Dose anyone ever finish their list? I’ve been a “list maker” since my children came along and they were very helpful. Of course there were always one or two that didn’t get done…..they were merely wishful thinking. I’m getting a little like the children’s grampa Strain. Grandma would send him up town to get some groceries. After quite a long time, he would return to ask what she sent him for….at which time she would pull the list from his overall pocket. I’m beginning to know how he must have felt.

Usually I find my list at my drop-off places which is the kitchen table, the desk or computer area all of which look like McGee’s closet. But today I think I will surely get a good start on the delinquent projects…..I have everything out of the closets and in doing so, I have a box of things to take to the Good Will Shop. I had saved things that would never be needed by me and it’s crazy to hang onto things that someone else “may” want sometime. One thing I’ve found out…..my children do not want any of it. They are paring down their own collections.

With everything I get rid of a part of me does some back-flips and I feel lighter by far. My goal today was to reclaim my bedroom which I’ve had under a make-over and when I had to crawl over boxes to get to bed…….I decided it was time. I don’t consider myself a slob or messy person but with the changes I’ve made in the home and the interruptions I’ve had I am mighty close to it.

I have visions of my maternal grandmother sitting in a chair pouring over seed catalogs with stacks of papers and magazines all along the dining room wall. There were window sills full of violets downstairs and upstairs. The shrubs and bushes were grown out of shape and proportion outside……grandma couldn’t bring herself to trim the violets back and so they were in different stages of dying. My grandmother was a very clean lady but she couldn’t throw anything away.

I woke up today thinking about my mother’s “side of the house” and how the women had way too much stuff in their homes. I am determined to end the curse since I am the responsible one for how my home looks….. Monday seems like the perfect time to start.

I would scare myself if I made a list of what needs to be done so I’ll content myself with one room at a time. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew. The thing I wonder about is how on earth I used to do in one day what it takes me a week to do now. I either have more to do or………..maybe because…….nahhh……it couldn’t be age.

I am a happy, happy woman!!! How about that Brett Farve? What a guy!!!

Essentially Esther