Closets and Cleaning

The Wamego Wool Fest is next weekend. Part of me really wants to go. Last year was the first year, and attendance was high. I bought some of the softest alpaca roving I've ever touched. (My sister got the yarn for Christmas.) Plus driving through the Flint Hills on a fleecy adventure is elating.

This year, I'm opting for comfort. I plan to stay inside and hide from the cold weather. My goal this week is to clean out the spare bedroom/office/cave, and Saturday will be a good day to finish that task.

Yesterday I began by excavating the closet. Odds and ends have been going in that closet for over five years. Some of the layers were fun to see -- birth announcements from my friends, long-lost books, a favorite set of sheets. The one treasure was several yards of a golden-tapestry fabric that can be sewn into valances for windows.

My old friend denial lingered everywhere. During the divorce, I must have tossed anything I didn't want to deal with in that closet. My wedding dress. Papers with his name on it? Closet. Ratty old t-shirts? Closet. Old photographs? Why not put them in the closet? Ten years of his family pictures were in there and so was old advertising material from a previous employer of his. It was like getting divorced again only the emotions were faded and distant. I had some forgiveness and understanding. Besides, he's visiting next weekend to help me move some furniture. It doesn't feel lonely like it did at first. I like to think we're both happier.

The most remarkable part of the closest was the volume it held. Since I wanted to wipe down the walls of the closet and vacuum, I started by tossing everything out in the middle of the room. (This violates one of Fly Lady's most practical bits of advice: "Don't pull out more than you can put back in an hour." My experience only underscores that she's right.) The debris that came out of the closet took up residence in the living room, dining room, and basement. I've been putting things where they belong, tossing trash, and taking bags of old things to the Salvation Army. One closet filled the entire house, which surely violates the laws of physics.

My goal is to have the closet contents dealt with by Saturday. The entryway closet is next on the list, but it may have to wait several months until I forget what it took to empty this one.