This Lady Packs!

Even though I've talked about moving out of California for years, since before I retired in 2011, it took me a long time to actually start... you know... packing. Packing means your 'stuff' is in boxes so they can't be used. How can you live, and survive while your 'stuff' is in boxes? Sounds stupid, but the hardest part of leaving the state was packing.

So pack, I did.

Piled boxes in livingroom, then stuffed them into the garage

I thought I could get it all done in under week or three and I started in May. The more I packed, the slower I got. You can't blame me, because I had to get rid of so much stuff - beloved stuff. I have tons of books, many read and loved but I know I won't be reading them or researching with them again so, out they go. And clothing... that blouse that never either fit, nor looked good on me, but so pretty - out! Shoes I've had for more than a decade but wear maybe twice a decade - out!

Professionally packed stuff in
my so-called "Junk Room"

I've been ditching things since I first moved into my home in 1993: ditching, donating, finding new homes for 'stuff', and yet other stuff moves in to fill the niche. But this is it. Time for everything without use, purpose or a real place in my life to go. So very difficult to do, and strangely sad.

Lovely to browse, but did I use them? Nope

One night a while back, I'd spent most the day in front the TV where I 'staged', that is, packed boxes. At day's end, I'd packed exactly one box. One. I was approaching zero boxes packed per day.

That would not do.

I got on line and found a company called New Leaf Senior Transitions. I made an appointment and they came today for round one (of two) packing up the rest of my stuff. They did what Becky did, when she helped me clear out my garage a few years back.

What a relief. A team of packers came in, and got busy. All I had to do was look at stuff and as with Becky, tell them to "pack, donate or toss". It was just like those Brit shows on de-cluttering houses. So cool.

♫T'was lost but now is found♪

A side benefit of de-cluttering was finding stuff I thought was either lost - or in this particularly embarrassing case - I thought was stolen.

Yep. I thought my spotting scope was 'stolen out of my car', some two years ago. Nope. Just buried under crap in my Junk Room. Yes, just shoot me now.