240: Cleaning machine

(Pergola in the wisteria garden at Longwood Gardens.)

My Spring Cleaning Project may well be the longest spring cleaning in the history of spring cleaning.  In my own defense, I’ve been keeping fairly busy with other things (proofreading, traveling, blogging, going on daily outdoor adventures, etc.).  Also, I declared 2011 to be The Year of De-Cluttering.  I have been sorting, sifting, and making decisions about Stuff.  Lots and lots of Stuff.  Sorting, sifting, and making decisions about Stuff often takes time.

Foxglove

Some of the Stuff is easy and takes little time.  If I haven’t used it, needed it, or wanted it in the past decades year then it’s time to recycle, re-purpose, donate, or throw away.  I have boxes of books, and bags of clothing and household goods to donate.  Stuff with expiration dates that are older than my children have expired went into the trash.  A few items have been re-purposed.

Tulips that remind me of candy canes

There has been no real rhyme or reason to the areas I’ve chosen to de-clutter.  Or so it seemed to me at first.  But as I walked through the house today, I realized there is a pattern, one that has meaning to me.  Call it intuitive de-cluttering, a way for me to work through the house one step at a time, occasionally dealing with the Stuff that isn’t easy.

Empy bench. The grass and flowers are overexposed, but I sort of like it anyhow.

The best thing about it all is that there is space opening within myself as well as in my home.  And that, as Martha Stewart would say, is a good thing.

White tulips

The weather has been beautiful today.  Too nice to stay indoors.  However, the cleaning had to be done so I decided to get on with it, while still finding excuses to go outside (hanging laundry out to dry, washing windows, and whatever else I could think of).

It was not all work and no play, though.  I finally decided to quit cleaning and de-cluttering and go out for a stroll around the pond.  M has been working diligently on the lawn and garden, specially the parts of the lawn that we mow (and badly needed mowed).  I appreciate all his hard work as it has made it easier to take a stroll around the pond without having to wade through high grasses.

I’ll leave you with a few scenes from my walk.  I hope you had or are having a most enjoyable and sunny Saturday.

---