I have already put some readings and music choices in a shoe box, with a copy of my will. My daughter also has a copy of my will. I have taken out power of attorney for my health and financial affairs with my son and daughter as executors. I am now seriously thinking of requesting not having a funeral service. Scatter my ashes somewhere beautiful of my family's choice. I have also signed up for organ donation if any of my bits are usable and have requested not to be resuscitated just to keep me alive. Now I am working on decluttering. It is not morbid to me, I am just trying to make life a bit easier for my family. Hopefully, they will be upset enough when I pop my clogs. They both have their own homes and do not share the same memories as I have for my belongings. We were all together last night when I happened to say I still have the chewed first puppy harness of my last dog and the lead of our first dog, hand braided, bought at an Agricultural Show in Scotland many years ago. My daughter asked why on earth had I kept them for so long. The only thing I could say was "memories". I remember asking the man who made the braided lead if it would pull apart with use. He told me it would outlast the life of my dog. He was right, she died when she was sixteen and a half, I used the same lead for our next dog who lived until she was sixteen and it could still be used safely. I guess it will have to go in the bin.
I'm finding it hard to dump greetings cards from my mum and she's alive and well. Found at least a dozen bottle bags. What does that say about me or my friends? I'm keeping all the gift bags. They're all reusable. Hope I don't send them back to the donor. But why would they remember unless it's really distinctive?
Some one mentioned 'memories' and I think it can feel so 'final' sometimes, getting rid of things, especially if they have been kept on for ages as a 'memory-reminder'. I love finding something that I have wrapped or boxed well, and then find it also carries a 'scent-reminder' too.
Maybe it is worth keeping at least a few things from each era/life-stage. That might make it easier to part with the other items from the same 'memory-group'.
It could be fun to take photos of things before junking....then you would have 'memories of the memories of memories' - is that too weird?
Sorry to witness the demise of the forum. 😥😥😥😡😡😡I am Spartacus
The one and two year rules for not wearing clotehs are tosh unless you're the kind of person who has a seasonal clothing budget and changes their wardrobe regularly. I did know some weomen like that back in Belgium.
I make most of my clothes but buy undies, t-shirts, jumpers and, occasionally, skirts and dresses in the sales. I keep the ones I like and still have a Next dolman sleeved t-shirt I bought in 1989. I don't wear it often but I like it and once it's really past it I'll use it as a pattern to replace it. I also have skirts, trousers, tops, dresses, jackets, coats I've made and not worn for ages but, guess what, the wide legged trousers are now back in fashion and fit so were worth keeping. Even my warm lined denim jacket bought in Texas in 1988 has come back around.
Now I have 2 new knees the knee length skirts will be going - scars not pretty and the new knees are lumpier than the originals so narrow legged jeans will go in the gardening and DIY pile.
As for other clutter, we got rid of loads when we moved here but it's a-gathering again so on a decent day we'll have to tackle the "cave" which is a sort of ground level cellar in the annex. I still have my hifi system, not used since we moved here cos the CD deck is dead but the sound is good and we've bought a deck so I can play LPs and singles.
The only other major "clutter" in the house is my embarrasment of fabrics and that's going nowhere except thru the sewing machine one of these days and a vast array of plain Dartington crystal which we used to use for dinner parties. Haven't had one of those since before Covid.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
It's started already🙄 I dumped a small cap for something - no idea what it was for. Then I found the something. Now I have something without a cap. MP3 player
When my Mum died, I did an initial sort through of clothes and made 4 categories: bin, charity (biggest chunk), for me/sister and keep for now… Fast forward 10 years and the ‘keep for now’ has just been reviewed and I found a whole drawer full of scarfs so they are having the 4 categories treatment this weekend.
I must say, I still wear some of Mum’s clothes (coats, shoes and pyjamas mainly) and they have helped me remember and feel connected. Not for everyone, but just my story.
Personally l don't consider the "1,2, or 3 year" thinking "tosh", but that's the beauty of it. If you aren't bothered by having things in your wardrobe for years on end that you haven't worn then so what. Eventually they will end up in a charity shop, recycling or landfill, whether that's your decision or someone else's.
My MIL has 2 wardrobes full of clothes, mostly in very good condition and many unworn that she will never wear again for various reasons. It will be down to me and my SIL to decide what happens to them as she refuses to discuss it. My SIL works in a charity shop, so she will have a good idea about what will sell. This may sound cold and uncaring, but there is enough going on emotionally as it is when someone dies. I know if it was down to my BIL he will just hire skips or a large container such as @Busy-Lizzie had, and just chuck pretty much the entire house contents away.
I came across a top last week that l bought way before Covid, never worn. I don't even like it enough to wear for gardening 😁. It will go to the charity shop where hopefully someone will get some pleasure from it and the charity will make some money.
I have a pair of jeans that I bought in the 1990s that were too small but I kept in case I lost weight. I managed to put them on for the first time last month. They are now officially 'vintage' I do generally prune clothes every year - things that have too many holes to be decent are usually the only ones that go, although even some of those end up on the mending pile. I hate buying clothes so I usually try to eke out the ones I have.
Other stuff ends up in a shed. When a shed is full, OH builds another one. I think we're up to about 6 now
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
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Now I am working on decluttering. It is not morbid to me, I am just trying to make life a bit easier for my family. Hopefully, they will be upset enough when I pop my clogs. They both have their own homes and do not share the same memories as I have for my belongings.
We were all together last night when I happened to say I still have the chewed first puppy harness of my last dog and the lead of our first dog, hand braided, bought at an Agricultural Show in Scotland many years ago. My daughter asked why on earth had I kept them for so long. The only thing I could say was "memories". I remember asking the man who made the braided lead if it would pull apart with use. He told me it would outlast the life of my dog. He was right, she died when she was sixteen and a half, I used the same lead for our next dog who lived until she was sixteen and it could still be used safely.
I guess it will have to go in the bin.
Found at least a dozen bottle bags. What does that say about me or my friends? I'm keeping all the gift bags. They're all reusable. Hope I don't send them back to the donor. But why would they remember unless it's really distinctive?
Maybe it is worth keeping at least a few things from each era/life-stage. That might make it easier to part with the other items from the same 'memory-group'.
It could be fun to take photos of things before junking....then you would have 'memories of the memories of memories' - is that too weird?
I make most of my clothes but buy undies, t-shirts, jumpers and, occasionally, skirts and dresses in the sales. I keep the ones I like and still have a Next dolman sleeved t-shirt I bought in 1989. I don't wear it often but I like it and once it's really past it I'll use it as a pattern to replace it. I also have skirts, trousers, tops, dresses, jackets, coats I've made and not worn for ages but, guess what, the wide legged trousers are now back in fashion and fit so were worth keeping. Even my warm lined denim jacket bought in Texas in 1988 has come back around.
Now I have 2 new knees the knee length skirts will be going - scars not pretty and the new knees are lumpier than the originals so narrow legged jeans will go in the gardening and DIY pile.
Some decisions are easy @B3.
As for other clutter, we got rid of loads when we moved here but it's a-gathering again so on a decent day we'll have to tackle the "cave" which is a sort of ground level cellar in the annex. I still have my hifi system, not used since we moved here cos the CD deck is dead but the sound is good and we've bought a deck so I can play LPs and singles.
The only other major "clutter" in the house is my embarrasment of fabrics and that's going nowhere except thru the sewing machine one of these days and a vast array of plain Dartington crystal which we used to use for dinner parties. Haven't had one of those since before Covid.
I dumped a small cap for something - no idea what it was for. Then I found the something. Now I have something without a cap. MP3 player
Fast forward 10 years and the ‘keep for now’ has just been reviewed and I found a whole drawer full of scarfs so they are having the 4 categories treatment this weekend.
Eventually they will end up in a charity shop, recycling or landfill, whether that's your decision or someone else's.
My MIL has 2 wardrobes full of clothes, mostly in very good condition and many unworn that she will never wear again for various reasons. It will be down to me and my SIL to decide what happens to them as she refuses to discuss it.
My SIL works in a charity shop, so she will have a good idea about what will sell. This may sound cold and uncaring, but there is enough going on emotionally as it is when someone dies.
I know if it was down to my BIL he will just hire skips or a large container such as @Busy-Lizzie had, and just chuck pretty much the entire house contents away.
I came across a top last week that l bought way before Covid, never worn. I don't even like it enough to wear for gardening 😁.
It will go to the charity shop where hopefully someone will get some pleasure from it and the charity will make some money.
Other stuff ends up in a shed. When a shed is full, OH builds another one. I think we're up to about 6 now
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”