Archeology at Home

Cross posted at Blogetary:

If you're a renter in most cities then you've probably been through the whole thing where people come through your home every year or so to make sure the walls are not peeling paint and the toilet is not leaking through the floor. And sometimes these visits end up with someone announcing that walls need repainting or the floor needs to be redone, etc., etc.

It's been fifteen years since I moved in, so it is about time some things were done. The paint is looking a little worn, so I wasn't surprised when this time round the guy said that the living room and kitchen needed to be repainted. However, at first there was a demand for it to be made within a couple of weeks of when they did the inspection. I panicked. There was no way I was going to be able to pack up most of my apartment, shove it to another part of my apartment, find a place to stay for a few days with Pye and then move back in, all within two weeks. But I requested and was given an extension (thank you!) so that helped decrease the stress levels somewhat.

But it still needs to be done. So, since I had helped my dad clean out some of his things back in September I decided to make a concerted effort to clean out things in my own apartment in October. This way I hope to make it easier for when I need to pack up things for the big paint.

I used to move more often, so I used to do this kind of purge more often. And in fact, my mom used to have us go through and clean things out once or twice a year when I was a kid. But, I had gotten settled, let go of some of those purging habits. My purging had decreased down to cleaning out the fridge and going through my books and movies occasionally to see what I could sell on Amazon or donate to the Friends of the Library book sale. So, it was time to get down to business.

It was a good thing I did. You really don't know what you have until you physically go through it. I knew I had cards, letters and photos from friends and family over the course of my lifetime that I had stashed here and there. The trouble was, I was only remembering one or two different places where they were stashed, such as my steamer trunk, and I had forgotten about other places, like my keepsake box and several drawers where I'd just tossed things — which underscores why I needed to go through "all the things" in my apartment.

Forgotten drawer of cards, letters and photos that I opened when I thought I was close to being finished.

Keepsake box even had photos and cards that needed to be winnowed.

Linen closet before the great purging of '14 with all the sheets and blankets just tossed up on the shelves where I couldn't reach them unless I got out a ladder.

Closet after I had brought sheets and blankets down to put into the steamer trunk, and then gone through the cards and photos in the trunk and organized them in the tubs and put them up out of reach since I rarely need them.

I decided to focus on winnowing the cards, letters and photos first because I knew for a fact that they had gotten out of hand. But I also went through and cleaned out my clothes closet, my dresser, the bathroom cabinet, my jewelry and some of the kitchen shelves. It was amazing, to me, how much of an archeological "dig" it was to go through all these things. It wasn't just a purging, it was an emotional dredging up of memories and emotions I — some I had completely forgotten about. I found letters my best friend and I had written each other in grade school and junior high. I found my old diary from grade school and had to set everything aside to read that. The Valentine card I got from one of my very first big crushes made me stop and sigh for a bit. I found family history notes, cards from friends and photos of events I had completely forgotten about. It was one of the most difficult nonpaying jobs I have ever had to do. It was worth it.

I ended up throwing out about thirteen to fifteen large garbage bags of stuff (and I might still end up tossing out more before the Great Purge ends). Some of it I may regret tossing out (like the inflatable mattress I used to use for guests, but really, who is comfortable on those things?). I did not use the donate/sell/toss/keep method; that takes time and a car to take things to the different places where they need to be dropped off and then trying to deal with people online when selling your stuff (something I only have patience with when it comes to books). So, instead I used the "Does it spark joy?" method. No need to decide on a pile. Just an easy Aye or Nay when faced with all this stuff. Aye — I keep it. Nay — straight to the garbage. The company that picks up our Dumpster for the apartment building actually goes through and sorts what is in there into garbage and recycle, so I didn't feel bad about just stuffing it into bags and hauling it downstairs and into the bin.

Other than the closet pictured above, you can't really see a difference. It's all the little cupboards, drawers and cabinets where the purging can truly be felt. They're more organized, less cluttered, and easier to find the things I want to use more often. For example, the violin music has moved from the bottom of a milk crate in the back of a kitchen cabinet to a drawer in the living room where it lives with my chin rests and music stand. My manuscript print outs have gone from a disorganized pile to a file box right next to where I need them to be. My craft supplies are right next to them. My sewing machine and kit are now the only things hiding under my kitchen table.

But the little archeological finds are now cleaned up, processed, labeled so I can visit them again when I need to.