Ahhh! A dollar, Off of Mr. X. Cheers! Your well on your merry way.

Heres a joke for ya!

Why does Snoop carry an umbrella?
------------------------------------

Fo' Drizzle
------------------------------------

I knew youd like that joke. true dat.
~me

I've never posted before, but I've been reading for awhile. I just wanted to say that reading your blog is the highlight of my day and I'm so proud of you for being brave enough to let go and move on. Thanks for sharing!

You should take some of the money you made and go to the Botanica and buy some candles for Mr. X. You know which ones I'm talking about!!

I've been "bothering" the person (Kristy)who promised to make that blanket for your grandma and she claims that it's done. I don't actually believe it but here's hoping. I can be a real pain in the ass when I'm cranky. Which is most of the time these days.

Congratulations on the yard sale, de-cluttering and having such great friends!!!

Huzzah for C.A.P.!
I can't begin to describe how much you inspire me and how much I admire you.
And to think, just a few months ago all I *wanted* was a quick and easy hat pattern. Now I find that I got what I really *needed*. A REAL role model. Not some puffed up, overmedicated, under educated, morally repugnant, surgically enhanced celebrity or salacious religious pomposity, but a real live human who has been there done that got the T-shirt -and the good sense to sell it off!
Dear God, thank you for Crazy Aunt Purl!
Amen.

I am a lurker mostly, but did want to say: GOOD FOR YOU!!! Getting rid of "stuff" is so nice. More room for yarn!

I really enjoy your site, and like another person said - it is a highlight of my day.

Amanda

Laurie, you are such an inspiration. Like so many of your other readers I've been spellbound watching your journey. I can't help imagining a really powerful chick-flick movie starring Renee Zellweger.

I am just starting the long task of decluttering my life, one shopping bag at the time, and really hope that like you one day I will be able to ditch the crap for what really matters in life.

I wish I could have sold my ex for a dollar. Instead, we have kids together and he never pays, so he keeps costing and costing. Ugh.

I'm so glad to know that you're cleaning-up and moving on - your equivalent of "washing that man right out of your hair"?

I cleaned my house from top to bottom today got rid of all the clutter in my brain while doing it (I'm not up to the task of discussing the closets yet..) and then laid in bed in the silence of my house and read for nearly 5 hours. I'm right there with you. Bag it, box it, and move it out. You have better places to be than bogged down with a garage full of hurt.

xo,
Emily

I just read your wonderful post and as a fellow crazy southern girl, all I can say is: my heart is very full.

Cheers to you. I just finished my first scarf. I am a left-handed knitter, we lefties are a rare breed generally banished to a special section in knitting class...

Regards, Hanna

Congratulations, Laurie. Way to go.

Sam and I had such a lovely time! Thank you for having us.

Congrats! Stuff is just stuff. It is indeed liberating.

Girl's up and out...

YAY Laurie!

Oyez,

Darling...

Oyez..

The mighty brain-laxative-purge.

I salute yuns, Hunnybunch.

I've been struggling with decluttering in my house lately too, mostly because I'm tired of being weighed down by stuff. It makes me feel closed in and awful.

Amazing how hard it is to let go of some of it. Good for you for doing it!

Yet again you inspire. Thanks.

Amen, sister! We've been purging our unwanted stuff and it IS liberating. Enjoy it, girl. You so deserve it!

Oops. Made a mistake in my url, and, dork train, all aboard, came back to fix it.

Getting rid of stuff sets you free. The new rule in this house if you haven't used it in a year it goes out the door. I need to get a handle on buying books. I will never get a handle on buying yarn. Congratulations on your yard sale, will you use some of it for a treat this time or is it all still going to pay down the debt? Have a great weekend. Really proud of you!!!

Hooray for you! I've been reading your blog for the last couple of weeks, and you're definitely among my inspirations for dusting mine off.

Congratulations on your freedom! It's amazing how tiny emotional ties to *stuff* can weigh us down, isn't it? Way to go, bellisima. Way. To. Go.

Tears again. So darned relatable CAP. Been there, shopped that. Glad to have gotten rid of the junk (him) and then get rid of the stuff I bought.... Thanks for the smiles.

...and in the meantime, your Divorce Settlement (feline contingent) will be happy to contribute furballs to fill up any empty rooms, and they'll be thrilled with any dollar from the Mr. X Purge that's freed up for the pursuit of the elusive Harmonious Pooping Surface!

(Your cats warm the cockles of my heart.)

amen!

way to clean sweep.

You just wash that man right out of your hair! Good for you. Now you can buy more yarn...

There's an old adage about having nothing in your home that is not useful or beautiful. I'd add one more: fun. I made a new friend today and had the pleasure of having her come into my homw and exclaim again and again about how much cool stuff we have - books, games, yarn, toys, all over. My home makes me happy, both happiness in the things I have chosen to surround myself with and happiness in the sharing of those things with my friends and family. You are well on your way to creating that sort of home for yourself, one in which you are surrounded by things that bring you nothing but happiness. Good on you!

ok, you are awesome. great post!

Absolutely a bargain.

Laurie, please do the horoscope...at least for us Pisceans. Yesterday (3rd March) was my 25th b-day.

I heart you Laurie. Do not write a book--if you did this we would not have your pearls of wisdom dropped on us daily.
I also heart your readers and read all of the comments. Almost as amusing as you.

Sounds like a fine time was had by all, much less traumatic (thieves!) than that first yard sale you had. Did you bring the unsold stuff to Goodwill, or was it all sold?

Congratulations on the decluttering. Isn't it strange how it can take over your life? The clutter that is.

Hey, at least you were smarter than me and made a buck or two off of it. My technique was always to just move and start throwing out stuff that was attached to a similar phrase for me. Granted, it stinks when I think, "Hmm, I know I have a (fillinblankwithsomethingIthrewout), where is it?"

Good luck to you!

aw, congratulations on cleaning out your house, and clearing Mr. X out of your life, as well.

You inspired me to throw out all of the things that remind me of my own ex. Pictures, letters, journals. Thank you for pushing me to clear out my life.

I recently got out of a five year relationship that I thought would last forever (yes, I feel pretty damn stupid now), and had to fit everything into two suitcases since I was flying back across the Atlantic (yeah, I moved abroad for him). I had such trouble fitting it all, and now that I'm home I can barely stand to look at the stuff I did bring. I packed it all away and even keep wearing my sister's old passed down clothes because I can't bring myself to wear stuff he bought for me. I feel rootless but also free. It's a strange feeling.

Ahhh, Laurie. I so see myself a few years back. After my husband of 17 years left with all the things he got in our property settlement, all I could see was what was missing--the painting that had always hung over the fireplace, the rug we had bought on our trip to China, etc. After moping around a couple of days I began to see what was left behind and realized it was mostly his junk (He was a "saver" who held on to everything--a habit that had always driven me nuts).

I started by cleaning out "his" side of the bathroom vanity. I filled the bathroom trash can with his left-behind-junk, emptied it, refilled it, emptied, refilled, then switched to using the kitchen garbage since it held more junk. It felt great! I started going from room to room tossing stuff that was cluttering up my house and filling my mind (and heart) with clutter.

In the end, I rolled in the huge outdoor trash can and took it with me room by room while I took back my house and my life. Who knows what the neighbors were thinking while they watched this going on, but when I was finished I had a decluttered house and felt better about myself than I had in many, many years.

Laurie, I do believe you are getting well. You go girl.

congratulations! Just think of all that creative energy freed up.

There's a certain joy that 'proud mamas' feel, and can be expressed as an emotion in and of itself..get it? It has nothing to do with being your mama or anyone else's for that matter...that said...
I am so happy for you, I feel 'like a proud mama', something I need to do, get rid of the crap.

Oh, my gosh. That must have felt so good, to let go of all of that! I have finally eradicated my Mr. X from my stuff, and it feels great. Hardly think of him at all. Sweet!

Congrats! I'm so happy for you! :)

Oh Yes!!

Miss Laurie

Though this website may have begun simply as a emotional outlet, it has become so much more. Thank you for sharing your life with us. Your ups, your downs, your in-betweens.

On your worst days, if you listen closely, you will hear your on line friends cheering you on.

We are so proud of you.

Girl, you rock! (now will you come clean my place up?)

Ahem and Congrats!

That was amen, by the way. Ahem, geesh. Not enuff coffee.

Um...er...you didn't SELL the feline contingent, did you? Because they are no longer the cats that belonged to you and Mr. X...they're ours now.

Way to go, Laurie! When will you take back your "crazytourist" site? It's still in the Mr Ex doldrums. You've got pictures aplenty without him now. Like Paris!
And, like everyone else here, thanks for sharing your life with us. It really does feel like a community. I, too, have realized the value of friends, what a treasure they are.

"I don't have to shop to feel worthwhile."

Words to live by. Your posts always strike a chord with me Laurie. Thanks for putting into words what many of us can't.

Amen, sister, and good for you!

That woman paid way too much for Mr. X. :)

(I don't know why I assume it was a woman that bought the picture frame, but I do. And she still paid way too much.)

:)

I'll quit clogging up yer comments now!

I swear, there's nothing like a good purge. I usually do at least one prior to every move. Congrats on yours!

Good job on the decluttering. And especially on selling your photo of Mr. X!

Decluttering feels so good, it's a wonder it's not illegal! :-)

I think it's time you start referring to Mr. X as "My First Husband". You could go with MFH for short, but that could be interpreted as something different and may or may not be your intention depending on the day. But "My First Husband" has a hopeful sound, don't you think?

Good for you!

I felt so good when I got rid of Ms. X's crapola a few years ago! Though I did lug it around for way too long. Most of it went to the dump, some I gave away, and other stuff I burnt just to feel better. Best thing I ever did for myself!!!

I found your blog because I love to knit. I really enjoy your writing and I relate to your stories. Keep working through the Mr. X thing...it only gets better!!

Laurie, you really are an inspiration. I mean, I took a deep breath the other day and found out how much I and my DH owe. And while it is a lot, the debt is not as bad as I thought. Except for the credit card, God I hate the credit card.

Now for the clutter... I know I won't be having a yard sale any time soon. We just got another foot of snow here in west MI. It almost make me want to move home to northwest MN. I don't mind cold but I hate the snow.

I refer to my first husband as "the practice husband". Now, I have the real thing, a man who appreciates me for who and what I am, a man I can love with no reserve and know that the love comes back to me in spades. (I practiced for 23 years, btw.)

Congratulations on your awakening! They are so profound when they sneek up on us while we're not looking aren't they?

M

pheeeww!!! I bet it feels so good to have that the "things" gone, and the breathing space back. Congratulations!!

I have another Snoop joke for you:

What does Snoop use to get his whites their whitest?

----------------------------------

Blee-ACH!

:)

I was so excited last year when my other half said he wanted to have a yard sale. He has so much crap it's unreal!

Imagine my utter disappointment when I found out what he meant was VHS tapes, some cruddy furniture his mother gave him [none of which sold] and some books he had doubles of.

On the plus side, I got rid of a lot of MY crap and made almost $300.

Yeah, stuff is good, but getting rid of stuff is better.

You GO, girl!

KUDOS on kudos!! Do you realize you're finding things out for ALL of us? I have clutter too, and got rid of a bunch but a lot more has to go. My sister, (Mrs. Perfect-Taste-Lotso-Money) gave me a book abou de-cluttering for feng shui. Like THAT's going to happen. But you're right, it'll be cleansing in so many ways, you have me anticipating it with pleasure :gasp: When Tuesday is over (giving big Museum program) I'm ON it. So proud, so proud. I would've liked the picture of you and Mr X - do you know there are special frames made for 1/2 of pictures like that? You cut out the Offending Article and frame the rest, and BOY a picture of our CAP would be such a treat!

people come over to my house and raz me about how "neat and tidy" it always it. Well, not it's not.. but it's not stuffed to the gill with cr@p like theirs are. I purge twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall. If I don't love it, or we don't use it... out it goes.

You however have made a giant step forward... you've come so far. Look at you! I'm proud of you girl.

You are such an inspiration. I've been looking at leftover X stuff for almost 2 years now. I've been resisting clearing it out because it's going to be soooo much work and a part of me has really resented that he's left me with even more work. But I'm beginning to feel ready.

We're nowhere near yardsale season here...what with 2 feet of new snow this week. But maybe I could start gathering and organizing...

I know it would feel so much better to have this stuff gone.

{{{HUGS}}} to you because I know it's not easy.

Hooray for you! I love decluttering - it truly is freeing. Now you aren't mired down in the past (so much).

Bravo!

Did you feel like Angela Bassett in "Waiting to Exhale"? I bet you did. Congrats!

You rock girl!

Let me start with a digression, which is how most of my live conversations go. My SO is chatting with lots of people online these days, and I have to remind her she can be excessively trusting and she doesn't really know anything about these people. After all, you -- Laurie -- could really be Morgan Freeman just being creative, with occasional pictures of Some White Chick thrown in from time to time to confuse your readers.

That said, knowing that I don't really know you, boy howdy do I feel like I know you. As much as I love shopping, I love the feeling of clearing out clutter. I read that book about decluttering your life through feng shui, and the whole point seemed to be that you'd have better feng shui if you decluttered; well, duh! It didn't have a lot about HOW to declutter.

We've been chipping away -- things to Goodwill, things to the eBay consignment store (worth it to me to avoid the hassle of selling it all myself), books to the second-hand store or Books for Africa in St. Paul.

Congratulations for clearing out the space that Mr. X was still taking up in your house and your head and making more room for people and cats! Another buck for the Million Dollar Cat Fund!

But if you're really Morgan Freeman, I think it's time to 'fess up.

*happy dance* Good on you!! I aspire to the getting rid of crap!

A dear friend of mine calls her ex-husband "Malcom" (as in Malcom-x) so she doesn't even use the word "husband" in reference to his sorry-ass-self at all. Ex-husband? Nope, that's JUST Malcom.

Love your blog. You inspire me!

Congrats! Way to let go of all the material crap that is bogging you down!

amen.
and not wanting to pick a fight with previous posts... but... let's not focus on "next husband" please. i'm enjoying watching this woman find herself.
amen.

How many copies of BIODOME did you have for sale???

Good for you, Laurie! I'm continually impressed by your positive attitude. (And I'm sure the felines appreciate the extra lounging space. Heh.)

I just love the idea that I keep getting about that frame. I can picture some crazy person (you know, the type to direct traffic in their bra and underwear somewhere near your neighborhood) putting up the picture of you and your ex in their house. I'm sure it was someone planning ripping the picture out and putting their own in, but it just cracks me up to think that maybe some old lady or whoever bought it is going to prop it up on her nightstand or mantel and tell all the repair men who stop buy about her lovely daughter and her boyfriend. It could be funny to think of the second (hopefully happier) life your junk will have in someone else's home.

I'm doing the same thing at the end of this month. A "this is my old life" purge of TONS of junk that I've finally decided do not enhance my existance in any way, shape or form. (And they are maybe also associated with my now-collapsed marriage.) I'm moving on. Youre moving on. Its a whole new and exciting world on the horizon!

Malcom...heh!...that's funny, I'm going to use that.

The ULTIMATE de-cluttering: Selling Mr. X for one dollar!

You're beautiful, Laurie.

Maybe, now that you have all this extra space, you would like to buy some of our stuff? You could learn French out of the very same textbook I used 30-odd (I know, very odd) years ago.

Seriously... as a born pack rat, I congratulate you, and wish I could work up the nerve. I actually like my husband, you understand, but he's a pack rat too. Stuff 'r' us.

There's a phrase used in AlAnon and AA about "letting somebody else live rent-free in your mind". I think you've just filed the eviction papers!

If you still somehow have things unsold, donate to the National Council for Jewish Women Thrift Store! They will send a truck and two men to pick up your stuff (if it's too big to fit in a car), AND give you a slip so you can write off the donation for your taxes! Everyone wins! When I moved out of Los Angeles, I donated over $1400 in "stuff!" Who knew my old "junk" that was cluttering my house was worth so much?

Can't wait for your dose of "astroogy" - hope it comes this month!

Laurie, I can relate. My parents died last year (four months apart) and I've been trying to live on top of a "graveyard" since then—I moved in with Mom when she got sick after Dad died, and it meant moving my stuff and combining two households. Talk about clutter! There were three sofas in the living room.

Yesterday, my niece and her DH brought over a UHaul and we loaded up a good chunk of the stuff my sister and two nieces have inherited. I've been dreading the day for weeks now—some of that stuff had been around my entire life and I couldn't imagine not seeing it in my childhood home anymore. When I thought about it, it made me terribly sad and panicky, as if they were coming to take away another piece of ME.

Was I surprised to find myself feeling so much lighter once the truck pulled away! I realized that I'm not as attached to the "stuff" as I'd thought, and that it made me feel better to have the clutter reduced. It's good to know I can lose the stuff without losing the memories of my parents (just the painful memory of their last months and deaths). It's inspiring me to make even more changes around here.

I'm glad you're able to feel that sense of lightness and peace as well.

Laurie Doll....you just taught an old dog a new trick! I salute you My Dear. I've started to de-clutter slowly. Your post has made me want to keep on keepin' on. Now, if only Mr. Larry could get in the swing of this activity. His nickname is Mr. PackRat! Oy!

YAY!!!

(I posted on Craigslist that I was selling my ex's beloved stuff for a dollar. The snowblower--1$. Full set of golf clubs with cart--1$. Two bowlling balls in a double bag with shoes--1$. Lawnmower--1$. You get the idea. Only made 73 dollars. Spent most of it on yarn.)

Dang!

I wish't I'd a been there!

Annie

Hi Laurie, I found your blog three or four weeks ago, and it instantly became a site I visit daily. This is the first time I commented cuz you really struck a chord with me. You don't need to hear my whole story, so I'll just write that I've been in a bad relationship, I'd call it borderline emotionally abusive, and when I finally ended I couldn't believe how much better I felt. Instantly. The moment I said "I'm leaving" it was like the provebial weight was lifted. It was amazing. Since I was the one who left, I didn't have the whole "purging" situation you're in, but I know what you are feeling. I'm very happy for you, you seem like such a wonderful person. I look forward to every post. Have a great day!

I'm sorry I couldn't make it out to Encino adjacent. I had a friend in crisis who didn't leave my house until 4:30. rats!
Glad you made a buck or two.

Well, I miss the horoscopes, but I applaud your decision to de-clutter. As someone who has descended from a long line of clutter bugs, I know how hard it is.

Anyhoo, I was catching up on your posts and I just wanted to let you know that the idea of a funeral while you're still alive is a great idea. I just might have to try it.

1) Good for you! You're wayyyyy braver than I.
2) However, you make me wish I had a yard. If I had a yard, I'd be mightily inspired (and tempted) to have a yard sale. Maybe I can sell my shit out of the back of my Mini Cooper.
3)When last I moved, about a year ago, I threw and donated and gave and sold... and I still have way more stuff than any human should have. In fact, I somehow think I ended up with at least as much stuff, even after the purge. To bring everything full circle to knitting, it's like those times you knit for hours and your eyes are running and you've developed a hunch on your back and you measure to see how close you are to the decrease and... you have the exact same inchage you did when you started your knitting day.

The universe continues to test us. This is why we have wine.

I'm so proud of you for getting rid of all that stuff -- I can't believe the changes you've made in the years I've known you. I loved you from the start, but you have worked to make yourself better and better over time (much like fine wine, only more work than simply storage).

Hooray for you!

This is the final scene in the book you ought to write, darlin grrrl.

Amen, indeed. Congratulations.

i'm so envious of your clutter free life. of course 90% of my clutter is yarn related. so i guess it's not clutter but rather "necessities"

Perfect story for a Monday morning. Thanks, Laurie - and congrats! Way to sell off what isn't serving you any more - and in the company of friends, even better.

I had to share this with someone who could maybe appreciate it.

As I sat here blogging last night... my cat farted!

I've never heard a cat fart before.

He tried to look innocent. He failed.

I shudder to think this could be the high point of my week...

Crazy Aunt Purl, you make my day! Not to mention inspire me to rid myself of my existentially inauthentic clutter, and quit buyin' crap. Thanks!

P.S. I'm not sure I'm postworthy to follow the feline flatulation anecdote, but here goes...

Great job on the decluttering. It's nice to walk into a place that isn't covered in memories and junk that needs to be dusted.

Yee Haw! Decluttering is one of the greatest gifts I ever gave myself. May you enjoy it as much as I have.

Laurie,
You're amazing and you continue to inspire. I just want to give you a big internet hug and a great big thank you for the encouragement you give by sharing yourself and your accomplishements with us.

In all honesty, I don't think there's a woman alive who hasn't, at some point in her life, satisfied that lacking/empty feeling with shopping. I'm guilty of it, numerous times. At one point in my life it took the largest (26 ft.) U-Haul truck, filled top to bottom & front to back (literally) just to move all of my stuff. This stuff gave me a sense of control over my life, a sense of completeness. Granted, it was a false sense of security, but it was all I had.

It took a long time to understand and to let go of this need for material things in an attempt to sustain my sense of self-worth. I used it to validate me. When I quit my graphic design job in 1999 and moved back home to paint full-time, I had a huge yard sale and reduced my stuff from a 26ft truck to a 14ft truck. I was so afraid I would regret it, would miss all of my things. Instead, I felt amazingly liberated, as if I had shed a thousand pounds of emotional dead weight.

To this day, years later, I still have the occasional shopping binge, especially since I've discovered knitting and want every yarn I see! I'm still getting rid of stuff, bits and pieces at a time. But, I'm getting better and am happy with what I have - and don't have. I've discovered it simply takes time and patience with myself in learning to change. I don't beat myself up for setbacks, and pat myself on the back for successes. I wish you the best on your own trip down the road to material liberation. Give yourself a huge pat on the back for this most recent success!

congratulations! you are most certainly my hero this Monday morning...

Does yarn count as "stuff" or is it exempt?

holy cow, can I relate!! I had an avalanche of stuff I bought during my marriage to fill the hole. I'm so happy for you that you cleared out all of the physical and mental "stuff". And I still love the giant pom pom scarf!

I am constantly getting attached to/getting rid of stuff. Altho yard sales are painful. Yikes. But I am having one this year, come hell or high water.

I relieved myself of a bunch of stuff to simplify my life and it also had a de-stressing effect.
Congrats on your "freeness". Just in time for your parents' visit.

CAP, you rock. Getting rid of non-functional stuff is an ongiong mission in my life.

Whenever I go on a stuff-clearing rampage at our house, I call it "Operation GROSS" (Get Rid of Surplus Stuff). I am bad about yarn, books and such. My husband is bad about anything that could possibly be useful, but then he is from an Old Cajun Family so he has Southern CRAP Disease (Collecting Randomly Acquired Posessions) and also he is a guy, so he thinks that broken computer components and audio components are decor. But I digress, as we both contribute to the disorder. When I lived alone my big mess was unattended mail. Everything else had its own place. Books on shelves, yarn in containers, etc. It's still that way with my own "stuff>'

What has been surprisingly liberating for me is clearing out the terrifying Shed Full of Crap at
my mother's house in New Orleans. Her neighborhood is on the Southern extreme of the city so it was spared the flooding, but the neighbor's pecan tree fell on the back end of the house and also crushed the shed. We filled a 20 foot construction dumpster with ruined shed contents and kitchen guts, and Mom felt so good about getting rid of all that ... to the point where she is now going through the rest of the house like a demon, getting rid of still more crap. The house looks great, she is happy, and I know this is helping her deal with smoe things, becaue we lost Dad just a few weeks before Katrina hit, and after a long illness, so we had a lot of househole invalid supplies to unload.

Then, at the end of February, I just moved my office and I got rid of fully half of my old files in the process. Now I have a tidy office and a lighter heart, and I hope to keep it that way.

This does miracles for your emottional state. Congrats to you!

How wonderful for you! :) Congratulations on your new found freedom.

Wow. Good for you on the yard sale. I still need to get rid of junk, the detritus of my life, that I keep hauling with me on moves. Like old photos, an old wedding album, etc. I still want to jettison the ex and those tidbits, but I'm having some trouble doing so - as if that would make cheap my feelings as they once were.

Laurie - It's so beautiful watching you emerge from the other end of the past couple of years.....thank you for sharing your journey :-) Hugs!!

hmm...once again your writing got me thinking. I've got two somethings from my past (not husbands, yes I'm on my third, yes I always bought my maiden name back) that I've held onto, basically (upon reflection your writing caused) to add value to myself, a proof that I once lived a couple of different life styles. Time to let go and allow someone else to enjoy these items. OK - project for Spring 07 is now on the drawing board; off I go to appraisers and collectors and just let it go...I think I'm feeling lighter already. Self-acceptance just never stops being a process does it?

Thank you for your clear writing; you are a gem.

Good for you! Make some money and get rid of the remains of your old life with Mr. X. I'm glad you feel good about it, because that's all that matters.

lol...Mr. X isn't even worth $1!

Glad gettting rid of the past can put a few extra $$$ in your pocket and lots of happiness in your heart :)

I am SO jealous you can have a yard sale on March 3. I can't even see my yard -- it's still covered in snow. *sigh*

You are my inspiration, Laurie. Right now I'm in that "shop to feel better about myself" phase and it's dragging me into debt! Just today, bought 3 balls of yarn (on sale! Had to!!), Interweave Knits and a pattern book. There's another 22 bucks on things I didn't need.

My house is also full of stuff from my marriage, and I'm still living in my marriage house. it's depressing, I hate it. With your blog I at least know i'm not the only one that deals with these emotional issues and connection to the ex's things.

I got rid of a ton of stuff when my ex and I split, and I had to move out of our cute little first house and into an apartment. I got rid of all the tableware that I bought for the dinner parties we never had (I had four sets of dishes), all the stuff I had bought for the house I never got to decorate and enjoy, all the crap I bought to fill up my unhappy self over the course of our crappy thirteen years together. I thought it was going to kill me. But, it felt incredibly good! I felt so free afterwards. Now, I try to have less crap... just stuff I need, a few "cute things" and a library of books I love.

my sis-in-law once got a wonderful pair of leather armchairs for $15 each at a "revenge on the x" yard sale.

i had the distinct pleasure of shoving my x's ugly couch to the curb for heavy trash day. (i wanted to set it afire, but a friend's cooler head prevailed.)

and i'm going to print out your de-junking post because in less than a year i'm moving from a big family house full of crap to a small condo, and i'm not taking any damn excess baggage along for the ride.

thank you, o purl of great prices -- a buck for the x in a frame? cheap at twice the price, especially if one seeks a new dartboard target!

-- a. nonnie mouse

that's really wonderful, Laurie.

If your ex sold for a buck, Bossy wonders what she can get for her 18-year marriage!

Wooooohoooooooooo! Free at last! :D

I remember doing the same thing, only the frame I sold only had half a picture in it, and the glass was broken...

will Faith help me with a garage sale? I think I'll ask her.

I bought and bought and bought at places like Target and Kohls and craft stores when I was in my doomed relationship. Then I moved all that junk halfway across the country thinking my doomed relationship was going to continue ('cause I was a sucker for punishment). It didn't, so I bought and bought and bought some more. And this time it included lots of clothes - something I had never really cared much about before.

And then I decided to move abroad and I had a huge clear out. Luckily I don't tend to attach people to objects, but I still got rid of pretty much everything. I had so much stuff I didn't even know what I had. I would open closets and boxes and go 'Oh yeah, I remember getting that FIVE YEARS AGO' as whatever it was was sat there still in its packaging or with tags on. It was difficult at first, but then I got ruthless and it felt SO GOOD. I didn't have all that stuff weighing me down.

I've got a bit too much stuff again, but fortunately, apartments in the UK are so small, I can't really store much so I have frequent small clean outs, but a big one needs to happen soon. I'm glad you've discovered how liberating de-cluttering can be. =)

WOOHOO!!!

I mean, I thought you really deserved a woohoo...you do...really.

You know, along with Romi's woohoo. *dork*

Oh, Aunt P! This post makes me very happy for you. Yay for moving on to better things. Er, people. But you knew what I meant.

Laurie,
You are my hero! After reading your blog for a couple of years, I also decided to leave my husband of just over 30 years. I've moved to a former home that we still own. I have 2 chairs, a bed and a dresser now. It's amazing how little it takes to live. It takes seconds to dust...(giggle), and there's no dishes to wash! This is also liberating in many, many ways.
Huggs to you~
Terry

Not to bring everybody down, but I knew everyone would understand if I posted here. My boss from my previous job called me to tell me that our animal shelter mascot, Tripod, had died unexpectedly, apparently of a heart problem. She was a three-legged cat, the result of a deliberate cruelty case in which a brave neighbor intervened with the teenage druggies who were torturing her. She came to live at our animal shelter and we nursed her to health. She adapted quite well to her three legged condition, and loved everybody. She was the dearest, sweetest thing -- when somene would turn up with orphaned kittens, you could bottle-feed them and Tripod would play mommy, carrying them to her basket, cleaning, licking and protecting them. She was much loved by everyone at the shelter and will be sorely missed. She was just a great big heart on three legs, and I just cried and cried when I heard about it. JUst wanted y'all to know about her.

Post pix of the new de-clutteredness?

Hey Laurie! I just wanted to let you know that the finished blanket for your grandmother is right this very minute in the caring and capable hands of the one and only Ellen Bloom. She plans to bring it to you Saturday! :)

Sometimes I get so enthusiastic about decluttering that later I wish I hadn't given up some things. But I have to do it and be ruthless about it otherwise I'd have a tendency to hoard.

Yay for you and your own decluttering! I feel lighter already and it wasn't even my stuff! ;)

The feline posse won't know what to think about all the extra room. More space for Bob to run around in and maybe lose some of that fluffiness!

Way to go, Laurie. I think I'll do the same. I was just remarking on how much crap I have. There's obviously no love lost there. The Goodwill will be getting lots of goodies this weekend, or twelve. I told you I have lots of stuff!

Delurking to let you know that you're inspiring. Letting go can be hard, but it sets you free.

Also delurking to say: Congratulations! Good for you! Hooray! and *hugs*

I am decluttering myself! But this is with the rotten relationship between my school and I, and I'm selling coursework books - it DOES feel good! SO LONG, CIV 101!!

Check out this monster.com ad, for advertising jobs -- it's a hoot! After reading your descriptions of life at White Guys in Ties, Inc., I saw this and immediately thought of you! Enjoy! http://youtube.com/watch?v=eaoIsPZAgck

Is everything okay, sweetie??? I miss you!!

Crazy Aunt Purl, my life is going to hell in a handbasket right now, and rather than blame myself for not finishing my grad school app and having a lot of anxiety for it, I'm thinking it's more because I don't have the guidance of my hor-o-scope to aid me! Help!

Yeah, if you're volunteering Faith to help out with other sales, lemme know. I'll bring stuff over THE NIGHT BEFORE, b/c you know I can't be counted on to be there at the crack of dawn. :)

I am very jealous of your (newly-decluttered) cute little house for one. I'd love to be living with no one but furbabies. Sigh.

Laurie, what a great post. Thank you.

According with katie,,, its a great post