mysillyvalley

Organizational tools are clutter.

In the back of my car Right This Minute are boxes full of devices invented to help me reduce clutter.

On my table is a box with little drawers to hold little cluttery things.

Filling up my cupboards under the stove are adorable little bottles designed to hold Things. Still in their Ikea wrappers.

I have devices to hold magazines that are leaning along the wall.

In my hallway are the conveniently located tubs left out after Christmas last year—ideally situated to put the ornaments back in NOW to leave in the hall for another year. Or not. Major effort to declutter the front room to have a tree, but definitely worth it.

I have to Stop Adding. Stop Adding seems like an easier goal than Reduce It.

Doesn’t it?

How do you Tame the Clutter?

We lost our dear, dear pet Jack last week. He was a beloved black miniature schnauzer and a week ago right now he escaped from the yard and got run over by a car.

I was at work very late (as I am now) and wasn’t home—that’s probably why he escaped, because he was lonely.

My kids are devastated, as am I.

Is it too soon to even consider getting a new dog?

It sounds like a solo activity, but I’ve found a core of really fine friends—in real life type of friends. We share a love of being outdoors (some more than others … I’m more of a drive-by cacher than a hiker, but that’s OK), of a little mystery, some puzzling clues and most of all of JUST DOING SOMETHING instead of sitting at home on the couch.

My dog loves to do it, too.