Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

I am the world's biggest pack rat. Huge! Billy has threatened, and actually tried, to get rid of some of my stuff when I'm not home. I came home one day and found a bunch of stuff out on the curb waiting for the trash pickup and went in the house and asked if we were moving.

That is what it looked like.

This time, it is by choice.

My closet has been the project of 2009. Its origin was the back porch of the house that was closed in. A single light bulb was added, shag carpet installed and paneling on the walls. Which is to say that it has not been updated, obviously, since the 70s.

So, demolition started in January. Billy likes to work on demolition projects during my busy season. Makes the time pass for him or something. The thought was that when I freed up I could help with the design and reconstruction. So I pulled all my clothes out of the closet and stacked them up around the guest bedroom (yes, my closet is in the guest bedroom. Houses built in 1893 did not come with closets) and there they have sat. This was an unusual year and my busy season didn't end in March but extended until July.

I have a lot of clothes. I'm a pack rat. I can give you the history behind just about every article of clothing and why I'm still holding on to it.

Until today.

My sister-in-law will need to sleep in that room when she comes to help out with the puppy-sitting when we go on vacation later this month (my mother-in-law sleeps in our room). There is MUCH to be done in the next two weeks.

So I bit the bullet. I took a long, hard look at the clothes.

Most of them are way too big now. Most of them are old - still in good condition, but dated.

Here is my second problem, and part of what leads into me being a pack rat. I hate to shop. Hate it. Have for most of my life.

Today I decided that the closet will be my incentive. I've worked very hard achieving a major accomplishment. I am going to have new, bright, clean closet and it is only fair that there are some new clothes in it. And if I get rid of all the stuff that doesn't fit, and isn't worth having altered to fit (like my work suits are), then I have incentive to keep the weight off.

Because if I have to shop I only want to do it once.