Hoarding..

My sister and I had a long chat on the phone yesterday, was interesting and she’s got me thinking.. We didn’t grow up together and honestly, barely knew each other until recently. We live about 35 minutes apart, yet rarely see each other. We live very different lives and yet in a few ways, are very much alike.

Sadly we both inherited something from our father, hoarding.

From Wikipedia
Compulsive hoarding is the excessive acquisition of possessions (and failure to use or discard them), even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary. Compulsive hoarding impairs mobility and interferes with basic activities, including cooking, cleaning, showering, and sleeping. A person who engages in compulsive hoarding is commonly said to be a "pack rat," in reference to that animal's characteristic hoarding.

That describes my father. When he died over 8 tons of garbage was taken out of his house. During our conversation Kathy mentioned to me that our other sister has it worse, and now can’t live in her own home because of her “stuff”. Now I don’t think Kathy has it THAT bad, she is a nurse after all, and I’m guessing her hoard doesn’t include any hazardous or unsanitary stuff.

Kathy was the one who cleaned out most of our father’s house, since just going inside made me sick from the molds, dust and dirt. She spent months going through things to make sure nothing valuable was in there, and sadly, probably started “collecting” then, although I don’t know that for sure. John and Mike helped some, and although I forbid them from bringing anything home, I know there are a few boxes in the garage that made their way here somehow.

Kathy has decided it is time to purge, and is on a cleaning binge. I wish her all the luck in the world conquering this evil. I have it too, I will admit, but not nearly as bad. My hoarding is mostly in the fabric department. And since Kathy has decided to purge I have decided to join her. I am cleaning out my sewing room… I’m not sewing as much anymore, and that fabric isn’t going to use itself up.

I’m going to get rid of the fabrics that I know I won’t ever use. I’m going to sell off the extra Featherweights, since I rarely take more than 2 to a retreat any more. I’m going to find homes for the older Singers that are sitting in my garage never getting used. I’m going to give away most of my duplicate sewing tools. And any gadget that I’ve purchased and never used.. they will have new homes.

Now I can’t just toss them, so I’m donating and selling them. I will have a yard sale at each retreat this fall, or maybe a silent auction or not so silent one. I will use all that “stuff” and raise money for Relay with it. Perhaps I will put some stuff on eBay, maybe, maybe not. I do know I will have priority box give aways… can’t call them raffles anymore. I’ll announce them on here and pick a random winner from anyone who donates… check back, if I have the energy today I might just put one up.