A mental exercise: go through every item in your household. Ask yourself the following questions:

1) Do I recognize it?

2) Do I have all the parts?

3) How long has it been since I’ve used / worn / seen this thing?

4) Do I want to take it to Spain?

5) If I don’t want to take it, do I want to store it?

6) If I don’t want to store it, is it worth anything? Do I have time / energy to sell it?

6) Failing that, can I give it away?

7) Can it be recycled?
8) OK fine, it goes into the trash pile.

Go on to the next item. Start over at 1). For every thing you own.

This has been our life for the last 6 weeks and we aren’t done yet. We have made many trips to Goodwill and the transfer station. We’ve been able to sell a few items, but really very few. We have filled the garage with…stuff…and emptied it out again multiple times.

I’ve cleared out over 25 years worth of old paint, most of which hasn’t seen a wall in ages.

We’re sleeping on the couch and a mattress on the floor, respectively, because we’ve given away all of our beds.

Soon the house will be empty, then we get to paint. Whee!

The end of the month is bearing down upon us like a freight train and I’m worried both that it’s coming too fast and it’ll never get here.