Fall cleaning

Forget spring cleaning! It's the fall cleaning that really matters, especially when you're preparing for the long winter ahead. And this year, the shed was long overdue for some serious attention. Years of accumulated stuff had filled it to the brim, and quite honestly, it was beginning to look like something you'd expect to see on an episode of Hoarders. It was definitely time to reclaim the space!

So, one by one, everything came out. Every forgotten item, every dusty box, and every mystery object that had somehow found its way into the shed was pulled out and sorted into one of three piles: the dump, Goodwill, or the keep-and-reorganize pile. Easier said than done, of course!

I'm still not entirely sure where all the bicycles came from, or how we managed to accumulate so many. And I've come to the realization that my Christmas decorations require considerably more storage space than I ever imagined. Apparently, I have a bin for every holiday, with at least eight dedicated to Christmas alone. But really, it's Christmas! What would the holidays be without all those decorations? I'm certainly not about to start downsizing my Christmas spirit.

Then there are the things that are a little harder to part with. I've held onto the boys' old video games, including their Sega games, for more than thirty years. Not that anyone is particularly anxious to sit down and play Sega again, but what if they are? You never know! I did send a few pictures of some of the long-forgotten treasures to my son, figuring it's about time he either claims them or I make the decision for him. There comes a point when sentimental storage needs to become someone else's responsibility!

By the time everything was emptied out, the driveway was filled with an impressive pile destined for the dump. In fact, I'm beginning to think a dumpster might be the next logical step. Once the unwanted stuff is hauled away, a few new shelves should make all the difference, giving those Christmas bins a proper home and allowing them to take up just one corner of the shed instead of what feels like the entire building.

Honestly, what would we ever do without a shed? It's one of those spaces we take for granted until we realize just how much we depend on it to hold all the things we don't necessarily need inside the house but aren't quite ready to part with either.

So, although it was a day filled with dust, heavy lifting, endless sorting, and more than a few questionable discoveries, it feels good to finally tackle a project that's been waiting far too long. There's something satisfying about clearing out the clutter, making room for what matters, and getting things organized before winter settles in.  Now it's time to enjoy the accomplishment, the newly reclaimed space, and the satisfaction of knowing that at least one corner of my world is ready for winter. And if nothing else, there's now room for all those Christmas decorations... because we all know those aren't going anywhere!

“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don't.” — Joshua Becker