What fun to clean up.

Ugh. I have taken the opportunity of a few rainy days with not too much going on at work to try to get both workspace and home organized. There are few chores I despise more as it pains me to get rid of things. Any things. But when I lived in New York, hoarding wasn’t an option; there simply wasn’t space to stash 12 extra rolls of paper towels or a cool table spotted at the Chelsea flea market. Ski gear? We always rented. Here, I am ashamed to admit, it didn’t take long to change entirely. We even rented a small storage unit to hold holiday décor and some of the overflow, which is to say I’m no longer saying no to great flea market finds, two chandeliers (so far!) that I might use one day and classic books I might read. Furnishings for the Red House boutique taking shape in my imagination are also accumulating. I know it’s wrong. And I can’t seem to say goodbye to any samples I’ve collected at work. Whether it’s a zipper style, fabric, thread color or button size not currently in use, it MAY be ideal next year or ten years from now and I’ll be glad I saved it, right? And what about Andrew and Delia’s artistic endeavors – can I really throw out their heartfelt smears of poster paint on kraft paper?! Not yet, I’m afraid.

So what did I accomplish? Well, a couple of things. After reading Getting Organized (another airport find!) I began to take action on each piece of paper as soon as I got it so the paperwork wouldn’t accumulate. School schedules, invitations – all get entered in my master calendar hasta pronto. And I made a visible dent in clutter by going room to room with an eye on elimination. Not the clean sweep the experts advised, but hey, it was a three-day effort when three weeks might have been warranted. I do feel good about donating some winter clothes I was hanging onto. Who knows, some local family might move some place where down coats are actually necessary. By giving them up I feel even more a part of life in Napa. Like when I gave up Andrew’s high chair, I knew I was done with babies. And with all the travel I do for Red House I’ve accumulated quite the stash of tiny toiletries. From now on these are going to a shelter for women and children, who could use a little luxury in their lives. In the kitchen I asked myself, “How many spatulas is enough?” Turns out to be three: one in each size. Now the drawer closes much easier. These are only baby steps towards an organized life yet I feel better. But don’t ask why I’m collecting corks, as I don’t have a good answer. How about – I’m going to build a raft someday and sail to Tahiti? Ok, not likely.