Office clean up

I couldn't wait to get started with simplifying my life. In the past I would be out the day after Christmas looking for bargains.  Not this year.... I have enough!  It wouldn't make any sense to go get more STUFF when I'm doing my best to get rid of a lot of what I already have.  There will be time enough to look for bargains later IF I think I need something.

I decided to start my 2011 house clean out with my office.  I really don't like doing paper work so I tend to put it off.  Well, this year, I figured since I really need to do the end of year reports and filing anyway, I might as well start my house clean out with what must be done.  So this is my office.  Yes, it's dark.  This was at about 4 am. 

I think this closet has been my office for about 20 years.  About once a year I straightened it.  Every year or two I made an attempt to clean it out.  Somehow not much got tossed.  It seemed like everything had a value so I saved everything year after year.  Looking up and to the left you can see dated boxes of papers and stuff.

Up and to the right you can see some of my books and genealogy binders.

Down below you can see more binders and other stuff.  Hmm... I wonder why I've been keeping the box for my 4 year old printer?  Gee what a mess my office is.

 I got started with the old papers.  I brought boxes of papers to the intake table to sort.  That's the place with the most room for spreading everything out, making stacks, and sorting.  I got out the paper shredder and went to work. 

It was kind of fun going through old waiting lists and remembering the people.  No reason to keep these anymore though so I shredded them. I had more than 15 years of waiting lists to shred. 

Next I went through lots and lots of notes I had made for myself as well as old reminder letters and stuff.

By the time I had finished I had 2 bags of old envelopes and 5 bags of shredded papers. 

The office is starting to look much better.  Empty I mean.  I'll paint in there eventually.  It will be after I've done the house clean out and decided which direction to go next. 

While I was busy going through old papers I kept thinking about the hoarder shows.  Often the people helping with a clean out don't want the hoarder to go through things.  Well, I would have hated to have someone tell me not to go through my stuff before it was shredded or tossed.  I found some valuable items while going through the papers.  Some of the papers I found were the birth certificates and death certificates for my sons.  I can't figure out why I had those in the office unless I was putting information into the genealogy files.  Those got put away with the family photo albums.

To be continued......

Too obsessed

The phone rings and I answer.

Daughter says..... Hi Mom, what'cha doing?

I say.... making garbage.

Daughter says.... Huh?

I say (with a little giggle).....  Sorting things that can be thrown away.

Maybe I'm being a little too fanatic about cleaning my house these days?

Maybe a little too obsessed with organizing and food preserving?

Maybe I'm a tad too worried about knowing where to find the things I need, when I need them?

Maybe I'm just a bit too much into doing frugal cooking again?

Please understand;  I've spent far too many years thinking of the quilting customers first.  Customers came before my own life and family.  This year, for the first time in a lot of years, I actually have time for cooking and cleaning instead of working 16 hour days right up until Christmas day while at the same time telling my friends and family..... I can't.  I actually have time to leisurely create a charity quilt or two.

I firmly believe the more organized my home is..... the better quilter and person I am.  The less time I spend with finding something.... the more time I have for using it.  Which is why I work so hard at trying to stay organized. 

My professional machine quilting career started out innocently enough.  I started my career in a time when very few people wanted their tops quilted by machine.  (1981)  Machine quilting had not gotten the recognition it has today as being a good thing. 

Gradually, over the years, machine quilting started getting accepted and I got better at it.  More customers came to me and my customer base grew every year.  I got busier and busier.  I started telling my friends and family I had to finish the quilts first when someone asked me to spend time with them.  One by one the customers became the focus of my life instead of what's really important. 

I neglected my health.  I stopped doing frugal things.  I forgot about my dreams.  Every year I focused more and more on being a fantastic machine quilter and let my life slip away from me. 

About three or four years ago I began to wake up to reality when my daughter said "Mom, quilting is your life."  It was then I realized not only had I not spent time with my kids for years; but, my grand kids and great grand kids were growing up and they don't know me.  Sure they know I'm Granny but they don't really know me.  

That's when I announced my semi-retirement from professional machine quilting.  I have only 4 customers now.   They bring me enough income I can afford to eat and keep the roof over my head.  I'm eating better without spending a lot.  My health improved immediately.  I'm clearing out a lot of clutter because I want a simpler life.  Not just physical house clutter but mind clutter as well.  I want a life that includes my kids, grand kids, great grand kids, and my real friends. 

To be continued....