What Did I Find?

Wow, it’s worse than I thought. Turns out there was more than just craft supplies in that box under my coffee table. Actually, there was hardly any craft supplies in that box at all.

Here’s what I found. • A receipt for work done on my car in 2021 • A paystub from the same time period • EMPTY envelopes that I’d received something in years ago • A CAA magazine from 2020 • A binder of Halloween ATCs that I’d been looking for • Scrap papers only good for recycling or shredding • Some Halloween ephemera and stickers • A couple of recipes that I cannot imagine ever making • Instructions for beaded and chainmail necklaces I will never make • A few greeting cards • Old junk mail • Two small stationary sets with pretty papers and matching envelopes • Covid vaccine certificates

It looks like I was trying to 'hide things under the rug'. A pile of stuff on my coffee table that I didn't want to deal with at the time. I must have swept it all into a box and hid it under the table. I HAVE to deal with it now.

There are just a few items from the box that I still have to decide their fate. A lot of the paper went into the recycling bin. The paper with personal information on was shredded. A bunch of stuff went straight to the trash can. The Halloween ephemera, stickers and ATCs were put in the appropriate places. It goes to show me that I should not put off until tomorrow what should be done today or it will come back to haunt me years later.

One Box at a Time

I know that I’ve been talking about my de-cluttering project for quite a while now, but it’s time to get serious about it here. There are boxes everywhere in my house, in the storage room, in closets, under beds, and honestly I don’t remember what is even in most of them.

I’m going to begin with a box under my coffee table. I can’t recall how long it has been there, and would likely be embarrassed to admit how long if I knew. It’s covered in a thick layer of dust so it’s probably safe to say it has been there for some time.

There are craft supplies of some kind in it but no idea specifically what they are. I know that I’m going to have to make some hard choices with what I find. If I haven’t used it up until now, and can’t foresee using it in the near future, it has to go. Period. No matter how pretty it is or who sent it to me, it needs to leave my house.

I wonder what I will find? Maybe some hidden treasure I've forgotten about or maybe just stuff that I could not bear to part with at the time. NOW may be the time. I’ll let you know.

The First Day of Spring?

According to my wall calendar and the people on the radio, today is the first day of spring. You sure could have fooled me!

The temperature was below freezing this morning and I encountered a combination of snow, ice pellets AND freezing rain on my way to work today. Seriously, this is ridiculous!

I’m convinced that MOTHER Nature went on vacation to a warm tropical climate and left FATHER Nature in charge. And he has let the kids run wild while she is away. It’s the most logical explanation I can come up with.

Weekend Binge-Watching

Not a lot was accomplished this past weekend beyond the obligatory familial chores that come every weekend…driving people to work, picking them up from work, taking them grocery shopping in shifts, etc. I felt totally worn out, with absolutely no energy for anything else.

So, I decided to binge-watch the Netflix show called ‘Wednesday’. I’d loved the Addams Family show that was aired on television from 1964-1966. And I recently watched a YouTube series created between 2013-2015 called ‘Adult Wednesday’ that I really enjoyed. The short three to four minute episodes are well done but unfortunately, the creator was shut down due to copyright issues. You can still find them here though.

It actually inspired me to make myself a Wednesday junk journal with photos from the original series, the Neflix series and the YouTube episodes. Also included are a selection of Wednesday quotes and images created by various artists. It was a fun little project just for me.

I really needed that kind of a laid back weekend. In spite of it being fairly 'unproductive' I feel much more energized as I begin this new week. Sometimes you have to listen to your inner self and the clues your body is giving and take some time for yourself.

What I've Learned Along the Way

It’s true, the older you get the wiser you are. Time and experience has taught you lessons that cannot be learned in any school, college or university. The ‘school of hard knocks’ is the best teacher around. Let me share a few things that I’ve learned.

Friends are important. It’s not the quantity of friends you have but the quality of those that stay with you no matter what. Through thick and thin, they are always there, praising you when you do good and chastising you when you are being stupid but supporting you through it all. It is important to nurture and cherish those relationships. The connections with them are what truly matters. The same principles apply with the family members that surround you too.

We should all slow down and enjoy the present moment before it is gone. There is nothing more important than what is happening around you right now. Appreciate the wonders in front of you. Approach life with a positive attitude and look forward to the future. Don’t worry so much and trust that things will work out as they should. Accept that you cannot control everything, and accept what you cannot change.

At the end of the day, physical possessions are not important. Having the best car, the most clothes, the flashiest jewelry and the most money doesn’t make you a better person. Those things become more of a burden as you get older, weighing you down and draining your energy. Live simply, love completely and embrace joy each and every day.