Out with the Old

I've spent the weekend sorting through the past. It's an ugly job, trust me.

But throwing out non-essentials from my life is freeing in a way. Those Writers' Digest magazines from ten years ago? Um... probably not going to be reading those anytime soon.

It's good to get rid of stuff from the closet, too. Stuff that is too hideous to be seen wearing in public -- trash it! Things you bought intending to wear, but then never got to -- be merciless!The cute Ann Taylor silk see-through polka-dotted wrap blouse um... the jury's still out on that one. I keep rescuing it from the Goodwill bag.

I purged paperbacks a few weeks ago. That was hard. I really have no space for all of them, so it was a matter of -- is this a keeper. Ouch. It ended up being a heavy load of books. Some on them good, but needing new homes. The ones that stayed were ones I loved, knew I would read again, or couldn't bear to part with. Double Ouch.

Next stop is the cooking equipment area of our cupboards. That will be a test of wills. I am a cooking equipment junkie/hoarder. But really, how many tart pans does one woman need? I will be ruthless, I will be practical, I will... I really love making tarts.

See, this cleaning/de-cluttering stuff isn't easy for me. It's hard to admit you're not going to use something. You may never light that vintage fondue pot again. The awful truth is the awful truth.

But I'm learning that letting go of the past opens yourself up to future possibilities, to a chance to reimagine what could be your life.

Maybe a shiny *new* tart pan is in my future? Who knows.