Gwenyth emailed from Australia. (Yes!) Her daughter, Pelagie, was living in her parents’ (Pelagie’s deceased grandparents’) home. Would I be available to “clear surfaces” in the house? A local moving company would be there soon for four days, to pack furniture, rare antiques, textiles, books, CDs, and other items. They would be stored before being shipped to Australia. Pelagie would leave sooner for Australia.
Okay! This would be a bit of a challenge, as there was more work to do besides just clearing surfaces, and time was tight.
Pelagie and I started with her grandparents’ clothes. We filled five big, sturdy trash bags with donations for a secondhand store. Next, we cleared the kitchen counter next to the sink. We then moved on to clearing the cupboards. What food would she eat before her departure? Not much. We wiped down the shelves as we worked.
Next, I moved around the corner to clear the varnished and glossy wood counter constructed above the side-by-side washer and dryer.
By the threshold between the kitchen and dining room, I cleared a low and fun table while Pelagie did the same on the fridge door.
Moving into the dining room, I cleared the table. Some items were set aside to be packed for shipment to Australia. Others were tossed. What a pretty table! It and its equally nice chairs would be shipped.
Then, on to the living room, where I emptied her grandmother’s desk and cleared the floor around it.
The next stop was a back room, where one of the moving company guys was packing hundreds of CDs. I focused on a wall piece with lots of office supplies. I set aside most for donation.
The next big part of the project would be the basement. A small side area needed clearing. Some important family files were set aside for shipping. Mostly everything else was tossed.
On to a big area. A corner included a screen with an herb or spice that may have been placed there to dry. It didn’t look familiar. Out it went! Other items were tossed, too. Newly stacked there – items that might be appropriate for an upcoming local tag sale to benefit a town children’s behavioral program.
Now, to across the basement to clear some shelves. Mostly everything was tossed, except for several pieces of sheet music from the early 1900s with charming cover art, which were set aside for donation.
Turning around from the shelves, there was a big area to clear. Most items were bagged for the trash, with thought given to ensuring a clear path for the old fridge to be removed by a company that specializes in odd jobs.
With the remaining time, the last area of concentration was a work area surface and shelves next to it. As with most other parts of the project, much was tossed. The area was made neater.
That’s a wrap! Gwenyth in Australia was pleased. How? She wasn’t there! Her assessment was based on our phone conversations and emails. Pelagie, on site, was happy, too, and gave me a big hug as I left for the last time. I wished her a safe journey to Australia, and drove away smiling.
About De-clutter Me!
De-clutter Me! offers non-judgmental, competitively-priced, and confidential assistance to help clear clutter in your home and/or business. We’ve been changing chaos to calm since 2013.