Cleaning Up

After I finished working on the power points today (one of my usual Saturday activities), I decided I had reached the time that my bedroom needed to be tidied up. I had been thinking about doing it for weeks but couldn’t bring myself to work on it. It just wasn’t a high priority. But this afternoon I went in to look for my brown boots so I could wear them to church and I started cleaning up my bedroom.

I pulled all my summer clothes out of my drawers and pulled all my winter clothes out of storage and arranged everything on the bed. After switching things around, I then tackled the whole shoe situation.

I have this bag/basket (pop up laundry bag) that I keep my shoes in. There just isn’t room in my tiny closet so it is easier to keep them all in the bag. I pulled them all out and looked at the collection. I realized that I had shoes that I have not worn in years, shoes that were worn out and I was never going to wear and one pair of shoes that were so uncomfortable that I probably would never wear again.

Upon surveying the situation, I grabbed a trash bag and began tossing shoes. All the ones that were worn out went in the trash. After all, why am I hanging on to them??? The shoes that were still good but I haven’t worn in years I studied closely. If they were too used to give to Goodwill, I tossed them. If they still could be worn, they went in the bottom of the shoe bag. I did end up saving the one pair of shoes that were uncomfortable just because I have only worn them twice so they are practically new. Granted they were painful each time I wore them but I keep hoping that if I wear them again, they will magically become comfortable. I think I will give them one more shot and then, if they still hurt, they are going to be donated.

All the summer shoes went into the bag on top of the other shoes I am keeping. The shoes that I am now wearing on a regular basis are lined up very neatly in front of my dresser, ready to put on.

After putting all my clothes away and doing some basic sweeping and dusting, I sat on my bed to survey my work. My bedroom is much more organized and neat. I really don’t have room in my dressers (yes, I have two) and in my closet for all my clothes but they are neatly folded and stacked on top of the dressers and on a chair in front of my dressing table. I think that once Christmas is over, I may have to rearrange my room and maybe buy an additional storage piece (shelving unit?) to put my clothes on.

I work this way sometimes. If there is a chore I need to do and am dreading tackling, I will put it off and put it off until finally the urge to get it done overtakes me. I then work at it until it is completed and then I feel completely satisfied and pleased with myself. If I force myself to do it when I don’t want to work on it, I end up getting frustrated, angry and use words that I really shouldn’t be using.

What is next on the list? My spare room, my pantry, and the linen closet. Actually the linen closet isn’t so bad but I was looking at it a few days ago and it could use some tidying. But the spare room really needs some organizing and the pantry needs a good going over. I will have to do that next since I am cookie baking this next week and I need to see what I have and don’t have as far as ingredients are concerned.

I admire people who keep their houses neat and tidy at all times. Everything in it’s place and easy to find. I wish so much to be that way. Maybe someday. If I had a bigger place with more room. And the urge comes over me to actually do the work to be that way. Unfortunately, knowing me as well as I do, the urge may not come over me and I may find myself sorting shoes ten years from now and wondering if I should hang on to the painful shoes or donate them.

If you see me limping along someday, then hit me alongside the head and tell me to get rid of the stupid shoes! Well, don’t hit me but feel free to say something. After all, I am the silly person who is hanging on to a pair of painful shoes instead of tossing them.

On to the next cleaning up task….the dreaded pantry!