Arrrgh!!!

If your niece is accepting bookings, anytime between now and forever would be a good day for me!

When she starts her cleaning business, I'll give her your number! Travel cost will be a bummer though. *G*

Sounds like someone I could do with too. But on a long term basis - I find that I clear up everything and then a while later realise that I've got lots more stuff to get rid of again.

Buffy--Travel costs will be a bummer, as you say--especially when added to the phone bill for my calling you twice daily for the reading of your blog!

Adele--I think what makes it hard to come to terms with the amount of junk that we accumulate is that I grew up in a time and place where the only thing thrown out was in the slop pail--and it fed the pigs (or the garden). We saved the rare business letter in order to use the blank reverse side of the paper for our own writing purposes. Now, if I find a missing comma (or for similar, minor infraction), I re-print the page (although I must admit that I do print on the back of that tossed sheet--some other time, when printing something out for myself!)

Adele, that's what I'm afraid of. It's a never ending process. DH won't let us throw out a collection of back issues for five different magazines. I gathered every single one I could find, sorted them by title, sorted them by year, organized them by issue, and let my niece and DH handle them. She is going to provide some milk cartons to use to store them in the basement.
I wouldn't mind his saving them if he had ever looked at one of them.

I know that I have to so the same cleaning in my bedroom/quilting area and closet, and in the mudroom storage shelves and closet, and in my office. I don't mind the work, and I'm coming to believe that it really IS easier to throw out things you aren't using, but like Cop Car, it really goes against the grain.

My niece will be thrilled to know that you need her! *G*

I've never had the need to save things As Cop Car did in the past but I still find a compulsion to save things and feel worried about getting rid of them in case I may need them in future.

The Husband, though is the one to save magazines. He has a passion for old railways (especially the age of steam) and model railways. he has a huge number of magazines on the subject which he insists on keeping and still adds to. To make them look a bit better I suggested to him that he stored them in box files. This he has done, so they don't look too untidy in piles. But the downside is that there is a huge pile, which approaches 4 feet high, of box files full of railway magazines in his bedroom. And nowhere else to put them and he insists on keeping them. ~sigh~.

Upon retirement, one of the first tasks I took on was to deal with the magazines (Sport Aviation, Air & Space, and Aviation Week & Technology, mostly)--magazines that I had accumulated over the previous 20 years on the theory that I would read them when I retired. I had thought that the accumulated magazines would give me something to do in my boring retirement.

Once retired, I found that I had no desire to read the magazines (many, still in their mailing sleeves or wrappers). I did as Adele did the railroad magazines--sorted them by title and date. Then, I packed about 2 years's worth of issues into each of about 12 plastic grocery bags and started taking them to the retiree breakfasts with me. The guys fell all over themselves claiming the bags of magazines. I've not missed having the magazines, so it was a great thing to have done.

Adele, when it comes time to sell this house, I plan to sell it "as is" and that includes the basement! *G* We took all of Dear Husband's magazines down there, and I don't plan to bring them all back up! I don't know why it was so important to save them, since he doesn't read them. My quilting things fill one end of our bedroom, and I have reached the point where I have to give something up each time I bring something new into the room, so I can understand how you feel about the overstuffed bedroom.

Cop Car....that was a BRILLIANT way to recycle! It has the feel of Huck Finn to it. *G*

Well, at least the Husband does read his Railway magazines, both when he first buys them and later. Often if he is not feeling well he will retire to the settee and lay himself out there with a load of past magazines and spend hours looking at them. I have bouts when I read my past ones, mainly knitting, sewing or machine knitting magazines. I tend to look at them when I am seeking inspiration or information.

Cop Car I agree with Buffy that that was an excellent way of getting rid of past magazines. Over here it is often suggested that dropping the odd no-longer-needed magazine in, for example, a waiting room of a doctor or dentist is a good idea. But somehow I never remember when it is time to go to either. I'm afraid I just get rid of old magazines by dropping them in the paper recycling sack.

Adele--Yes, I've often wished that people would bring more interesting magazines to the offices where we must wait. That's a great idea. Our local public library has a special bin where we may put magazines that we no longer want. I have picked up magazines from the bin (and, usually, returned them after thumbing through), but I put many more items into the bin than I take out. Had the guys not wanted the airplane magazines, the magazines should have gone to the bin; however, most of the guys at the breakfasts are like me--airplane nutty.

I had a doctor's visit a couple of years ago, and that particular office had the worst collection of reading material that I had ever seen. On my second visit to that office, I mentioned the magazine problem to the doc. He said that he was on the committee for the office which was supposed to choose magazines, so I went home and drew up a list of suggestions for him, and even pulled together a batch of the subscription cards for the suggestions. If I ever have to go back, they better darn well have improved their stash. Just to be on the safe side, I'll take a month of my back issues to them!

Adele, like you, I save my quilting magazines for inspiration. I found several projects that I'd like to be sewing right now!

May I borrow Niece too?

I know that the only reason Mr BW has agreed to building a new art/craft studio in the attic of our existing single-storey bit is that he knows I'll be forced to declutter the attic to have it done... (but, I've already worked out that most of my 'useful clutter stash' will fit into the garage though, and when it's done I'll build loads more cupboards and bookshelves to rehouse it all. But, shush, don't tell him!! :))

Wow. clever planning, BW! I envy you the studio. I had one planned for this house, but a stepson needed it more than I did. I'll watch for pictures of your growing establishment.