Friday, March 8, 2013

Still Sifting

I've been busy doing more sifting. I am finally in the right frame of mind to go through tough piles and boxes of stuff and get rid of everything that doesn't need to be here.

One of my first tasks down in our basement clear out project was to grab a box and fill it with all the loose piles of paper everywhere.

I've spent the last couple of days sorting paper and I've filled up our recycle bin. And yesterday, I finally managed to catch up Quicken again. It took all day. (With virtually all our bills on auto-pay, I've found it difficult to pay close attention. And, frankly, bookkeeping was more "exciting" when Jeff was working.)

I've also got a box of books ready to donate to the library. And I'm starting to list stuff on craigslist to sell, but if the things don't go in the next few weeks, we'll just donate everything. Time to clear out!

It's going to take us a while to really clean out this basement area if we do it "right" and don't just pack up everything and stash it "temporarily" someplace else. But, I'd like to downsize into this house. We won't be moving for a long time, and I don't want to live my life here surrounded by SO MUCH stuff.
A Dutch Colonial built in 1916
And for a change of topic, our weather was nice yesterday, so we took the opportunity to walk to the library. I saw another house in Laurelhurst with a porte cochere — a Dutch Colonial. Interesting design.
At the library, I checked out a pile of books, so I was happy to have Shasta's help carrying them home. By the time we made it home, she was definitely "done" with the cart — it took quite a bit of encouragement to get her to go the last couple of blocks. Of course, once we got home she still had some energy for play time.

Next up, unfortunately, taxes. I hate doing taxes, but if I get them done now, the pain will be over and I can move on to emptying the basement family room.

(Just finished our taxes. This year was not bad — big refund! We're getting back an old AMT credit. Basement spruce up, here we come!)

4 comments:

  1. We haven't moved in ten years. It's amazing how stuff accumulates when you stay in one place for a while.

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  2. I feel your pain. I spent this morning working upstairs in what used to be my sewing room. So much stuff ... so little patience for it. The only things I've really managed to accomplish are filling a trash bag, compacting empty boxes for recycling, and organizing things into piles of like-with-like. It doesn't look better in there yet, but I can at least get a better look at where I'm heading.

    Let's not talk about taxes.

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  3. I love that quote and refer to it often as we purge our hoard. It feels so good to lighten the load on our house and really start to be able to see our house and all the things that we really do find to be gorgeous.
    Also, if you have any boxes or packing materials left over, I am sure that my friend Chris would still love them so let me know :) Hope all is well! This weather is sooo gorgeous!

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  4. I really like Shasta and her cart! We won't talk about my basement or my back bedroom or taxes. Gah.

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