Hooray for Freecycle!

After watching too many episodes of "Hoarders" on A&E and on TLC, I'm inspired to "take charge" of lingering clutter than hides in my garage and closets. I listen to the conversation of the people who hold onto their clutter. Most of the people who are considered "hoarders" seem to be HORRIFIED being labeled as "hoarders" even when the evidence is surrounding them! 

Extreme examples are shown on the programs. Some hoarders become hostile if anyone "touches" his or her stuff! Some of these people climb through and over huge piles of stuff which is often laden with trash, or even worse, animal or human waste. Ugh!

I watch to see if I can find some insight to "holding onto stuff" or not being able to get rid of "other people's stuff". Topping the list of reasons to hold onto something is "I may need it or I have a use for it" or "I'm recycling." I do believe a lot of guilty feelings emerge when some of us can't find a way to recycle something!
All these feelings can lead to obsessive behavior and more reasons to hold onto stuff.

Accumulating, collecting, gathering all seem to be part of the "nesting" instinct or "getting ready for a rainy day". And, not to be ignored is the constant bombarding of our brains to "buy and try" - from our computers, TV's, radios, newspapers, catalogs and nudging from friends, family and neighbors. Enough is not enough!

Whatever it is - we are hunter/gatherers. It takes a lot of  time, money and energy to constantly be bringing in and taking out stuff!

My favorite Yahoo groups are: Cleaning_House, Freecycle East, Freecycle Cafe. Flylady also is a good site for constant encouragement and methods for keeping our lives and homes in good order.

I've been reorganizing/decluttering the 9 cupboards on the back wall of the garage. Having cupboards with doors that close over the stuff is "out of sight - out of mind"! Now, it's on my mind to clear out the clutter "big time"! Since I'm not planning on moving away from here, it's "on me" to do the job.

The trash bin now has several garbage bags loaded with clutter. I've listed items on Freecycle and have already had an old Addressograph and two heavy boxes of steel address plates picked up this morning. (This is a perfect example of OPS "Other People's Stuff" - late husband's political campaign work way back in the 50's!).

Plastic Picnic Plates for a Boat

It's time to "take a long, slow, deep breath" and ease into a quiet evening. For inspiration, I'll watch another episode of "Hoarders" on A&E!

The awful feeling that comes when "it's gone" and "Oh my! I wish I hadn't given that away," gradually subsides as time passes. It's better to think about someone else using it and really enjoying having the items - something they have really wanted! My worse thought is thinking about MY STUFF  piled up in the home of a "HOARDER!"

It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. It's gone and I'm free of it - it's "out to the Universe". Onward!

Seasonal Items 

Donated to Clermont Senior Services

Emptied out, almost!