In Style and More magazines for cutting up for collage making. I have trouble throwing things away. A true hoarder becomes ill and even sweaty when facing throwing things away. This is how I usually get; and anxious. I decided to do this today and get it done. No looking back, no stopping, just do it. My corner looks so much better and I can now see the titles of most of the ones I kept so I know what I'm grabbing. Wow! I did not feel ill or get too sweaty at all. And to think this wasn't even all of them as through out the year I usually will grab a bunch and take to the free table at the local library so I can snatch up some new to me from there. Oh I finally got done around 3:00. That's 4 hrs. Geez!

Oh and we won't mention my other magazine pile, neatly stacked in a plastic zippered bag with titles like Cloth Paper Scissors, Somerset Studio, Artful Blogging and the like. They don't get tossed in the corner pile. They are special and handled with care. Like the precious works of art they are. No we won't mention those as I dare think what could happen if I even tried to get rid of any of them. I think I'd give myself a heart attack. I love those special magazines with all of my favorite artists and ideas. ("Someday I'm going to try this", "I must buy try that product", "Oh wow look what she's doing now".) I've found so many of my favorite bloggers in the pages of these magazines.

Are you cleaning or sorting out for the end of the year? What and how?

You all have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays however you celebrate this wonderful time of the year.

Be Happy Be Healthy, Be yourself,

Tess