If the Shoe Fits . . .

     This idea for this project was sown at Christmas. The holiday got away from me and I was more than a little scatterbrained. I bought gifts, that I promptly lost. I could not find, ribbon, tags, or scotch tape, even though I knew I had these things. Some people have junk drawers, but I have a junk room. The problem is I have too much "stuff."  It is clutter. Some of it is sentimental. Some of it is clothes that I don't wear. Books, old text books, craft books, novels, children's book, magazines and notebooks from college classes. Most of it, I'm afraid to say is arts and crafts supplies, because you know, someday I'm going to have time to make that quilt, scrapbook, jewelry, baskets, crochet, Christmas ornament, mosaic, etc. etc etc. Yeah, right. You know it's bad when you go out to buy something for a project and find out you already had one, and maybe two of them!

     I've gotten stuck and overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in my life. I read a story about a family of three, one of them was a teenage boy, living in one of those micro houses. It looked clean and neat and relaxed. They did it by limiting themselves to owning only 100 possessions. Think about that for just a minute. Let it sink in. 100 things. I started to laugh hysterically as I pictured my top bureau drawer with at least 100 pair of earrings. I could go a couple of months without washing my unmentionables, because I have just that many! My daughter used to buy them for me until she found out I don't throw them away. Why would I, they fit, the elastic still keeps them where they belong? Okay, maybe they are faded, maybe they are 8 to 10 years old, but they still provide a service.

     Enough jabbering. My plan is to halve everything I own. I like my stuff. I know I could not deal with only 100 items, but I think I can halve what I own. Hopefully, in the end, I will enjoy what I have.

     Today was the day to halve my shoes. I thought this would be a pain free way to begin since I am not a shoe hog. No one would ever mistake me for Imelda Marcos or Carrie Bradshaw. I dress for comfort with orthotics in mind.

These are all of my shoes, plus one pair of winter boots not pictured. 18 pair halved. The back row, 9 pair leaving my house!

I feel good!