THE STUFF

In addition to the larger tasks that have to be taken care of before our move to Paris (selling the house, getting the visas and finding a Paris apartment),  there are quite a few smaller tasks that need to addressed.  Being a person who hates (really!) to wait till the last minute to take care of things, this has been a real concern to me.  What and how are we going to get rid of the stuff we have accumulated---and you realize much was eliminated three years ago when we moved to our townhouse.  So we don't have nearly the amount of furniture, etc. that many of you probably have.  And I'm always cleaning out my closet so that isn't going to be a big project.

But still....there's a lot and while I am all on-board for donating it, it would really be nice to make a little money that could be used to make our new apartment more us without feeling we were wasting money.  David sold my car to a business associate, and that transaction will take place mid-February (I refuse to be without a car till then!!!!).  Check!  David put me in charge of the selling of the furnishings so I did what anyone would do...I googled it.  I found two companies that do estate sales in your home and contacted both.  One was not very responsive and when they finally did respond, I didn't find them particularly friendly.  The second, however, was a hit from the first response.  Another's Treasure is a mom-daughter owned company that does estate sales all over all the time.  We had several conversations which were all helpful and supportive followed by a visit a couple of weeks ago.

At this visit, we walked through the entire house pointing out things I would be keeping (which was very minimal) so she could take pictures of the sale items. You may be asking how I (and David mostly leaves it up to me) decide what to keep and what to sell.  My motto has always been I keep "what's close to my heart".  To that I have added (sometimes with a few limitations) "if I can't see it or use it, why have it?".  I won't go into the things that are staying (mostly in storage) but right now there are 20 boxes and there will be some more--but it won't be another 20.  There are only a few furniture pieces, Aunt Bessie's little half table, David's dad's bookcase we got when we got married, and a little wooden child's chair from the church we both grew up in.  I am, also, keeping my blue and white English dishes (from our visits to London when Nikki and Scott were there) and a few of the signs I love and hold close to my heart.

English teapots and one Portuguese stay and may go with me!

Some signs remind me of sweet friends and good times past

So on February 24 we'll be moving out with our minimal possessions and they will come in, pull out the remaining things, stage them and have a weekend sale the weekend we fly to Paris.  Following the sale, they will deposit in our local account a HUGE sum (LOL!!!!) that was made from our furniture, closets, drawers and cabinets.  And we're done!  You think we're crazy, don't you???!!  It's just stuff...I don't mean to sound cavalier about it.  I have loved buying and decorating for our home these many years.  It has created a warm, loving, and inviting place to raise our children.  But, now, we don't need all the stuff to create that environment.  What I hold dear can't be moved or stored because it's the people I love, the memories I carry with me and the one who walks beside me in it all that matter.  And that is a dream of it's own!