Good Morning ALL! How are you this Sunday morning the 1st day of May 2022? Wow, May already. Alvin and I are doing great. We slept better than most nights and I was to stay up at 7:30 but awake since we were up at 6:30. It was nice to just lay on the sofa and think about life. Last night upon the suggestion from the girls yesterday at our coffee date, I posted the wood from the pergola and fence on one of our neighbourhood groups on social media. They all agreed that if I posted it for free, someone would be there right away to pick it up. It was absolutely amazing, I was contacted within the first hour or so, I think and they came to pick it up at 8:00 p.m. The couple were oh so nice and lived less than 10 minutes away. We had a great chat while they loaded the wood onto the truck. Definitely people I could be friends with. I was so relieved that I did not have to find a truck and take the wood somewhere or to hire someone with a truck to take it away. I never thought to post it for free. Best idea ever. Feeling like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Also I was thinking about all the things in my house that I am keeping for sentimental reasons or because it may or may not be used once in a blue moon. The biggest break through that I had while laying awake on the sofa before I got up was this: I can keep one of two special items of clothing and blankets and even toys from when she was a child and the rest can be given away or sold or donated. My daughter is not really interested in anything and this way, I would have a few things and if she changed her mine or perhaps I could make something out of them. Also I am going to sell or give away my 7.5 foot Christmas tree and the 4 foot outside tree which is in its’ own pot. It is time to get a new tree. Today, I am going to clean out and reorganize the basement. It might take more than one partial day to do this but I am going to get started. I have decided to be very strategic in what I keep. Also am going to reorganize my second pantry and have this office closet to go through. There are lots of things to think about with respect to their future. Now is the time. My mind is all a flutter with ideas. This is a good time to sell, give for free or donate. I am hosting a garage sale in June with some of my neighbours. It is basically for two hours on a Friday night and then from 9-5 on the Saturday. So in the meantime, I am going to post the bigger items and perhaps some of the smaller things. Only the items that I believe will be bought at the garage sale will I keep and pack away for that otherwise post on social media or call to have some organization re donation. So exciting. There are so many people in need of things and I certainly do not need everything in his house. The most important things to keep are me and Alvin. I suppose some dishes and Alvin’s stuff might be a good idea.
I guess most of us older folk are such sentimental creatures. We cannot let go of things that belonged to our children when they were small or things from our childhood. I do understand and realize that my obsession with keeping my daughter’s childhood things stems from the fact that I have just a couple of small items. But you know they are so special. I have a seashell brooch that my grandparents brought me back from their one and only big trip which was a cruise to Hawaii and also the pendant with my birthstone and an emerald that my grandmother gave me when I was a teenager. The brooch I have carried with me on every move from the time I was 10 or 11 and I am going to be 65. That is through countless moves between three provinces and towns and cities. It is amazing that I managed to keep it this long. One of the pearls came loose but I managed to find it. The brooch is in a special glass jewelry box that my best friend in grade 12 gave me for Christmas when we were grown adults. The pendant is on a different chain and I still wear it to this day. I also have a Valentine card that I gave my grandparents when I was eight years old. My grandmother kept it and it fell into my hands when she passed. That is pretty much it. Not much but priceless treasures all the same.
Maybe it is best for us older ones to just keep a couple of items that were our children’s and make sure that they are extra special. They will become extra special.
I have a massive job in front of me and not too likely that I will get through everything today but even just making the decision and starting is huge for me.
I also do not wish to leave this job for my daughter to do when I pass. Oh and I am not planning on going anywhere soon. In fact, I am planning to live until I am 100 but then my daughter will be older than I am now, so definitely want to leave things easy for her.
Well time to head to the shower, then have breakfast and get going on this day.
I will post the Christmas trees and better than putting them in a garage sale and taking up so much space in the garage.
Have an awesome Sunday.
Continuing to live this life with respect, kindness, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilities.
P.S. I have decided that the most years that I am going to continue to work will be 5, not past my 70th birthday. Okay another decision made. YAY. I have made some decisions about the mortgage and think that I have figured out a way to have it paid off before retirement. Feeling lighter all the time. It all starts with making one decision and then snowballs into more.
Coffee yesterday with the girls was awesome. One of my friends gave me four tops and a towel for the stove. I visited with another neighbour when out for a walk with Alvin. I trimmed my front tree although it needs some more but at least a start and raked the front lawn and did laundry. Things are moving forward. Having the pile of wood gone and to people who were truly excited to have it was amazing.
My New Life @ 51 