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Across the Fence:  Living the Simple Life - What Does It Mean to You?  |
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LivingWell4You
True Blue Farmgirl
1411 Posts
Karen
Hillsboro
MO
USA
1411 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 25 2008 : 4:49:38 PM
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Oooo, Alee, I like that "tucking" idea.
I was just gonna post "Hi, Alee. Love you." But then I read the rest of your e-mail and had to respond. So now I'm gonna say:
Good night, Alee. Love you.
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
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LouisvilleMom
True Blue Farmgirl
246 Posts
Kathryn
Louisville
KY
USA
246 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2008 : 6:20:14 PM
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We keep so much unnecessary stuff and my fear is that I will end up like my in-laws. I cannot even begin to explain the amount of stuff they have. Someday I will really get into details (it is amazing) but suffice it to say their 3200 square foot house is crammed, they had an airplane hanger that was full (we found a 1932 Plymouth--they knew it was there but was unseen until after 3 hours of cleaning) and random storage units full. They might need it, it belonged to a relative so it is sentimental, I bought it abroad (I have tried to explain that foreign crap is still crap), etc, etc, etc. I DREAD the day when I will have to clean out that house. I spend two hours once cleaning off their back porch and threw away molding countertops that had been replaced four years prior. Ladies I literally threw away the kitchen sink. I did not get a thank you but I did get reprimanded for throwing out a crystal candy dish (I think it was from Wal-Mart 2- years ago) and a picture of my husbands dead uncle that was mixed in with some very old magazine that were being kept for a recipe or article.
If I ever think that our house is getting cluttered I think of that house and it scares me enough to start flinging stuff into the donate pile.
Did I mention that they have 50 boxes of solid wood flooring in the attic from almost 20 years ago and several pallets of new solid wood flooring that they bought 3 years ago. The best part is that they bought a very expensive (like over $5000) desk and told the guy that they had to get their old desk out to make room. The truth was that they needed to clean the whole office because you could barely open the door. That was last September of 2007. They wonder why at 70 he can't retire and why they are always short on cash. Gee I don't know.
SAHM mom to four great boys.
http://ksfarnsworth.blogspot.com/ |
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K-Falls Farmgirl
Chapter Leader
2096 Posts
Cheryl
Klamath Falls
Oregon
USA
2096 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2008 : 6:38:46 PM
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Simple living is to me.. Getting in touch with the basics, Family friends and caring about our environment. Recycling thing we no longer need or use and becoming happy with where our life journey has led us. Count our Blessings, Stop swetting the small stuff and laughing at yourself. Most of all telling those people that are important to you that they are valued and recognise authenticity. I agree it is not an easy path to follow but I sure am trying.
Cheryl #309
Farm girl sister
Keep life simple, to Simply live. Life is too short to worry about it. |
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LivingWell4You
True Blue Farmgirl
1411 Posts
Karen
Hillsboro
MO
USA
1411 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 05:51:10 AM
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Kathryn, did you see the Oprah show last season about hoarding? It sounds exactly like your in-laws. Peter Walsh, the organizer they worked with, had a line that I never forgot: "When everything is special, nothing is special." I think I'm going to post that to look at while I'm doing my own decluttering to keep me on track.
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 05:52:58 AM
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Karen- I saw that Oprah and I have relatives, actually a lot of relatives, that live that way. It is scary and a way I don't want to live.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
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Suzan
True Blue Farmgirl
659 Posts
suzanne
duncannon
pa
USA
659 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 06:09:23 AM
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| Kathyrn, I feel for you because I went thru that scenario last year - my husband is an only child and his mother moved into an assisted living home, so we (I) had to clean out the house before we sold it. It took months and alot of hard work (and she lived 200 miles from us). That experience caused me to start cleaning out my own stuff so my kids never have to face that! Just going thru the stuff to keep what she wanted (which was a hard decision for her), keep what my husband and kids might want, where to store the stuff she wanted to keep but didn't have room at the home for, it's a huge task - for "stuff"! |
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homemom
True Blue Farmgirl
1593 Posts
Ruth
Warwick
RI
USA
1593 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 08:21:06 AM
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Kathryn,
My family is not that bad but they do have some of the same tendencies. They are always buying. I actually went in their basement one day and took things for a yard sale and to throw out. My dad is a bigger hoarder than my mother and he was upset with me. I threw away my bike, with a banana seat, that they still had and he wanted to save it. I could tell you alot of stories. He is also 70 and still working.
My in-laws are another story I can't even get into.
Ruth
Living the farm life in my heart.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth
http://farmgirlinmyheart.blogspot.com/ |
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LouisvilleMom
True Blue Farmgirl
246 Posts
Kathryn
Louisville
KY
USA
246 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 12:36:36 PM
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Yes I saw the hoarding show and so did my MIL. I am so surprised that she didn't see herself. Now they are not that bad but they are about halfway there. They have no friends that come over because the house is so bad. They lose important things among the crap which is sad. For example, my oldest son was blessed in the same outfit that his father was blessed in and now it has been missing for over 8 years because they cannot find it among all the important crap that they refuse to part with. Their problem is that they won't get rid of something because it was "really expensive" or "we might need it someday". I don't care what something costs monetarily if you are giving up your life to take care of it then is it worth it. The only time I have seen the house clean is when my husband, my brother-in-law or I have cleaned it and then it reverts right back. The front room is really clean because they spent like $20,000 for new furniture and threw everything else out (really). Did I mention they have no will despite all of us begging them to do so? When they pass there will be probate and taxes galore. UH!
SAHM mom to four great boys.
http://ksfarnsworth.blogspot.com/ |
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Jami
True Blue Farmgirl
1238 Posts
Jami
Ellensburg
WA
USA
1238 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 1:28:42 PM
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The mentioning of parents and hoarding got me to thinking about my parents. They are so funny. They sold their business and hit the road in an RV about 12 years ago, sold their house and everything! They had to buy a bigger 5th wheel trailer about midway through their "retirement" (I put that in quotes because my dad is 83 and is still working caretaking places and in campgrounds and such on their travels)..anyhow, they sold a lot of their stuff before they downsized to their trailer but they are just hoarders still even with their nomadic lifestyle. Their trailer is so packed full of stuff and so heavy...they have had to put 2 sets of new brakes on their dually pickup since they've had it! They are pulling a load, let me tell you! There is barely room to move around in their trailer and it's a beautiful one and roomy with slide-outs and such. They are depression era children and stuff has come to mean more to them than me, for instance. When the dire day comes when us kids have to clean out their things...it of course won't be that bad because it's a 37" trailer afterall, I'm sure we will be amazed at how much they have in there. They visited a while back and asked..."where's this and where's that?" about things I have recently given away or sold in my clean-out...they cannot get over that I just get rid of things and think one should keep everything forever. I told them I'm like a rolling stone...gather no moss.
Jami in WA
Farmgirl Sister #266
http://woolyinwashington.wordpress.com/ |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2008 : 5:37:10 PM
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After cleaning out many of my elderly relatives home and coming to the realization the no one REALLY wanted their stuff, I decided I would not be like that, rather enjoying what I have. It really does become a burden to family members or friends when someone lives like that and then someone else become responsible for the mess. I think my Great Aunt was the worst. She had a 4 bedroom home that was completely re-done in the 1970's. The old stuff was ALL put in the basement. We went to move a dining room table and it literally desinigrated in our hands. We found over 25 trash bags of cards, all had to be gone through because we started finding money in some of the cards. We found..get ready...$4800 in cash..we donated it to her favorite local charity. I think we counted that we found 800 pie tins in the kitchen alone, she washed and saved. After 2 weeks on intensive cleaning and 4 dumpsters, we had to hire someone to help us. It was unbelievable and she had been widowed in 1960 and passed in 1998, so 1 person did all of that. I had to stop several times because I could not breath.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
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kissmekate
True Blue Farmgirl
890 Posts
Kate
Delano
Minnesota
890 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2008 : 9:46:07 PM
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WOW! 4800 dollars?????????? Amazing.
I think part of it with the older generation is that they survived the depression, BUT they also survived after that and WWII when the economy got rolling and the standard of living was much better.
I have an aunt who is a hoarder. She not only took over her own house, but took over her Mom's house, and it caused a huge family rift. That situation is finally on the long winding road to mending.
Helping move her "stuff" out of my Grandma's house, caused all of us ladies to go home and clean clean clean our own.
I can still pare down a lot more. now if I could just inspire the cleaning fairies to get moving, they have been derelict in their duties lately. ;P
Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it isn't packaged the way you expected. ~MaryJo Copeland |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2008 : 04:08:59 AM
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Ohhhh those cleaning fairies...whereeee arrrreeee youuuuu????
Come to me, come to me....
Linda in Scranton, PA
farmgirl #71
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Yes! I live in the Scranton "The Office" is based on! LOL LOL
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2008 : 08:06:59 AM
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This is all making me laugh - my grandparents never had much money and the depression was very hard on them so my grandma saves everything!! When their boiler burst in the 80s they were on vacation and my dad went over and took the opportunity to throw away literally hundreds of empty cottage cheese containers and plastic bags. Grandma still has tins of spices that are more than 40 years old because "use it up, wear it out...." That's where I get my packrat gene. But!! My other grandpa worked for the railroad so they moved alot and there is nothing left, no family heirlooms. It is very sad, so there is a place for keepsakes - so, find the balance somehow and remember that somewhere down the road someone will want to look at pictures of you/family/the olden days
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" |
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kissmekate
True Blue Farmgirl
890 Posts
Kate
Delano
Minnesota
890 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2008 : 8:42:36 PM
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The olden days. LOL
My daughter asked if I the world was in color when I was little.
(She was around four-ish or so, and had just watched the "Wizard the Buzz".)
Bad Mommy that I was, I told her no, that was a only color a few years ago.
The cleaning fairies are still missing....
Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it isn't packaged the way you expected. ~MaryJo Copeland |
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Across the Fence: Living the Simple Life - What Does It Mean to You? |
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Living the Simple Life - What Does It Mean to You?
