Nina and I had started work in the family condo’s basement in late July. Our next opportunity turned out to be a perfectly clear, very warm, even hot, day in late September. Such days are gifts! Plus, one of the family’s two cats was sprayed by a skunk the previous evening and had been in the basement. The space was a bit, well, fragrant. Did I want to reschedule, because of the excellent weather and aroma? I was already there and, with our two busy lives, thought it better that I stay.
We went downstairs, where the sprayed kitty was somewhat hiding on a big cushion on the top shelf of the basement’s back room. All I could see was a set of ears. The skunk smell actually was faint, so we decided it was okay to work.
We returned to an area started in our first session, working on shelves, top to bottom. They have lots of sturdy plastic containers, some of which store “memorabilia,” which Nina promises to purge. (Suggested – in stages, early in the morning while sipping coffee, before the rest of the family wakes up.) We moved things around, and cleared the floor.
With our remaining hour or so, we went into the room where the unhappy-looking kitty seemed to be sulking. Understandable! First, we moved a door, which Nina’s husband had removed to hang a bar for pull-ups. We placed it on its side against a wall. Working our way around the room, we added to a trash bag, consolidated craft supplies and generally neatened the space.
At the end of the session, Nina was pleased. Her young daughter would be able to ride her scooter around the basement in the winter. Her husband said that the basement looked great, and ready for “man cave construction.” Our discipline, forcing ourselves downstairs on a perfect Vermont afternoon, had paid off.
Our next project – the garage.
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De-clutter Me! offers non-judgmental, competitively-priced and confidential assistance to help clear clutter in your home and/or business. We’ve been “bringing calm to chaos” since 2013.