2009: Identify and Rid Myself of 43 Items of Überclutter

Took 14 gallon containers’ worth of old paint to the hazardous waste dump, along with a box of dead batteries.

Hurrah! I did it!

Tossed a pile of old, very ratty clothes I had put aside to paint in. That was over a year ago and I still haven’t used them, so out they go!

Just one left!

Took back online ordered clothes that didn’t fit from Old Navy and exchanged them for a fleece jacket that does.

Just two more things!

Took two bins of used plastic grocery bags to the library for use on rainy days.

Just three more items to go!

Took about 100 books to the used book store for sale. Managed to aquire only 6 new ones and retrieve only one from the sales pile. Rejects were donated to the library.

Sent a big, fat box of beautifully illustrated children’s books to my sister-in-law and new nephew in the U.K.

Six more to go and two months to do it.

All from just one rose bush. Wow.

...and then there were six.

After holding on to them for literally years, I’ve finally brought myself to toss my ancient horse magazines into the recycling bin. I did rip out a small stack of articles to read as time allows, but it’s a relief to get rid of the rest. Magazines are meant to be ephemeral media after all, aren’t they?

I’m keeping my Hanoverian breeding magazines though. Plus I still have another year and a half years worth of Dressage Today to toss. Maybe I shouldn’t count this goal as done until the DTs are in the bin? (Update: Wow, it took weeks, but the DTs are finally in the bin.)

While putting the empty magazine holders in the closet I found a stack of software and data I’ve been hanging on to. About half of it is now in the Goodwill pile. Hopefully someone out there can use it.

Just seven more to go.

Packaged defective Helmet to send back to Stateline Tack. It’s on the front stoop waiting fot UPS pickup. It’s somebody else’s problem now!

Just 8 more items to go.

...and now it’s gone!

Another 96 gallons of rose clipping were picked up today. Hey, it’s something.