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Why is simplifying so difficult?

OBIO

Retired SOH Admin
My wife and I have decided that we need to simplify things around the house...to make things easier on both of us while she continues her recovery from brain surgery (doing great...each day brings her closer to a full recovery). To get things started in that direction, this evening I am tackling my office/flight room/collection of stupid stuff room. The closet was a total disaster! Going through it, weeding out the "good" junk from the plain old run-of-the-mill junk. The "good" junk contains items such as a 1923 edition of "The Crisis", a book about the US Civil War written by none other than Winston Churchill; a two-volume set of training books from the 1950s, dealing with Jet Propulsion and Electronics (Official USAF training manuals); the overalls, high altitude flight suit, knee board and flight helmet of one Major Young, USAF...circa early 1960s; a 1940s era Elgin wrist watch (sans strap) that still runs and keeps great time; a 1930s era ladies wrist watch (also sans strap) done in platinum..not sure if it runs or not..just wound it to find out; and an assortment of old spoons...mid-1800s and early 1900s...souveneir spoons mostly...worthless but interesting none the less.

I have been working on this one closet for nearly 3 hours and still not done! And the closet is only 6 feet by 4 feet! Oh my freaking gosh! Never realised just how much JUNK I had drug home from yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores and other places.

I might have the office/flight room/junk room done by mid-afternoon sometime next year, then I can start on the rest of the house :help:. I dread opening the double sliding doors to the bedroom closet and delving into that quagmire.

Simplification is great in theory, but horrible in practice. So, to all the gents out there...if your wife ever looks at you and says, "Honey, we need to simplify our lives"....run, run far far away and don't look back.

OBIO
 
I have the same problem, but so does my wife. For the most part, a lot of the stuff ends up in our attic. I don't even want to think of having to go through it all.

NC
 
I have the same problem, but so does my wife. For the most part, a lot of the stuff ends up in our attic. I don't even want to think of having to go through it all.

NC


lol, too funny! my wife has our biggest closet all to herself. half of it is vases she uses about 25% of them. when i said something to her about it, she said, "that's because the other ones require the use of foam"
did i mention that we have 3 HUGE boxes of foam that she doesn't use either? she is being embargoed from bringing home more stuff.:caked:
 
Today is 50% off at the local Salvation Army...and my wife has asked me 4 times if we are going. Heck NO...we already have far too much junk and a trip to the thrift store on half off day will only result in another 3.5 cubic yards of junk being brought home.

OBIO
 
Live simply, so that others may simply live. -- Gandhi

He forgot to add: and you will save a boatload of money and storage space. :icon_lol:
 
All our extras somehow end up in my shop and extra storage building....

I have to repile stuff to work in there... I have one open path to the side doors to roll the Harley out...Other than that its pretty packed with junk I'm not allowed to get rid of....But on ocassion I get it weeded out behind her back..

Oh! Forgot to mention my trailor is packed too..If I ever need it to haul something I have to unload it under the car port ......:faint:

We also store things in my other house where mother in law lives...Three bedroom,one person living there...Yup...House is full up of stuff......


The pretense is that the kids can use it ..But they don't want it.....LOL

Two years ago I made the wife clear out some unused Christmas stuff...It was one shopping bag worth..It needed to be 25 bags worth...:banghead:

I just give up...


Very glad to hear the wife is getting better daily.......:applause:
 
except for my wife's closet full of vases, we have a rule in my house. if it goes 1 year without being used, it isn't needed, and goes to freecycle, or the trash
 
On cable last night there was a program dealing with 'hoarders.' A psychological disorder where persons cannot help themselves from accumulating more and more stuff.
This one poor soul practically had no room for her bed. Yes,...she was on meds and receiving counseling,....didn't make a difference....she kept adding to the Mt. Everest pile within her apartment.
 
We are both ruthless when it comes to clearing the decks.
It probably stems from my 'travel light-travel fast' Service doctrine and Sofie's 'country 'A' today-country B tommorrow' Médecins Sans Frontières experiences.
The only 'stuff' we have in permanent storage are 'old' recordings on vinyl, our 'Family' photographs, and the second largest collection of Medical publications I've ever seen!
But when it comes to clothes (if it hasn't been worn for 2 years then out!) and the usual clutter of containers, cooking utensils and appliances etc that our well meaning family and friends decide we 'need', the 1 year and out it goes applies.
Plus outdated computor 'junk' ....... that mounts up way too fast!
Exempt are my uniforms and her bush kit, 'our' cars and bikes, along with my library, consisting of books, videotape and CD/DVD collections.
The main criteria we looked for in a home was a 'minimum four car garage but we'd really like space for six' ............. it made 'shopping around' much easier!

:faint:
 
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