Moving Day: April 30

So we have lived in this house for the past 13 years, and in this very same neighborhood for 20. Our youngest three boys grew up here. Now they and their friends have all moved on, and they are fine with the move. #8 son just got back from the Marines and is preparing for a two-year mission. #7 son just proposed today to his girlfriend and is planning on an August wedding. #6 son got married last year and is graduating college next month. Those are our youngest sons, I won't take up the whole post telling you what all the rest are doing. But these are the boys who grew up here and I'm rather nostalgic about the idea of leaving this home even if they aren't.

I'm also realistic about the huge amount of STUFF we have accumulated, and I do not want to take it to a new house! So every day I sort and pack, sort and pack, throw out, give away, sort and pack. Think I can be done by moving day? Think I am getting stressed about it? Yes, very!

So after packing 3 huge boxes of kitchen stuff that didn't even seem to make a dent in my kitchen cabinet space, I deserve a break. I'm going to bed to read the L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton. G'night, all!

A Bad Hair Decade

Have you ever looked at old pictures and gaped at the hair? What was I thinking??? As I've been sorting through family photos I've run across a few of those. Like my hair in the '80's? Yikes, that's all I can say. I've always worn my hair long and straight-ish for a reason. Short and fluffy is just not me. It makes me look ridiculous. Yet for some inexplicable reason I went with the short, fluffy permed hair for most of the 1980's. Does anyone remember why the put your finger in a socket look was supposedly attractive? 

Well, that finally grew out and then for some reason a decade later I decided I was getting too old for my straight, long-ish  hair and got it cut short. Really, really short. And then highlighted. Really, really highlighted. It came out yellow. So there I was dealing with a mid-life crisis with super short, yellow hair. Call that hideous.

And no I am not posting pictures.

My Confused Blog or is it Eclectic?

Truthfully, I really have no clue what I'm doing here. As I'm on my streamlining binge, I wonder if I should streamline blogs and forget about this confused little blog over here. It's a mishmash of everything-- recipes, wedding pictures, weather reports, snippets of letters old and new-- yet when I started it, I intended it to have a 'writing your history' theme. Instead it has become a 'Karen writes about her day' theme.

 I really believe a blog should have a platform, no matter how loose or widespread. It needs some theme to unify it, so that people know what to expect when they stop by.  But where this blog is concerned, I'm a total hypocrite, not practicing what I preach. I've tried establishing a sort of platform, then I forget about it and post something about my neighbor's cat or whatever.

In fact there are people who don't know I am KarenG of Coming Down the Mountain. I've heard that more than once: 'I didn't even know you were the same person!' LOL. So I'm either bipolar or as I said, just really confused about what I'm doing over here at this blog! Ok, so I guess I'll think about it and get back to you.

Meanwhile, for those who have been kind enough to follow me here for awhile, what kind of posts have you enjoyed the most? If you don't mind my asking.

Sometimes Junk is not only Stuff

I posted about toxic people on my other blog, and unfortunately this kind of people can be part of the junk in one's life. Getting rid of  stuff in my environment motivates me to get rid of other useless things-- like those 50 extra pounds-- ugly clothes that have taken residence in my closet-- toxic relationships whether in business or personal life (I fortunately only have one of these now bothering me and it's in business not my personal life, soon to be discarded).

I now find myself looking around wondering what else I can get rid of?  Don't worry my darling husband, even tho I'm looking right at you, I'm not considering getting rid of you EVER. But all that stuff cluttering your side of the closet? *shudder* Soon to be history. And I know you'll never miss it.

Clearing Out the Junk in Life

Oh wait, this post is really about clearing out the junk in my house. But something quite freeing happens inside myself when I  begin to see open spaces in my home where clutter once was. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a clutter-type person. You won't see piles of miscellaneous stuff stacked up on surfaces or in corners in any room except for closets. I like to keep stuff cleared away.

But even so, it's been awhile since I took a good long look at what we own and provide space for. After awhile, you don't even see the stains and rips on the beloved chair, you only see the chair you and your daughter like to sit on squeezed in together. My son, home on Spring break, took one look at said piece of furniture: "Mom, this is looking really bad. Why do we still have this broken down chair? Want me to take it out for you?"

So far the chair has disappeared, a huge dresser I've had since 1972 (which was used when I got it), old toys from when my kids were little, zillions of books nobody wants anymore, clothes that have seen better days. It's all hauled off to the Deseret Industries. They take everything, how wonderful. Some of it they sell locally in their stores, some of it gets tossed right into the dumpster, a lot of it is shipped overseas to third world countries.

I'm on a roll. It feels great to get rid of all this stuff I won't miss. Every day I look around and think, "What can I get rid of today?" It's awesome. Today I'll be sorting through my own clothes, getting rid of anything that no longer makes me feel attractive. That will be my criteria-- does this make me feel attractive? yes or no. I'm pretty sure I'll get rid of more than I keep. And then it will be time to go shopping. Ha!

No, you can't have it all

I've spent nearly my entire life observing people. And this one thing I've learned: you can't have it all. Nobody does. Someone with wealth might have poor health or kids who hate them. Someone with a loving, happy marriage may be childless or penniless. That woman you envy with the perfect body, the perfect hair and beautiful home? She may be desolate in her loneliness. Who knows?  Or her heart may be breaking because her childhood dreams have been shattered.

No one can see behind the closed doors of other people's lives. Why burden oneself with envy,  ingratitude, or the unhappiness that comes with broken dreams and heartaches? Instead, my desire is to be thankful every moment for the privilege of life in all its pain and all its glory. And that's enough for me.