Day 22 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. 8 more days. I can do it. It has become a habit again. These days my mood can turn on a dime. It’s better to pound on the keyboard than on someone. Not that anyone has given me any reason, but you know how it is. It is the question of which comes first – the chicken or the egg. In the case of moods, is it the mood or is it the stimulus. You are on the edge. Then along comes the straw that broke the camel’s back. Kapow!**
I’ve been wary and vigilant though. In these moments I try to keep calm and not behave like my usual old self. I try to use the not-so-good vibes toward decluttering and cleaning. It’s a good tool and choice of activity for me. It’s what our mothers used to do to de-stress. It’s what I used to do, too, but somehow have lost the habit. Cleanliness no longer was next to godliness. They both got tossed aside for sometimes meaningless scrolling through social media and the Internet. Regardless of how I got here, I’m turning back to more hands-on living.
It’s not easy to change back, let me tell you. In the middle of my cleaning this morning, I got more depressed and wasted. There’s so much clutter and so much dust. I felt pale and drained just thinking about it and seeing what laid before me. I had to console myself. I tell myself that if I just sort out one small box, it will be enough. That did the trick. I dug in, cleared some dust and a box. What I learn today is:
- baskets and boxes are hazards for hanging onto things forever.
- I have trouble throwing out pens.
- I can clean and declutter faster than I think I can.
- cleaning and decluttering can be enjoyable.
- I can control which way I swing.
- I can be a clear bug as well as a cluttered one.
I shall dedicate the rest of the month to doing more cleaning and clearing daily. 8 days are do-able. Then I shall set a new schedule. Baby steps doesn’t work for me. And I hate that phrase. Not enough time left for baby steps. I have to take giant leaps forward. Onward ho!
onethousandandtwo 
Hi Lily,
Definitely the Mood Swing season!!!! I’m in the same boat! Clearing the dust on my floors obsessively and trying to clear the cobwebs in my head!!!! Tea and meditation help 😊💕
I’m trying a little wine tonight. 😀 Nice to have your company. May we swing towards the light side.
Lily, I’ve been where you are. I need to clear many boxes of things that either belonged to my late husband or that I just want to be done with. There are a lot of emotions that go with this process. And the things that are staying need to find Their Place because the whole home is being re-arranged. I find a coffee can help boot my mood– love those antioxidants! And sometimes I have to just sit and think about things. But still, there’s progress every day. Your narrative sounds so familiar!
Good to hear another with similar experience. Thanks Kebba.
Lily – I especially love this line, “It’s better to pound on the keyboard than on someone.” Your decluttering adventure is admirable, too. I spent a lot of this year clearing out my mom’s house, moving myself and decluttering my own house in the process… and there is still more to do. Decluttering is a lifetime practice and adventure, isn’t it?
Thank you, Julie.
Lily, should your mood persist, there’s tons of clutter to take care of over at my place! 😉
Good for you, channeling your bad vibes into being productive. Respect!
What makes you hold on to your pens? Do you write *real* letters and cards?
Ha-ha, Tamara. I like to help but I don’t think I will get done here any time soon. I have no reasons for pen holding. I don’t know why. They just accumulate and I hate waste. No real letters or cards for years now.
Good luck!
I think we all feel this way sometimes.
It is hard to get off the screens and do something productive, but it’s much more rewarding
Laurie
Ridge Haven Homestead
Thank you, Laurie.
Like Julie, my favorite line was the one about it being ‘better to pound on the keyboard than on someone!’ But yes, I have found that I do cleaning and decluttering faster and better than I think I can (it is just starting trouble, and when I do get into it, I go all in… no baby steps for me too!)
And love your drawings each day..