Junk galore...

For the past 5 days, I've been purging like a mad woman.  I've placed a table right outside the back door of my kitchen and I dump items out there if I'm trying to see if I miss them.  So far, nothing has been reclaimed.  I'm so far beyond the 65 items I needed to purge for the Minimalism Game this week, I've completely lost count.

And besides this trash pile above, there really hasn't been anything worth photographing.  I've tossed dried up paint, broken toys, old sheets, dried up markers, crunchy rolls of tape...seriously, JUNK!   As I purge these things, I feel a great lightening of my visual space and my mind as well.

Many items I hold onto likewise hold memories.  Lately, I've started to feel that memories, even good ones, are better when they're NOT attached to a physical item.  5 years painting for the Des Moines Metro Opera isn't upgraded by having a company mug!  A jar of hot green chili sauce that expired in 2010 doesn't make or break our New Mexico honeymoon!  And a heavy ceramic bowl made by a friend...feels too heavy now that that friendship has dissipated completely.

As for my wardrobe, which I'm also purging..I've got a strange problem.  From what I've seen, most people have tons of unworn clothes jammed into closets...or they have a shopping addiction and continually add to their wardrobe.  I have neither of those problems.  What I have instead is...I have about 4 pieces of clothing I like, the rest I tolerate.  

I'm also a clothing "under buyer" according to Gretchen Rubin.  I will stock up on art supplies even though I have plenty, but when it comes to clothes...I'd rather trim the toenails of an angry wolverine than go to a mall or other such place.  

And my kids?  Well...they have holy socks.  I've been taking so much stuff *back* to the thrift store lately, I finally "splurged" and went into the store and replaced some of our holy frocks. It took me an hour to spend $36...meanwhile, the kids happily played with every dirty little toy in the place!  That's cheap fun.