Closet Confession

Confession: There are some things with which I struggle to do 'as unto the Lord.' Cleaning closets is definitely one of them.  When I'm faced with a closet to clean, feeding the hungry or clothing the naked often seem less daunting.

So, please indulge me, and I'll share my most recent endeavor.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Okay, let's be honest: you can't tell any difference, right??!! Which explains why I seldom do this thankless task. It seems so pointless.

Right now it is clean and organized, though that wouldn't be discernible to the naked eye. Part of the problem is that this closet is near the back door where everyone tosses everything! 

Have you ever noticed that when you clean out a closet it gets a whole lot worse before it gets better??  At least that's my experience, and that fact doesn't help my procrastination problem. 

So here are the simple changes which only took me most of the afternoon to accomplish:

• I did finally remove, wash, and store the winter coats since we probably won't be needing them again until October (yes, October!)

• I took the camp chair to the garage so it can get lost there.

• I emptied the huge bag of black sunflower seed into one of those bins on the right for my birdies. The six bins contain a) Misty's dog food, b) Bridger's dog food, c) Gluten-free flours and noodles, d) Black beans, e) Black sunflower seed birdie food,) f) Regular corn mix birdie food (for the  less-discriminating palate.)

• I threw away the Taste of the Wild dog food bag which was lying under the sunflower seed bag. Since Bridger has had Lupus, I only give him grain-free dog food. You can ask, if you like. When I explained it to my vet, he just smiled and scanned his brain for the phone number of the asylum.

• I vacuumed the floor, picking up stray bits of dog food, bird seed, etc. I know - that expensive dog food should have been picked up piece by piece and put into the bin. I could have shoved them toward the perimeter for the influx of mice next fall, but resisted the temptation.

• I took the third crock pot and some other hastily-assessed-non-essential items to the Jeep for transport to Goodwill so that next week I can need them and wonder what I was thinking.

• Among Goodwill items were the faded and frayed place mats which my mother made for me years ago, but which I've been unable to part with. I'm hoping they won't be 'vintage' in another year or two - or sooner.

• Does anyone really need five tablecloths? A red one for Christmas, a navy one for summer and fall, two white linen ones (because one was such a good deal and the other because I bought the fabric in Mexico and sewed it myself, so it must qualify as a family heirloom). The fifth is a plaid. Okay, I can get rid of that...and then there are several place mats.

• AND, I took a bunch of stuff to the dumpster.

So how can it still look this bad??

And worse yet, do you know how long it will take for it to look like the 'Before' picture again?

So if you're wondering who would take photos of their closet! Well, I would, for it's proof that it actually was clean and organized, if only at one very small point in time.

P.S. And just so it wasn't a total waste to read my blog today, here's a consolation prize:  a photo I took this morning: the heuchera (coral bells) against the backdrop of chives and echinacea. Aren't they cheery!





 

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