I looked back through my texts to see that I began this journey with Sandra on February 8th. I thought I had been working with her longer. Since that first day she has always had this huge stack of paper to her right. She has an end table there that is stacked pretty high and there was a pile on the floor almost to the same level. Each time I go over there I look at that evil pile to see if it's getting any smaller.
Yesterday that pile struck a nerve. I waited for Sandra to get out of her chair and when she did I immediately sat there and started sorting the pile on the floor. I put things into three categories. Quilting, important papers and other items. I removed the quilting items and put them with the others that she needs to go through. I found a basket full of other reading material under that stack and left it as it was. The stack on the end table is still there and will be addressed when I go over tomorrow. The evil pile will be no more!
I've been working on the guest bedroom for two days now. The first day I cleared the entry into the door. This space is outside the room like a small alcove. I grabbed the first thing inside the room and decided I was done for the day.
Yesterday Sandra's best friend Linda went with me. I grabbed whatever was closest to the door and if it was fabric only I took it to the stash room. All other things I took to the living room where Linda and I sorted with Sandra. I got to the point where all I saw was a sea of fabric in there. The stash room is full. I felt so lost and overwhelmed. I just stopped. I'm at the point where I'm going to have to junk up areas that I had cleared out previously. So frustrating.
My plan is to bring Nate over with me tomorrow. He's going to help me haul everything out of that room so we can clean. The fabric will go to the stash room and more than likely be stacked in front of the door. Everything else I will make a decision on on a case-by-case basis. We are definitely at the point where things have got to start going out the door to make room. I think we are at the saturation point. Let's hope Sandra is ready to start letting go of a lot more.
Meet Mr. Lucky.
Hugs
Swooze
5 comments:
I have a fabric storage room with all the fabric stacked on shelves or in bins, but it sounds like Sandra has a lot more fabric than I have. Hang in there! It sounds like you are making great progress!
I see you have made friends! Soon Mr. Lucky will be really lucky enough to be able to go into the clean guest room!
Wow! I can hardly believe it hasn't been a month yet that you started to help Sandra and you are already in the last room?!! Fantastic! I mean, you are only at her place for a few hours per day. Every day? Every other day? Regardless, I guess Sandra is doing her share when you are gone. Kudos to you both for coming this far. That was a lot of hard work, and emotional work on Sandra's part. I know you are not quite done but I think you and Sandra deserve a pat on the back. Now, you understand that you are keeper, right? If the cat of the house comes out of his hiding place to greet you it's because you are part of his clan. Enjoy your new status. ;^)
swooze...this is a labor of extreme love for sure...sounds like you are making slow but steady progress....perhaps a catnip mouse would ease his temper???
It sounds like it's much easier to get Sandra to decide on what goes, before she looks at it, and without the chance to look at it again.
Maybe sit down and chat about stuff in categories: can recipe books (that don't look like family heirlooms) be thrown away without her checking them?
Can magazines older than 2 years go?
Can clothes that look too small/big go?
ANd get her to agree, so that you can just take them, and if she sees you and questions it, gently remind her that she said it was ok if they were too small/too old etc and keep reminding her you are making space for her to sew or have visitors or whatever her most important desire was.
THis is a life changing journey for you too.
Grace. <3
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