The Purge.

The Purge. It is like a dormant virus that awakens every few months. It strikes me at odd times during the year, causing me to look at my belongings and figure out what needs to find new homes.

The problem is, I am a saver. I do not like items to be "thrown away" (because there is no 'away') when they can be reused, recycled or repaired. I am also the person many others come to when they have a useful item that they believe I can find a home for or use in some fashion. My friends also save their 'trash' for me to send to Terracycle for upcycling.

Thus, I always seem to have a number of items that are on their way somewhere else or waiting for me to use in the creation of a more useful item. Some are big, some are small, some are many, some are few. Some actually end up in the house or my studio, others remain in the garage, sometimes never leaving the back of my truck.

Whenever the Purge shows up, I enter a frenzied state where items get posted on Freecycle, Cheapcycle or Craigslist at a rapid rate. I also tend to send emails to friends and family if I think they may have a use for an item I no longer can use. I then resort to the waiting stage of the Purge as I religiously check my emails for that elusive request for my items.

With a little spare time on my hands this weekend, I have given in to the Purge's urge. I have collectible Barbies, books, household items, craft items and more that I have posted ads for on Freecycle and Craigslist. Now am wondering when I can get them to their new homes!


I am thrilled with the organized state of my garage right now. I have put all of my "Purge" touched items in boxes that are neatly labeled. The boxes neatly line the walls of the garage, along with several other items that are being stored for the winter season.


I have been receiving emails from friends and freecyclers most of last night and this morning. Several items have found new homes. Wilda showed up to pick up a set of decorative Christmas blocks and a roasting pan and left with a jigsaw puzzle, a rug, and a bag of fabric! Thanks Wilda!!

Where does the time go?

Every once in a while, time runs away on me. I do not know where it goes, but I know that I am not getting everything done that needs getting done!

Since the start of the school year, I have been desperately trying to catch up with myself. I have made lists, I have canceled my netflix subscription, I have stopped getting on facebook as much.
Nothing worked.

I spent the past week working harder than ever to get caught up and organized.

I think I am just about there.

This weekend I managed to redo the borders on my Pieces of the Past quilt that were originally too wavy for my long arm quilter, Chris, to quilt nicely.

I finished the 12 large tote bags that were originally intended as gifts for the staff at the assisted living residence mom was at. I do not know what I will do with them now, but they needed to be finished.


I matched threads to felt to create the felt food that I plan to use as part of my Mustang's display at car shows. I also made a donut and a hamburger patty before I ran out of stuffing material.










I did some piecing on the quilt that I purchased the pattern and fabric for at my quiltaway weekend in June.

I also cleaned off the large cutting table in my studio by accomplishing all of the above.

I finally photographed and posted a number of finished items for my Etsy Store.

I needed to review and revise the social studies notes for my class. I finished chapters 1 through 5 today. I also finished my grading and lesson plans.

Last weekend, Vince asked me what gift I had gotten him for our 13th wedding anniversary. We do not normally exchange gifts, but I told him that on Sunday we were going to Lowes after church to purchase new floor tile for the main bathroom. We did,along with the grout, caulking and paint to finish the job. Last weekend, we tore up the old tiles, removed grout and caulking and cleaned. Vince started the floor last weekend and only has a small portion to finish. Yesterday, I finished repairing small holes in the walls and painted the walls in the bathroom. Tonight, I need to clean out the linen closet and remove the small piece of carpeting from the floor so Vince can finish the floor at the end of this week when he finishes his work shift.

Once again, I have a garage full of stuff for the inevitable yard sale. It seems that I gather up items no one else wants, sometimes items I do not want, and since I do not want to consign them to the landfill, they are hanging out in my garage until I find them new homes.
While I continually post items on Craigslist and Freecycle, I still have more stuff to get through. Vince and I are exploring the possibility of setting up a table at a flea market south of here in Crump. We plan to explore it next weekend.

So, that is were we are...some items finished, some moved along, some just a bit more organized.