In April, Mr. rags and I will have survived 30 years together. Looking forward to that occasion has made me realize that 30 years of accumulated everything, tucked here and there is at least 20 years too much stuff. I began shredding old financial documents.

Strangely, the oldest in the only box I found date back to 2001. Somewhere there are 19 more years of files. My search took me up to the dreaded roof space where they may be tucked away behind piles of more recent items. The shredding was abandoned. I'm now in "empty the attic" mode. It was hard, but I flattened a large portion of my "dandy little boxes that will be perfect for something someday" collection. This morning I put them into a skip at a neighbourhood recycling collection site. Tonight's task is to look through a box of exceptionally beautiful calendar pictures and either commit them to the recycling track, or find someone who will appreciate them. -- surely my son's classroom walls would look much better with some of these photos hanging there?-- The remainder of the box contents are files which I'm hoping I will no longer care about.

Disposing of the paper items will be my easiest challenge. After that is completed, there are boxes of dishes, glassware, decorative items, biscuit tins, and camping supplies which I will have to lug down a ladder before I can bid them farewell. I'm afraid that the memories that live in each object will make it difficult for me to want to give any of it up.

A peek around the roof space last evening: http://flickr.com/gp/diffuse/p44246/
My goal is to shift as much of it as possible elsewhere before April. A wonderful 30th anniversary present to myself would be a house with as little in it as there was 30 years ago.   

rags