Clutter is not just “stuff”

A friend of mine is selling her house. In preparation for putting it on the market, she has been purging for months. Going through every closet, drawer, shelf, cupboard and pantry, getting rid of everything she no longer needs, wants or uses.

I’m smiling, somewhat sheepishly, as I’m writing because it’s something we all go through — usually when we’re about to move. That’s when, after years of accumulating and stockpiling and “saving,” we suddenly spring into action — because the thought of packing it all, unpacking it all and trying to find room for it is more than we can bear.

We went out for dinner last week — my friend and I — it was a catch up of sorts. We’ve both been caught up in our own lives and, although we text and talk on the phone all the time, we haven’t had time to get together. It was

What a treasure trove I found (metaphorically speaking) …

Back in September I wrote about how I was finally attacking my closets and drawers and cupboards and pantries and shelves and papers.  Long overdue it was.

Well I’m happy to say I’m done.  Mission accomplished.  And you may find this hard to believe but I actually enjoyed it.  So much so I seem to have become obsessed with order.

I now wake up in the middle of the night and go through stuff and purge.  While I’m watching TV or reading a book I suddenly get the urge to reorganize what I’ve just organized; and I do it!  In slightly under two months I’ve gone from thriving in chaos to being OCD.

Clearly I am channeling my mother who is, of course, loving it.

Speaking of my mother, when I moved her out of her apartment and

My idea of heaven seems to be changing …

What do I know?  Maybe I’m just having a bad couple of days.  Maybe I’ve got a case of the January blahs.  Tell me what you think.  Is it just me, or is life becoming way too complicated?  Is it just me, or is nothing easy anymore?  I’m not joking.  This is a serious question.

Everything is becoming a hassle.  It doesn’t matter what it is you’re trying to get done, or who you’re dealing with.  It takes way longer than it has to, it’s more fraught with problems and frustration then it should be and you’re left wondering why you bothered in the first place.

Should I really have to re-arrange every carton of milk on the bloomin’ shelf in order