Clean 'em Up & Clear 'em Out

I'm on a mission.

I spent the majority of today with my blog reader. Ever since I went back to Connecticut in August, my blog reader has been piling up with unread posts. I was starting to feel like I was drowning.

So today I put some concentrated effort into reading the posts I wanted to read, discarding the posts I'd never get around to reading, and purging my subscription list to keep only those blogs I enjoy most. I feel so much lighter!

Now, I'm moving on to my e-mail box. I'm deleting old e-mails I've never read, unsubscribing from company newsletters, paring down my address book, finding the important e-mails I want to answer. So far, I've only scratched the surface. Perhaps I can make time tomorrow to make a much bigger dent.

There is just so much information out there that I'm interested in that it's hard to not be a glutton for it. I get inspired by these creative women who design and sew and stitch and sell their wares. I enjoy entering sweepstakes online. I like knowing about new products and services. I want to get in on the sales.

But a person can absorb only so much.

The same goes for stuff around the house. In the last week I was able to freecycle 8 dining room chairs, two recliners, a pair of closet doors, a chandelier and a yogurt maker! All these usable-but-not-needed things sitting around our home are now out the door and into the hands of folks that want them.

It feels good to purge. It clears the way for air and ideas to flow. It takes effort, it takes time, and it takes a willingness to release things we once craved. Yet once the flow of purging begins, it feels so good that I look for more areas that can use some breathing space.

I like this feeling of stripping down.
;D