Editing Belongings & ...

The belongings I have collected, received, and made myself for so many years have filled my spaces almost to the rim.  Historical value, creative potential, sentiment, and portfolio value are layered over many of my tangible belongings, to say nothing of the viewing or reading pleasure of my art collection and library.  Items which are "aides memoire"  were photographed so as not to be entirely lost as triggers for my fond memories.

Editing certain categories of my multiple collections has freed numerous items to be given to charity or the whimsy of friends and acquaintances. After living with countless baskets over the years, for instance, I know which are likely to be most useful in my tiny house, and the first sorting released more than half of the empty ones.

Disassembling other collections takes a little time, and preparing carefully collected glass terrarium jars to move back into usefulness to the world meant cleaning some out so they would be better appreciated by their new owners.  Only a small portion of my belongings may have this attention given to them, and as the ball gets rolling, my winnowing out is done in broader strokes.

Serendipitously, a friend's friend (an apprentice tradeswoman) moved into her first apartment, and had little in the way of kitchen items and linens, so numerous bags and boxes and even pieces of furniture made their way to her, with a satisfying sense of good timing; a win-win situation.

As a voracious reader for pleasure, I have amassed a number of fairly complete sets of the writings of certain authors, and in many cases the decision to retain them has been a no-brainer.  A wall of shelves in my "storage depot" will take care of them neatly, and allow me periodic library privileges to keep my tiny house stocked with enjoyable reading matter.

Having inherited countless delightful table linens, doilies, dishes, etc., especially from my father's mother, I have treasured their beauty for years, without actually using many of them in my daily life.  So now I have the opportunity for a watershed moment, to pass some on to friends or relatives, or to release them to the world through the online estate sale I have planned.

 

Among the categories of clothing to release is that of wool, sheepswool, angora and cashmere, many knitted items of which were passed on to me.  Many people do not seem to wear these materials much anymore. I met a woman who recycles/upcycles wool garments by unraveling and winding up the yarns, and then crocheting adorable stuffed animals from them.  My plan is to hold back those sweaters that will work for me, and give her the rest, so they will have a new life as snakes or elephants or octopus legs.  Additional vintage clothing will also be passed on, probably by being put into the online estate sale.    

Many of the belongings I treasure most are gifts from nature, including rocks, roots, branches, leaves, shells, fossils, pottery shards and even onion skins.  Their beauty and stories inspire me as a person and an artist.  As I sort my treasures, I accept that a number will return to nature, and more will come to me to enrich my spirit and creativity.  It is clear to me that this process feels organic and right as part of the transition into tiny living; if I startle my soul by over-dramatic change, I may fit awkwardly in my modified EPU.  "One Day at a Time" and "Proceed as the Way Opens" are mottos close to my heart these days.