Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Day 33- The Linens Are Breeding

Day 33

I found another box of kitchen linens in the basement. I had no clue that I had so many kitchen/table linens. It is almost scary. I am sure that there will be more stuff that shows up here but I just thought I would show you a few that are going to a good home and out of this den of craziness.

I was very big into placemats when the progeny were growing up. It was just easier to clean up the mess that way AND we didn’t have fights over who sat where.

But these days I am just as likely to use a table cloth as placemats so we really don’t need such a large collection of them.

I have kept the ones that I really like. And some of those are even “on the bubble”. This pile has been added to the ever growing mountain of stuff.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Day 32-A Bed Frame Too Many

Day 32

Ah bedframes. So often when you buy a new set of mattresses the company will “throw in” a bed frame for “free”. You do know that they have just added the cost to the mattress right? Mattress company’s do not have your best interests at heart.

I do because I want you to clean things out and free yourself from clutter. But not them.

I am not sure how we managed it but we have several extra bedframes down in the bowels of the basement. I know that we don’t have any extra mattresses hanging around so I am not sure where they came from but I do know what is going to happen to them.

They are going bye bye.

I am tired of moving them from one side of the basement to the other. And I am tired of having them fall on me after standing them up against the wall.

I am bitter.

And someone else can certainly use this thing. If I need another one some time I am sure that I can find one without too much difficulty.

Or the mattress company can just give me one for free.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Day 31- How Did All That Stuff Get In There?

WOW and entire week off! Hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was fantastically filled with food, fun and family. Mine was, emphasis on the food.

But now it is back to the serious business of cleaning out.

We have a shed in the back of the yard. It is the repository of all that isn’t in current use or hasn’t been in current use for the last 10 years. Someday I will tell you the story of the shed. It is long and involves misplacement of said shed and movement of said shed to another spot and all the things that happened in between. Remember it is me who is writing this. Things just go KAFLOUIE! around here sometimes.

But I digress.

Day 31

This is an entire garbage can full of stuff that HHBL and I cleaned out of the shed.

Sprinklers that do not work.

Hoses that are the only part left from some unremembered and long gone yard machine.

Half empty, mouse nibbled bags of grass seed.

Broken pots.

A non-working lawn mower.

A very old and non-functional leaf blower.

Once we started the cleaning out my main mantra seemed to be

How the heck did this get in here? I haven’t used this in forever!

And every time I said that then I knew that it was something that I should just put in the garbage pile or the donate pile.

Now the shed is all nicely organized and ready for winter.

And next Spring I am so selling that tandem bike on Craigs List. Someone will want it I am sure.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Questions to Clean Out With

I am taking a short clean out break today, just today don’t worry, to tell you about the frame work I am using in my own brain for the clean out. It is all well and good to tell myself, and you, that I need to clean out. But it shouldn’t be a willy nilly process where you are pitching stuff left and right in a great orgy of “cleaning outness”. I can tell you from experience that when you do it that way you will throw out some things that you will regret. The clean out must be steadily and thoughtfully done, emphasis on steadily. Bite off a bit at a time and don’t get discouraged, throw up your hands and quit.

I have a framework in my head that I use as I go through things. I have a few “clean out questions” that I ask myself, 10 to be exact about it and I was going to tell you about them…..

And then Miss Minimalist beat me to it. Curses! She has 20 questions to my ten (the over achiever!). And to top it all off her questions are better than mine ever could be. Sigh. Go over and take a look at her exhaustive list. But NOT until you are all done here thankyouverymuch.

I am no expert on cleaning out. You will never see me on Hoarders or Hoarding: Buried Alive saying,

My name is Debbie Q and I am a specialist in the field of……

No, I am just someone who, many years ago (that makes me sound ancient), came to realize that in order to have a life that was in any way productive I needed to have things organized. That is where I started, with being organized. You can have a lot of stuff, a lot of duplication of things, and still be organized. I certainly was. I was organized, oh yes I was. But I was unhappy, boy howdy was I! And I filled those unhappy spaces with the acquisition of “things”. Never big things mind you. Oh no, The Dollar Store was my friend. I wasn’t cleaning out Dillards and hiding the clothes in the trunk to sneak in the house. But I was steadily purchasing.

And I had collections of things. And if you have a collection of something of course you need to continue to add to it. You couldn’t possible say,

You know, I think I have enough of this particular item. I am going to stop adding to the collection and just enjoy what I have.

So, I was organized. But I was weighed down with stuff. I ran on the thought that I had to “save that” item because I was going to use it/read it/wear it/craft with it again some day. I was absolutely sure of it.

That is such a lie.

If you haven’t worn that piece of clothing in the last 12 months then you are NEVER going to wear it. Your hand has passed over it in the morning, looking for something to wear, and you have chosen not to wear it. Why keep it?

With the exception of a few core craft supplies you can pitch the things that you bought specifically to make that project from 1997.

We all know that I am a lover of books and reading. Books have always brought me knowledge and solace. And yes, there are books that I re-read on a regular basis. But I know that most books that I have read I will not re-read. And if I need to then I am pretty much guaranteed that I can find it at the library. That doesn’t apply to all books but it does to many of them. So why keep them. Now, I am slowly acquiring books in electronic form but those take up no space, other than what The Nook, inhabits. And I am being careful of what I purchase. I really hate buying a book that in the end I wouldn’t have wanted to keep.

I think I digressed. Yup, pretty sure that I did. But then this is sort of a stream of thought thing so we will just have to go with it.

I could go on and on and on and you would eventually run screaming into the night. So, let me just tell you the questions that I ask myself when I am cleaning out.

1. Have I used it in the last 12 months? This applies to clothes, to shoes, to cooking utensils, to just about anything. 12 months is a good time frame because it covers all the seasons and holidays. If the answer to this question is no, then it needs to go.

2. If I cull this thing from the herd can I replace it if I need to? The answer to that is almost always yes.

3. Has this outlived it’s usefulness? If it has then release it back into the wild. If it isn’t useful to you anymore it won’t ever be useful to you again.

4. Do I have something else that I like better than this and has a similar function? If so then you don’t need two of whatever it is.

5. If I donated this item would it hurt someone’s feelings? This is a sticky one. And one that you have to answer on your own as to what to do. But it is something that I ask myself.

6. Does this item have monetary value that I can extract? Craigs List and ebay are beautiful things. As is Amazon where I have been known to sell a book or two. Take some time to find out if the item has some worth. But be prudent!! If that book you are dying to sell can be purchased at Amazon for .01 then you are going to lose money if you try to sell yours. Donate that item. Or set up an account at Paperback Book Swap.

7. If you are unaware that you even owned it then you don’t need to keep it. It has no hold over you. Let it go.

8. Is it broken? If it is and I do not know how to fix it and it has been broken for a while….let it go to someone who can nurse it back to health if that is possible.

9. Do I really need ALL these Christmas decorations? Oh believe me, this will be the question that I am asking myself after Thanksgiving. And the companion to that question is: How much Christmas decorating is too much. A whole blog topic in itself.

10. Does this item bring me joy. If the answer is no then you know what to do.

This post turned out a lot longer than I had expected but then I am not known for my brevity. Ask HHBL and he will tell you. Sometimes I just have to use a bunch of words when fewer would do.

The 100 Days Cleanout is taking the week of Thanksgiving off so that I can play with Cartoon Girl, TMO, TSiL, Shoe Queen, Pilot Man, The Chef, The Parental Units, various and sundry family who haven’t ever been blognamed and of course HHBL. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I will see you in a week.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Day 30-The MishMash of My Life

Sometimes it is the little things that accumulate here and there is our lives. We move them from one side of the house to the other or one drawer to another.

At least that is what I do. They had a place at one time but have been unused for a time or replaced with something newer but never “culled from the herd”.

Day 30A

There was a time in my life when I had short hair. I mean REALLY short hair.

image_7_9_2007-23(rev 0)

See, really short hair. And then in 2005 I looked in the mirror one day and decided that short hair just didn’t work for me any more. And if it didn’t then that meant that I had to grow the hair out.

IMG_4923

And for a time I looked like a crazed poodle. Curly hair everywhere. There wasn’t a ton of hair so I could actually use small clip barettes and clips. But no more. I have enough hair to braid into a rug so these little clips have to go as they can’t hold a thing.

Day 30B

I have no idea where the basket came from. It is cute but I don’t know what I would do with it. The calculators are the last vestiges of my less that stellar career as a scrapbooking consultant. I had a bunch of these so that people could add up how much they wanted to pay me. People just didn’t seem to want to use them for some reason. And then there is the metal container. It had a lotion bar in it at one point but I used that up. And then I used it to store some…….post-it notes. But no more. It is gone.

Day 30C

These little beauties used to sit on the bathroom counter. And then along came Joyce the Stager.

Well they are cute, but it really doesn’t portray a clean and sleek look does it. I am afraid they will need to be stored UNDERNEATH the counter.

And I got used to them under there. And then I decided that if I was going to store the q-tips and cotton balls under the counter I would just put them in mason jars and give these away.

Day 30D

There was a time in my life when I painted my nails all the time. I buffed. I shined. I painted. I was concerned about my cuticles. Ragged nails were instantly banished.

And then I became a nurse. And I had very short fingernails. And then I had kids. And nail polish lasted for about 2 days. And I cannot stand to have chipped nail polish.

I can honestly say that I will never take the time to buff my nails again. In fact, I didn’t think these should even go in the “to be donated” boxes so I just pitched them out.

I have no idea why there was a tongue depressor in with all the nail stuff. And I don’t think I want to know.

Ignorance is bliss.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Day 29-Little Pots For Little Plants?

I have no clue why I have these.

Day 29C

The photo doesn’t really give you the sense of how small they are. Really small. And I have no idea why I actually have them. I don’t remember buying them. I don’t remember the craft that they were probably purchased for. It may have been something long ago when the progeny were in grade school and I was often called on to do “craft time”.

I earned my nickname, “The Craft Lady”, legitimately.

Day 29A

Yup, they have been tucked away in that corner of the garage for a long time.

Day 29B

A long time.

I will assure you that I did clean them off a bit before adding them to the donate pile.

I didn’t want to have the Am Vets guys run screaming down the driveway and vow never to come back.

I need the Am Vets guys.

But I don’t need the little pots.

Bye bye.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Day 28-Everyone Has One

Everyone has one. Don’t deny it, you know you do.

Everyone has…..a junk drawer.

Day 28BDay 28CDay 28D

I happen to have two that reside in the laundry room. I have a feeling that is where many junk utility drawers can be found. It seems a natural hiding storage place for these sorts of things.

I will admit that I regularly clean out my “storage” drawers. An orderly storage drawer points to an orderly mind?

Or not.

But for some reason I had overlooked these beauties until today. It was part rearranging and organizing. And it was also looking through and discarding and scratching my head in wonder.

Day 28F

A nice but a bit rusty Master lock. And if I only had the key to go with it then it might be useful. But the key is no where to be found. I think this is the lock that I used on the storage unit we rented the year that we built Chez Knit. But I cannot be positive. I am fairly certain that it hasn’t been used since about then. Bye bye Master lock.

Day 28E

I have duplicates of the tools and I have no idea what that bottom piece of metal is. Anyone have any guesses?

Day 28H

Yes, I know that I am going to want these at some point in the future. But they have been unused for the 11 years that we have lived here, residing all of that time in the back recesses of the drawer. So they are getting the boot. When the time comes and I find that I want them I will just spend some time castigating myself for my shortsightedness. Until then…..bye bye.

Day 28I

The tube is hard as a rock. Therefore I have concluded that it might be time to throw it out.

Day 28A

A mismatched assortment of pieces of plastic, keys with no home, push pins and other assorted junk. Hmmmmm, I see a piece from the Battleship game. I had better pull that out.

Day 28K

Stuff. It is the little pieces of detritus that I find so interesting. One foam earpiece from a long ago headphone set. One small pink clip.

Day 28J

And last but not least. Some of the cupboard knobs that I replaced when we gave a cosmetic lift to Chez Knit. I actually sold all the cabinet door handles on Craigs List. These just didn’t sell and I am tired of shuffling them from one dark corner to another so….

Bye bye.

Oh the drawers look so clean and organized. Doing my happy dance now.

It evidently doesn’t take much to make me happy does it.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Day 27-Not The Sharpest Blade in the Drawer

We all have them. Lurking in a drawer in the kitchen. 


Dull knives.

I had Shoe Queen’s friend Abby here today demonstrating Cutco Knives. Do you know about these. They are the most completely fabulous knives in the entire world.

I have three.

I want more.

It isn’t happening any time soon. They are a tetch on the expensive side.

But after Abby left I felt the need to look through my knife drawer and at least pare (get it PARE) down a few of the knives in there. Some of them are still “on the bubble” as far as whether I will keep them or not. They never get used but I let some of them stay for a bit.

They begged and I was feeling generous.

Day 27A
These fellows did not make the cut. I know it doesn’t look like a very big amount to have cleaned out but this represents about half of the paring knives/utility knives that I have. But I don’t use any of them as they are dull or not very good quality or just plain old. And so I have carefully wrapped them and put them in a box labeled “knives” and put them out with the rest of the donation stuff.

Ahhhhhhh that feels better.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Day 26-Books Are The Hardest Thing

Books and I we go WAAAAAAAAAY back.

I wasn’t called Bookworm growing up for nothing. I took books on vacation. I would just stay in the car and read when everyone else got out to see the sights. I took books to camp even though it was forbidden. I read under the covers at night with my flashlight, fully convinced that Papa and Mimi didn’t know. I read through the heat of summer. I read in spare moments at school. I read in the car.

You get the point.

And when I had a bit of money I bought books.

I have always had a collection of books. I cannot imagine life without books, both traditional and ebook. It is a reoccurring nightmare for me to be some place and not have anything to read.

But books take up space. At least the traditional paper kind do. Lots of space. Shelves and shelves worth of space. In our last house all my books were stored in a dark and dank room in the basement or in boxes under the bed. If I wanted one of them I had to literally take a flashlight down to that dimly lit room and look for it. So I made sure that when we built Chez Knit I had PLENTY of space for books.

IMG_4449IMG_4495AIMG_4500

See, loads of places for books.

Add to the fact that we have space for books is the fact that I live near libraries. Libraries that have book sales. AND one of those libraries also has shelves where they put out free books that they aren’t going to try and sell. And then there was a Borders close by Chez Knit, at least until they closed. And then there were the books that Papa or DaPoo or Linda or Abuela would give us.

We had lots of books.

I have been steadily cleaning out books over the last 18 months or so. Oh it is hard. So hard to do. I will look at a book and think about the good times that we have had together and think….

No, I am not going to donate THIS book. I might read it again. In fact I KNOW I will read it again. I am certain of this.

No, I am not going to read it again. Lets be honest about this. And if I feel the urge I bet I can get it from the library.

Day 26A

Here is a pile of books that are going to the local library. I have The Red Badge of Courage, The Last Days of Pompeii and The Cloister and the Hearth in digital form now. Oh how I love The Gutenberg Project. I have read American Lion. I have Shelby Foote’s Civil War master work from which The Stars In Their Courses is taken. And I have electronic copy of Death Comes For the Archbishop which is my favorite Willa Cather.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have a bunch of shelves full of books that I am working my way through. And there are a number of boxes in the basement that still need to be gone through so you may see more books as the days go by.

But this is my start.

But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t hard.

Have a great weekend everyone. Clean something out. You will feel better for it. Email me and tell me what you did. I love to hear what people are cleaning out.

And don’t get discouraged!!! Just concentrate on one little thing at a time. It all gets done eventually.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Day 25-The Linen Edition

Towels. Sheets. Blankets. Lap throws.

You name it we probably have had it spilling out of our overflowing linen closets. There was a time, in the not too distant past, when I felt that I really needed to have two sets of sheets for each bed in the house. That way when I took sheets off the bed to wash I could put the other set of sheets on.

I was especially bad about the sheets for our bed. I will admit that we had more than two sets of sheets. WAY more than two sets. And you also have to know that in the winter time we use flannel sheets. So there were sets of linen sheets and sets of flannel sheets. And then HHBL and I got a new mattress and box springs this year. And it is one of those lovely, cushy pillow top deals that are really deep. And that meant that none of our sheets fit the bed. I had to make a decision at that point. It just didn’t seem to be a good economic idea to go out and buy more than one new set of sheets for the bed. I would just have to wash and remake the bed all on the same day. Horrors! But it really wasn’t horrors. It worked very well. And I also bought only one set of flannel sheets. And I am good with that.

We have more than our fair share of bedrooms. And that has meant that we had more than our fair share of sheets of various patterns and shapes and ages. Regular twin bed sheets. Those dang extra long twin bed sheets that colleges curse us with. Full size sheets. Whatever. When we put Chez Knit on the market in that not very successful attempt to sell I went through the linen closets (yes I have two) and purged somewhat. But not enough. No not enough.

Day 25E

These are just a representation of the sheets that are being culled. And there are also a bunch of “single” pillow cases that don’t seem to have any sheet sets that they belong to.

Day 25B

There are also towels in the box. These are towels that were used by the progeny. And I would like them to answer something for me.

Day 25A

What in the world did you guys use that turned a portion of the towels a lovely pink color. Big splotches of pinky color all over. Actually I think it was something that bleached the color of the towels.

Every one of them.

So I have decided to give them their walking papers. When the house was on the market Joyce the Stager said I had to buy some nicer towels for show. Heaven forbid that we would use these towels. So I do have some towels to use in that bathroom.

Progeny please do not stain the new towels when you come home to visit.

Day 25D

And I am not just cleaning out bedroom linens. I am also going through my larger than it should be collection of table linens. Out go the table cloths that we never use and that I won’t ever use. Say goodbye to the cloth napkins with a color that I loathe. There are also some placemats but I just didn’t take a picture of them.

Day 25C

Placemats?!? Mmmmmm, I love placemats. I love the crumbs on placemats. I love to pull them off the table and lick and lick and lick them until they are clean for you Alpha Male.

I am always looking for ways to help you Alpha Male.

I am a good dog.

Day 25F

And then there is the story about the duvet cover. And the duvet that went with it.

Are you surprised that there is a story? How long have you been hanging around here. There is ALWAYS a story.

Many a year ago Abuela (my mother-in-law) decided that what she wanted to buy for all of us for Christmas were duvets for our beds. Perhaps we looked cold? They have a duvet and felt that we would benefit from the same. Okee dokee but I wasn’t too excited about it.  And then we needed to get duvet covers for them. For some inexplicable reason I picked this monstrosity. A duvet is, in and of it self, a really warm blanket often stuffed with down of some sort. And to add this thermal cover to the duvet just meant that I felt like I was weighed down by something that was giving off enough energy and heat to power a small city. And I wasn’t even close to menopause at that point in life. But I sure felt like it!

The duvet didn’t last long. In fact I think it is now on Shoe Queen’s bed. But this duvet cover has been stored up in the closet for about 8 years. And so I will say……

Bye Bye.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Day 24-Bingo! Yahtzee!

We like to play games here at Chez Knit.

Or at least some of us do. And I am not pointing fingers at the person who doesn’t like them.

Today I have cleaned out the game closet in the basement.

It used to be the game/puzzle/dress up clothes/sleeping bag closet. And it always seemed like it was a mess and you could barely get the door closed kind of closet. But now it is nice and neat and clean.

The dress up clothes are long gone thank goodness. They had lived long and happy lives.

The sleeping bags still reside in the closet. They like it there.

Day 24B

These are what I am eliminating from the game repertoire. Jenga goes because basically I hate that game. I have no idea what “Oodles” was. “Guess Who?” is geared for much younger children than I have as is “Scotland Yard”. We haven’t played “Racko” in a long time and the “Bingo” game was pretty boring.

There is also a very well used “Twister” game minus the box which long ago fell into ruin and was discarded. I don’t remember the progeny playing all that much Twister. I think it was really more fighting about who was on what spot.

I have no idea where the straw cowboy hat came from but it was thrown onto the pile for good measure.

Do not fear good reader that I have eliminated everything. Monopoly is still there. Boggle, various Trivial Pursuit games, Yahtzee!, Uno, the Backgammon game, Clue, Battleship (my personal favorite). They are all still there.

And boy do we have a bunch of puzzles that we need to do. I may bring one out for the Thanksgiving extravaganza that is being planned.

And while I was cleaning out the closet I found something that I had been looking for and thought was lost.

Day 24A

My Authors card game! AND Famous Battles of the Civil War card game.

No really I was looking for them. These are ones that I played as a child. In fact, these particular games are replacements for the ones that went somewhere long ago. I had to search long and hard over the internet to find them and they are staying.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Day 23-Why Didn’t I Label That

HHBL and I travel occasionally. To out of the way places. Where you might not be able to get shampoo when you need it. And so, I have a “travel supplies” drawer. It has loads of things in it. Emphasis on “loads”. It has been over flowing, spilling out, in need of serious reconsideration.

And today was the day. I present just a representation of what has been cleaned out.

Day 23E

Note to self: Remember to label what is in the plastic bottles. I cannot tell just by the smell what is in them. I believe it is various forms of hair care but I cannot be absolutely sure. And it would be so disappointing to be some place where shampoo is not available and find that you are attempting to wash your hair with body lotion….not that I would know anything about THAT.

Moving on.

Day 23C

We have all seen pictures of my hair. Do you think for one second that I could make use of this puny little comb without great difficulty and swearing. I think it came in a little “kit” from some airline or something. It has been lurking in the bottom of the drawer for a long time. Out it goes.

Day 23D

Shower caps? Really Deb? I can tell you that the better thing to do with my hair if I am not washing it is just to stick it up on top of my head with a big clip. I have no earthly idea why I even stole brought these home from some hotel stay. I have kept one back just for old times sake. But the others?

Bye Bye.

And finally……

Just for Whitestone.

Because she knew that I would have some.

Day 23B

Hotel bars of soap!!!

These are cute and all but really, I am not going to use them. I kept a few back because they are good to stick in the suitcase when we travel to places like India and Africa. But I definitely didn’t need as many as were in the drawer. I just can’t seem to help myself when I am in a hotel.

Day 23A

And I certainly do not need to use a soap with the name of “Imperial Leather”.

Makes me think that I am a horse or something. Or a saddle. Or a harness. Or old shoes.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Day 22-None Of These Things Have Anything To Do With Each Other

It is Monday. It is a busy, mish mashy sort of day. I am trying to get work phone calls and emails done. I am doing laundry. I am making stew.

AND it is knit night which is really the most important thing.

And I have a mish mash of things that are being jettisoned from Chez Knit to go and clutter up someone else’s domain. Let’s see shall we.

Day 22B

MORE binders. Where do these things keep coming from? Think of all the money I would have now if I hadn’t bought an entire planets worth of binders.

Day 22E

I am the queen of keeping all sorts of plastic boxes. These are just a representation of the ones that are getting the heave ho.

Day 22H

Before I had my current ipod I was using HHBL’s discarded iphone, not as a phone but as a broken down, West Virginia cousin of an ipod. WiFi wouldn’t work. It had no storage. But I still made it work. This was it’s brightly colored disguise. But I don’t need it any more and it doesn’t fit “Dahling” so it goes bye bye.

Day 22A

I don’t need these any more. I resort to chemicals now to rid us of the mice.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Day 22F

A pile of really, really, really old envelopes. I am also the queen of keeping all envelopes “just in case I might need them someday.” Someday has come and gone and these are…

bye bye.

Day 22G

Can someone tell me what appliance this came with? I have no idea. It has been in a drawer for a bunch of years and I don’t know what it does so it gets the old heave ho.

Day 22D

And last but not least……Can you guess what it is?

IMG_2486

No it is not a hat Debbie. Here I am doing my best Horatio Hornblower imitation.

It is a tea pot cozy. But Mimi gave me a much cuter one several years ago and this poor cousin is going to a better home where it will be afforded more dignity than to be worn on a crazy woman’s head.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Day 21-These Shoes are Made For Walking

I am not my daughter, Shoe Queen. She earned her name by hard work and the studious application of time and effort, and very little money, to acquire a vast collection of shoes.

She took a trunk full, yes a trunk, of shoes back to college this fall. Tall, flat, boots, tennis shoes, straps, sandals. You name it, she has it.

I am not so overloaded with shoes. And yet, I find that I still have more than I need or wear. I am, these days, a clog person most of the time. In the summer it is flip flops and sandals. In the colder weather it is clogs.

Why clogs you ask? Are you from Holland?

No, I knit socks. And you cannot see the hand knit socks if they are stuffed into shoes.

But I digress.

I have been cleaning out the shoes that I do have. Deciding what I really wear and walking the rest out to the donation pile. If they are not worn then they should not stay.

Day 21B

OK, somehow I ended up with three pair of tennis shoes. I am not sure how I managed it. I will fess up that I intended to donate both pair that you see in the picture. But I decided to keep one pair back.

HEY! We all fall off the wagon occasionally.

Day 21C

These babies have gotten a bunch of use. I don’t even remember where I purchased them or when. But they now have a problem……

Day 21E

You may not think the fact that they have come unglued on the underside is a problem but it is. Oh it is. They are unstable when I shuffle along and debris tends to get stuck in them. These, in fact, have gone into the trash.

Day 21A

I do not know what I was thinking. Let’s leave it at that.

Day 21F

I have tried to the best of my ability to make these PseudoCrocs work for me. Somehow I purchased a size that was too small for me unless I am wearing them barefoot. I cannot wear them with any kind of socks. And so I have made the painful decision to let them go.

But do not fear!!!

Day 21D

I have kept the lined, pink camo PseudoCrocs.

I know my daughters were worried about that. These are their favorites after all.