.
Although we have been home from our road trip since late Wednesday, it took this long to reassess the storage needs in the new kitchen. We brought many items back from our Mom's house and they all had to be cleaned before they could be stored. And then of course I had to decide what I really use of my own stuff and had to remove (and clean that too) that to the recycle bins.
And my new sink has made washing up a dream. I love it because everything large fits right into the deeper wider sink. Ahhh. And with that I got eight more inches of counter space. Yay!
Brooke said I needed to own the Kitchen Aid stand mixer and all its shredding attachments. So after an hour of cleaning it, we put it to use making pizza dough, using the dough hook attachment. Kneading without effort. Woowoo! The color is eh. But still, it was free.
The new space from cutting down the cabinet which used to sit on this end of the counter. I am so thrilled to have this area to work in. Two people can now work together in this kitchen without being in each other's way. The backsplash behind the new counters are all formica too. So nice to reflect the light.
Brooke and I had an epiphany at our Mom's house. We realize that we inherited the saving gene. Hoarding is another way of putting it. We saw the results in its full flower and made a decision to not take everything, or even half of everything. Luckily we only came in my small car, a PT Cruiser, with the back seats removed. So no furniture came home, and only the most essentials were collected into the big deep Rubbermaids. We got all the family fotos and some of the quilts and special items.
But we also made a pact to change our thinking about things.
When a person reaches elder status and goes into a nursing home for good it becomes clear that a lifetime of "I might need this someday" can result in an impossible collection of things. Living simple with just what we need will be our goal. And one thought we keep repeating: If I save this junky old thing, it will prevent me from getting the one thing that I really want.
We are now filling a big set Rubbermaids and will be taking them to the Rumdum next week. Sigh. It's good to unload.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to live by "if you haven't used it in six months, you probably never will".
ReplyDeleteEvidently I have the saving gene, too. It reached a whole new level for me, though, when I was getting my parents ready to move into two small rooms in assisted living and my mother argued with me about getting rid of three boxes full of floral foam. I told my son (who was 12 at the time) that I *promised* I'd have my junk cleared out by the time I was 75. He just laughed.
ReplyDeleteI'm always amazed at how good it feels to throw away stuff that you once thought was important.
ReplyDeleteThe kitchen looks great and, needless to say, the sink rocks. Glad you're both home and decompressing.
The only sacred "stuff" is art supplies!!! :-D
ReplyDeleteThe kitchen looks fantastic. And a kitchen aid is a kitchen aid is a kitchen aid...no matter what color. I want one!!!!
ReplyDeleteI keep telling myself to throw away!!!! but there it is... there and there and there and there.....
I'm trying.
After moving recentlyI had to really thin things out...Hard!
ReplyDeleteYour Kitchen looks lovely.
I see you came by the photo challenge too...
Wattles are a type of Acacia and here in oz are prolific growing everywhere and giving lots of people hayfever when in blossom!! lol!
There is I believe over 200 varieties!!!!!
There is even a red version!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new kitchen, it looks fantastic! Spacy and bright!
ReplyDeleteHave a lot of pleasure!
Ms Mel, I was hoping for pictures of your Mom and her house and the countryside etc.
ReplyDeleteI like your new button. I am feeling quite 'despair-ate' ok, it is obvious that there is not such a word but it's my feeling........for the USA at this time. Last night my DH commented that she is the female version of Bush, right on the mark!
Hi Cindra!! Love the pictures!! And how would you like to host the Next Brenda Photo Challenge?? Email me at:
ReplyDeletedlstaas@yahoo.com
Have FUN today! Love the kitchen!hughugs
Okay, I am done! This blog is being totally neglected. I am neither seeing quilts nor paintings, so I am going to grind my own buckwheat and make some soba noodles for lunch.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping there will be something to see when and if I ever come back.
Gone!
LOL......
Hoarding is probably genetic; I think it is related to our development from hunter-gatherers. I might like to be cured and I can see the advantages, and I am 73 years old, so I need to work on it, but I've gotten a lot of stuff this summer, books, art supplies, used crockery and linens. I should have learned from being the ultimate disposer of my mom's worldly goods (I had a dealer, an estate sale, pass-outs to my five siblings, donations, and still have some family pictures and documents in storage. My nephew in law got rid of the rest for me. It took me three weeks, working 14-18 hours per day. The best find? 300 shares of GE stock in a file drawer with collages. Half of my siblings have the gene, the rest abhor hoarding.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you and KNOW you must be happier.
ReplyDelete