Purging & Packing

This weekend has been a whirlwind of packing activity, not just me, but my roommate as well. Seeing as I have another couple weeks here I thought it advantageous to not make it more hectic around here than necessary. So tonight starts the first efforts to officially purge my stuff. You know all that little petty clutter that eventually ads up to a lot of petty clutter. The trechery of idle papers or receipts that just accumulate out of "know where". You know what I'm talking about. Especially us ladies, our purses are full of them, but I digress.

At first I thought that getting rid of stuff would be hard. Don't get me wrong, it's no picnic as far as time invested is concerned, however, with each decision I make in what goes or stays I find myself leaning more to the going, rather than the staying. You know like all those projects I was gonna start, but only got half way with...GONE. Those clothes that I just know I'm going to fit into again...GONE.

Some decisions have been given a little more thought. Like my sewing machine. Once upon a time when I was a younger me I was actually learning this skill. But then the lady that was teaching me up and left her husband and that was the end of the lessons. I bought my sewing machine a few years ago, with the honest intention of re-learning, but the business of school and Bible Institute and that little thing called time has kept it at bay. So I had decided to get rid of it, until my friend Kim said that she would teach me. So it stays. Which is good because I've had a long designed project in my mind to take my old Navy uniforms and turn them into a quilt. It can be very cathartic to turn something that was a source of stress and angst into something that is useful and hopefully beautiful too. Yeah that's just dripping with irony because as anyone associated with the military knows that to beautify a uniform is pretty difficult. Stay tuned.

Another dificult decision, and one that I'm still up in the air on is my hope chest. Really people before I get an onslaught of advice on this one I REALLY don't have the room. My place is small and so I must decorate vertically, and a hope chest can take up a lot of room. I'm going to hang onto it at least until I get there just to see (Nicki's mom's advice). If it works maybe I can turn it into something that will have a dual purpose, like a window seat, but if not it's gonna have to go. It's nice for storage, but it's not like anyone built it for me so there's no sentimental value to it, and if I think about it for too long a single 31 year old woman with a hope chest just seems kinda sad. Even though it mostly olds memories from my childhood and not things that I would use when I get married.

Surprisingly easy to decide what goes was some other of my furniture items. My Kitchen table, my coffee & end tables, my desk & large bookshelf to start with. The other night I was on Craigslist and I found a woman who is trying to make a fresh start with her and her sons (no I don't know the whole story there) but she posted a listing asking for some of the items that I had available and so I contacted her and am hoping that I can find a friend with a truck that is willing to help with that. Paying it forward I guess you could say since I was given a free W&D last week. But it felt satisfying to make that decision and to know that those items will be appreciated.

Purging and packing. Because I can't take it with me when I go. Matthew 6:19-21 - Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.