Yes, I know, first world problem and all that, some people don't even own a tent let alone a house, but nevertheless for us possession-laden oldies it's a very real dilemma.
Jenny and I look in a shop window and see a lovely jug or vase or bowl or ornament that would look great in our living room or kitchen or bedroom, and we have to steel ourselves to simply admire it and then regretfully pass by. It's either that or we end up with a house full of clutter and increasing buyer's remorse - blaming ourselves for not being more disciplined.
It makes me realise how people can accumulate so many possessions that the huge surplus has to be stored in a garage, or the attic, or a storage facility - or all three. Temptation is impossible to resist and those impulsive purchases keep piling up.
Jenny's dad was keen on blue and white pottery. It was on display all over the house on shelves and mantelpieces and dressers. There wasn't quite enough to cause a serious storage problem but it was getting that way.
It's strange thinking back to my days in a one-room bedsit, when I had hardly any possessions, a far cry from a house full. There was barely enough room for a few clothes and books and a small amount of food. There was no way I could be tempted into buying anything I absolutely didn't need.
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This is bizarre. Blogger has deleted two of my old posts for "violating our illegal activities policy". As they don't explain why the posts are illegal, and the posts themselves have been deleted, I have no idea what they're referring to. Update 13 May: I asked Blogger to review their deletions and they instantly reinstated the posts. I still have no idea why they were deleted in the first place!
You could get rid of some possessions to make room for new favourites?
ReplyDeleteI don't care for ornaments but I do have a weakness for nice crockery and glassware. I buy it all second hand these days and put it into use and it usually gets broken at some point. I can almost fit all our mugs into the cupboard these days
Kylie: We have regular clear-outs but there's only so many things we can bear to part with! We have 13 mugs and clear out the badly stained ones every so often.
DeleteI'm kind of well disciplined with bits and bobs, unfortunately my parents weren't, and now I have all their stuff in the garage and in the loft awaiting clearance. Beggars belief really.
ReplyDeleteSx
Ms Scarlet: As you know, my mum was a serious hoarder and it was a nightmare clearing her flat after she moved to a care home.
DeleteI have a rule now, something in, something gets donated. But I hear you. The marital home was a mansion (not kidding) and it had four floor to fill and I went wild at auctions as I love used stuff, love that has been loved and tended. And yes, guilty, I had TWO storage lockers in Toronto when I moved to Newfoundland. Crazy. Now I'm in a simple one bedroom apartment and I absolutely love the" less stuff" of it all. It's a hard habit to break.
ReplyDeleteBut there is something about simplicity.....
XO
WWW
www: Two storage lockers, that's quite something. And have you emptied the storage lockers now? I must say sometimes the sheer volume of our possessions is a bit alarming!
DeleteI’m not a fan of dusting or clutter, but we’ve accumulated a lot of knick knacks. All have been gifted to us or inherited from parents/grandparents.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: I told my mum I didn't want to inherit any of her possessions, it would only mean more clutter and, as you say, more dusting.
DeleteI've trained myself to see those store displays as museums--look but don't touch.
ReplyDeleteLinda Sand
Linda: What a great idea. I must bear that in mind.
DeleteAnd I have come full circle, back to a bedsit and it's plenty of room, even with my floor loom.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: It does look like quite a large bedsit, much bigger than mine was.
DeleteClutter is us...and we like it.
ReplyDeleteFly: Once again, different strokes for different folks, as they say!
DeleteI live in a 650 square foot apartment. I don't don't have a lot of room for a lot of stuff. if I want something new, I would have to get rid of something. A bigger apartment would be nice.
ReplyDeleteMary: Be careful what you wish for!
DeleteSome things are so beautiful they cry out to be bought - but like you I'm trying to be sensible these days.
ReplyDeleteLiz: Jenny is easily tempted by beautiful things, and has to restrain herself from instantly buying them!
DeleteI guess you could recycle your old ornaments to a charity shop, so you get the fun of the new purchase but the charity gets the chance to benefit from the old items. But that is a VERY first world solution!
ReplyDeleteJenny Woolf: We do give a lot of things to charity shops, and we try not to negate the gesture by buying even more things!
DeleteI agree with a previous blogger (wisewebwoman) who said she adhered to the something in and something out principle. It's what I have been trying to do, not always successfully. We too do more window shopping than buying and being to walk away with nothing is actually a great feeling, also less costly...and less to dust too!
ReplyDeleteThat is odd about blogger deleting a couple of your posts for "violating illegal activities." Nick, we knew you posted some controversial topics but wonder WHAT was illegal. Guess you may never find out now.
Beatrice: We've followed the one in one out principle for a long time. But it hasn't stopped us accumulating quite a huge number of books!
DeleteBeatrice: Blogger states that I can ask for a review of the two deletions, so that's what I'll do.
DeleteBeatrice: I asked for the two deletions to be reviewed and the posts were instantly reinstated. I still don't have a clue why they were deleted in the first place!
DeleteHannah: Wow, 3500 books, that's amazing. I estimate that we have around 1000 books. But we try to dispose of one book for every book we buy.
ReplyDeleteHalf of our books come from our parents who were great book readers and collected and bought a lot after the war.
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah: My parents weren't great readers and I never took anything from their small collection of books.
ReplyDelete