Sorting - Spare Room Boxes

I was going to post this yesterday evening but, although I could connect to the internet, I couldn't get any further than that - not even to my ISP's homepage. So, you get it as an extra post today instead.

On Saturday we continued with the sorting out and tackled three boxes of assorted stuff that have been carefully hidden away in the cupboards in the spare room since we moved in over eighteen months ago. One of them was half full of well preserved tissue paper that has been kept for the express purpose of wrapping all of the breakables when we move so that left two and a half boxes. I think we managed to part with about half of it and squeezed the rest of it into just one box. So we now have an extra two boxes to use for packing - a job well done, I'd say.

Amongst it all I have gotten rid of various old letters from various friends (including an old girlfriend). I knew the letters were there because I can remember reading one or two as I was packing them the last time we moved. I read a few more of them this time and I was struck by a touch of sadness because I'm no longer in contact with most of the writers. Life moves on and people drift apart, I suppose.

Along with the letters, I chucked out an alarm clock, 2 santa hats, a mapcase with holes in it (hence pointless for using to keep maps dry), a couple of pairs of mangy old hiking socks, my camera (it doesn't work and is now well out of warranty), my glasses (I never wore them and I probably need a new prescription by now), an Arsenal scarf and some reflective bands for cyclists (which were in a terrible state). Plus a whole lot of other, more non-descript junk.

I'm quite surprised by how ruthless I've been over it all. I mean, I've kept all of this stuff through two moves even though I knew I'd probably never use any of it again so why am I reacting differently this time? Maybe it's because we're now moving to our own place and I want to take more pride in it than I have in either of the flats I've lived in since I left home and that means not filling it with junk I'm never going to need. At least, not from the day we move in, anyway. ;-)