READY, SET, DOWNSIZE!

When we moved from Lake Ridge, VA to Stafford, VA, it was from a townhouse into a single family house that my father –in-law had lived in for 22 years.  The house was on six acres (we wanted that land at the time) in the country.  I remember being so excited for everything that Ray’s dad was leaving behind for us in the house!  Furniture, dishes, piano, country wall stuff (!) on every wall, glasses, kitchenware, linens,  antiques, and family heirlooms.  He, apparently, had outgrown it, and Ray and I both loved country décor at the time.  After ten years of six acres to mow, an almost acre pond to keep maintained, the upkeep of an in ground pool and landscaping and a now thirty plus year old house, we threw in the towel.  We packed up all of our “stuff” from 18 years of marriage, and  all of the acquired stuff and moved into a new modern house on barely a quarter of an acre.  Fast forward six more years, and this “stuff” is now in Rubbermaid Totes and lots of them in the basement.  Sitting there not being given a second thought until now.  Carly does not like country stuff; she does not necessarily want the dishes, the old iron shoes and iron presses, or the Cat’s Meow Villages.  We are bringing suitcases with us to Panama, not stuff from the basement.  I won’t move it a third time.

 So who are we gonna call?!  CRAIGSLIST!  The definite things we knew that no one in my family would want to take off our hands or needed  went to a college student (a double bed frame and mattress—which was giving Carly backaches-- and a rickety eleven year old dresser from IKEA) for cash, and to a Marine based in Quantico (another too heavy IKEA dresser) for more cash.  Think Panama Cash!  Ray, also, brought pictures that were hanging on my walls into a colleague that wanted to shop for pictures for her house—one picture sold (it was down a “short cut” hall that I never walk through) for more cash!  That should do it for now.    Let the downsizing but mostly just de-cluttering and sorting continue.