Stuff... And Nonsense

As I left for work this morning I fondly looked over at my vegetable garden popping up in neat little rows and wished I could just stay at home and forget about all this working and making money and paying bills stuff.

 *sigh*

I've been feeling the need to simplify my life recently. Some things I don't have control over - like my suck-ing work schedule. I'll be glad when this lung transplant episode is finally over and I can get back to my normal schedule - my work from home all day schedule. I decided sitting with the elderly is not what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Some things I do have control over - like managing the times when I am not working to be more productive and not just waste it with Netflix, Hulu, Pinterest, etc. etc. Like staying in control of my spending habits (yesterday's post). Like keeping up with house cleaning and yard work. And I do have control over the stuff in my house.

 I have friends who have packed up and moved long distances, several times over; and their "stuff" didn't hold them down. One friend sold off practically all their worldly possessions before moving; then just started over with new stuff when they got a new house. Their "stuff" didn't have a hold on them the way my "stuff" has a hold on me.

I've never had to move all my "stuff". I've never had to reduce the amount of things in my house to fit a storage unit, or a moving van. I've never been forced to let anything go. And I'm grateful for that. My life, since marriage, has been really deeply rooted.... I left my parents and my childhood home with several boxes of my meager little possessions, and immediately started setting up house on my husband's farm. It's been four years now, and I seriously have a problem with "stuff"! Having a "old stuff" type of business doesn't help. I sell a lot, but for every one item I sell, I bet you I keep two. Or three.

My drive to simplify is helping me let some of my things go. Things I don't wear, don't use, keep packed away and never look at.....I have to let some things go. I've purged before, but not like I have in the past few weeks. I've let go of some things I thought I never would. If I don't do it now, what will my house look like in 10 years? In 20? The thought makes me shudder.

Some of it's going in my Etsy shop - mainly the vintage clothes and purses and antiques and collectibles that are easy to ship.

Plus, this weekend I am having a 2-day blow out yard sale.

It's going to be a good one. There might be crying, and kicking, and screaming, as I let some things go...

But there is one thing I have learned about "stuff":  There is plenty of it in the world. There is more than enough stuff to go around. If I sell off all my stuff today, there will be twice as much stuff tomorrow.