Downsizing Progress

In an effort to reduce the amount of stuff we'll have to move and to open up the possibilities for living in a smaller place, I'm going through our belongings (again). Before making the final decision to toss in the towel here, we'd already decided to let go of two lovely lamps from our past. They were big and bulky, required large rooms to look good, and were a pain to pack and move. I'm happy to report they have moved on to new digs.

I'm working hard to pare down my overstuffed kitchen. Several appliances are gone already and there's a small box of additional items in the corner waiting for new homes. I suspect we'll end up having an enormous moving sale in a few months and kitchen items are often a good draw.

Yesterday, two folks took advantage of bulky outside items listed on craigslist. It was helpful to have them gone but they didn't really count towards reducing what we have to move since I scavenged them off craigslist only weeks ago myself. My yard was simply a way station for them. There was a positive side benefit, however, to this situation. One of the people who came by is interested in many of the same prepping-type activities that we are: gardening, forming community with neighbors, water harvesting, composting, chickens, canning, and so on. She didn't know anyone else with all of these same interests and we were each happy to find someone of like mind.

Today, after visiting with my mother-in-law in the hospital for a while, I went by the used bookstore and traded a dozen books and a dozen DVDs for store credit. My powers of resistance must have been working overtime as I only came home with one "new" book (another Vonnegut for hubby) and a DVD (The Dark Crystal) this visit.

We've been talking about going through the shed soon, too. Most of the appliance parts that I salvaged from the dishwasher and refrigerators are probably going to be freebies on craigslist; whatever doesn't go can be recycled. Salvaged plant pots are easily replaceable from any landscaping job so we'll let those go. Some lucky gardener is going to get lots of clean, tape-free cardboard for sheet mulching, and I'm still debating about the disposition of the compost. It's heavy to move, and if we don't move into a situation where gardening is an immediate option, it probably isn't worth the effort to move it and store it.

This is a problem I've run into before. We have left compost behind a number of times, usually giving it to neighbors who are thrilled to have had someone else do all the work of making good soil for them. This time, I'm probably going to also get rid of the round composting bin. Perhaps my friend in town would like it as she keeps putting off starting her own compost pile. She's also going to be the beneficiary of my newest solar oven. She's been wanting one for a long time and I really don't need three!

It's too bad most of you readers don't live in this area because you could clean up on prepping supplies. I'll be thinning out my supply of canning jars and lids, cheesecloth (got a whole case available!), and possibly even some food. We haven't decided yet on our water tanks, but tools are likely to be pared down to the bare essentials. There's gonna be one helluva sale here.