I'm going to bury the lede by dumping a bunch of photos. If your own life is stressful right now, you may want to skip reading about mine. (Then again, sometimes I find it helpful to know that I'm not the only one dealing with 'stuff'. If the shoe fits, read on!)
First, photos shared on IG/FB (plus a few extras), which have gotten more regular again:
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| "My eastern view from home and on my way to work this morning. I could not capture Mt. Hood's magnificent presence!" (2 photos) |
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| "Looking forward to a great concert date with my honey!" |
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| Lyle Lovitt and his acoustic group put on a great show |
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| A detail from the lovely Elsinore Theatre |
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| "The sheep are getting ragged around the edges. WHEN will I have time to shear them???" |
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| "The past few days have felt like a spring fling!" |
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| "Last night's clear sky. Orion is my favorite constellation." |
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| "Hmm, those colors remind me of something. 😍" |
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| "I chased this sunset up the hill a few miles past our lane trying to get a good shot." |
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| "Interesting wisps in the eastern sky this morning." |
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| "Happy Sabbath!" |
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| "Bitsy and Lance, making my day.." (4 photos) |
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| "The ear gnats are out again, so Stella's bonnet is back in use. She knows it helps and accepts it readily." |
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| "Good morning!" |
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| "We're having fungi weather again." |
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Rick has
almost vacated his old clinic space. The only thing holding us up from giving the new owners the keys they've been hounding us for is getting phone service switched over to the new office. For now we have to keep the landline in the old space and forward the phone to the new secretary's mobile phone during the day and to the answering service for nights and weekends.
The rest of 30 years of accumulation has been moved, some (not enough) to burnpile/trash/recycling, some (shoehorned in) to the new office, and some (WAY too much) to our home. There is stuff stacked in our garage, our daylight basement, the barn aisle, the shed, and on our big trailer. Rick hasn't been able to park on his side of the garage since he brought home a truck AND trailerful of stuff home from Dad's shop last summer; now I can't park in the garage, either. Supposedly most of what he has brought home will be stored in the shop once it is finished; Brian is grumbling that there will be no available space to actually work on vehicles in the 'shop' (which is an indication of other issues).
Through the process of losing both my dads, my desire to declutter and downsize has grown increasingly stronger, and I have taken steps to both get rid of things and minimize further accumulation. But I'm shoveling out with a teaspoon while the men of the family are hauling in with a dump truck, adding despair to the physical/mental/emotional exhaustion I was already struggling with. In my experience, what my guys bring in never leaves, even if it is large and visible (prime examples are a dead pick-up, a dead car, one dead and one dying tractor, two dead riding lawnmowers, and a homemade trailer, now rotting, that we pulled behind the car when we moved to Oregon in 1989). Our little acreage has become an embarrassment and a burden, and I see no way to effect change – not a good emotional state. On top of that, I am aware that FAR worse things are happening to many in our country and on our planet; Lord, help us all.
10 comments:
The fact that worse things are happening in our country doesn't negate the agitation/aggravation/frustration you feel about your land becoming what sounds suspiciously like a dump. I'm so sorry because I know that has to be really stressful for you. And I am with you - I keep getting rid of stuff here and have been since my mom died 21 years ago. That I still have stuff that can go is actually a little disturbing . . . . I hope you can get the phone line sorted out very soon and I hope there is a way for you to keep your own sanity. I know what I would do, but, as you've told me before, our situations are not the same ;-) But despair should not be on the menu for you. Seriously, it sounds like a "Come to Jesus" meeting is necessary with the men of your household.
A, I hope you know how much I appreciate your friendship and support. It helps in the midst of the 'crazy'!
wow. i second A's motion for a sitdown with the menfolk. perhaps they understand the impact that their accumulations are having on you. you don't need this grief on top of everything else you're juggling.
Denise, I'd nominate you and A to have that sitdown if I thought it would do any good, but I know it wouldn't. 😟
M, similar situation here except it’s all on me to sort & purge. Parents lived with me for 29 years with mom saving everything and dad not much better. Barn, old grainier, six bay pig shed, five vehicles, attic, plus house. Slow going, will hire some help, & hauler for vehicles, hope to finish in my lifetime. 😉 Sending prayers.
WI Dee
Dee, in SOME ways I think it would be easier to have it all on me – at least I could make and act on my own choices! Then again, it must feel overwhelming to be faced with so much. Prayers for you, too.
I'd find your chaos really hard to deal with, too. And overwhelming all the way around. Especially when you can't do anything to change that. I'm praying for peace in the storm for you, Michelle.
What a struggle it must be to be in such conflict with family members regarding the nature of “stuff.” And now it seems to be invading your home in a big way. I have a friend who has similar issues (a spouse with the inability to reduce the clutter) and she said, when he dies - she is going to hire a Junk company to come in and haul it all away. In that regard I have been blessed because my husband has always been eager to pare down. And now, as a blind person, it is sort of a requirement for living with him - because clutter equals trip hazards.
Prayers appreciated as always, Mokihana!
I'll probably follow in your friend's footsteps, Elaine. Fortunately, not much has invaded the main floor of our house, so prepping our living area for safety post-surgery will be pretty easy. Getting to and from the car for PT will be a bit more challenging; I'll have to go through the front door to the parking pad to get to a vehicle, rather than to the garage.
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