Exciting times/ getting rid of "things"

We have some wonderful news at our house. Andrea and Thomas are engaged and want to get married next July! Congratulations! We are delighted. We love you both and you will be always in our prayers.



Yesterday, we had an impromptu house full of friends. They even measured themselves against their growing up marks against the wall in the kitchen. We had dinner together.











A dear lady-friend, mother of one of Stefan's friends, was with me over the last several days to help me clean up and throw out things. In anticipation of this visit we got a whole bunch of cleaning and throwing out done ahead of time! Nothing like motivation and a deadline!

Well, my friend gave me a lot of parameters to go by when making decisions about keeping and tossing. They will help. She also said my place wasn't THAT bad, which was kind of her.

For example, Andrea was allowed to keep a box of various little medals (winning the Turkey Trott in grade 2, etc.) because it is "small" and reminds of work and accomplishment and thus is a lovely memory. OK.

The VHS tapes are all on their way out.

The topiaries are not acceptable in her mind. Those dried flowers have "really had it" and are probably "95% dust", she says.



I LIKE the old topiaries. This one pictured was made by one of my German students way back when. I have replaced the flowers over time from bouquets given to me... but I guess they could be considered 95% dust, as she said. (What did we have in that hymn the other day? "You alone are king, I'm just a wilting flower", and-- yes-- going to dust. Maybe I can keep the topiary to remind me of that??? A very nice devotional item? How about it. OK. Nice try. Maybe they'll go, soon.)

The biggest thing I learned is not to start your cleaning up by going out and buying more boxes. (Buying more boxes would have been my first instinct.) But, low-and-behold, as you throw things out you GAIN boxes! That was a maxim that held true (the more tossed, the more empty boxes). We also gained some laundry baskets. I suppose this IS the way to go. I am still adjusting my mind.



What my friend taught me also was that if you get rid of things you also get to acquire a few new things. When we dropped off at Goodwill, we also went in to have a look at the books. She warned me sternly, that if I got ONE book, we would be buying a Canadian Maple doughnut at the Tim Horton's. Well, that was not a threat, that was a deal! We got a book on the History of the Middle Ages, and we got the treat at the Timmies. Fun and teasing. Good stuff. Unforgettable. Thank you.