Regret

Occasionally I look at my home and worry that I am becoming a hoarder. Things get a little out of control and "stuff" starts piling up.


I was called a hoarder once.


Right to my face.


And no, it was not from my hubby Erik.


It was his cousin from California.


She was looking around the house on a visit and opened up my cold storage room door.

She then told me I was a hoarder.


Right to my face.

I then had to explain about the LDS church and our belief in saving or "storing for a rainy day" and the whole years supply thing.

I posted here about a years supply some time ago. I don't just store food. I store a years supply of TP, Paper towels, toilet bowl cleaner, laundry soap, yada yada yada. So it kind of takes up a lot of room.

I digress...back to my earlier point. 

Every so often I get spurs in my boots and get my mind set on purging and throwing out stuff.

My friend turned me onto a book and system for deciphering what you need and don't, which was really great and I should talk about it here but that is not what I am typing about today.

I am typing about regret.

The same friend told about her mom getting rid of a drawer full of useless specialty utensils and gadgets in the kitchen. She kept a spatula, wooden spoon, whisk and a few other items but just dumped the rest.

I will now make an apology to Pampered Chef lovers and all those v shape knives and that metal pick thingie to hold the onion as you chop. Oh yeah, you know the ones I'm talking about. Those gadgets that constantly get caught in the back of your drawer making it catch as you try to close it cause it's just to darn full.

Well... her Mom didn't regret tossing that stuff, except for one thing, but it wasn't super necessary so she somehow survived and life moved on.

So when I get that spur and decide to throw out and clean out stuff...


What!


You want to know what it was?


Okay curious readers...


It was a melon ball-er.


I guess she just has to eat her melons square now like I do.


Anyhooo... I want to now address my regret.

No, it is nothing as useful as a melon ball-er. No, it actually cannot be found in the kitchen. Oh wait. In my house it can. But usually they are found in a closet.

In my house I store them right at the foot of the cupboard where we have our "DROP ZONE". You know, that spot that collects the keys, mail, homework, cell phones and whatever other stuff you use each day?

So you guessed it, every time Erik comes home and trips over a pair of my shoes, boots, flip-flops, whatever tucked right there at the base of the cabinet, he yells "can't you put these in the closet?" remembers how much he loves me.

So my regret is that I followed the rule...

Okay you caught me, I didn't EXACTLY follow the rule. I think the rule is that if you haven't worn an item for a year maybe two you should throw it out.

For me it had been like 4 years since I wore this pair of Frye boots. I bought them out of high school like in 1995 and wore them often with my Harley jacket. It was kind of a stage I went through in my adolescent years.

Amid my sorting I decided I should just toss them as the soles were pretty worn from some good years of use. Part of me wanted to have them re-soled but I just never took them in so I stuck the box with the boots inside, put them in the DI (Goodwill) bag and dropped them off with my load to DI.

After a few months I really started regretting that I gave away those boots. I keep thinking of that lucky dog soul that scored on my $218 boots, although at the time I think I paid $145 at JMR.

Ever since I started missing these boots it has been much harder to turn lose those items in my closet that have been hanging out way too long. I now doubt myself and the clarity with which I'm making decisions.

Dangerous I know, I could be on my way to becoming a real-deal hoarder.