Stuff and the tossing of it.

I am a packrat/bower bird combo that sees potential (dangerous word, that, meaning "it may not look like much NOW, but after I take those classes in welding, glass-blowing and shop, it will be a FABULOUS...combination of things") in many different objects in various states of disrepair and unlovedness. "I could do something with this" - also an ominous phrase that only enforces the packrattery. Okay, perhaps not "packrattery" - let us agree on the term...artistic vision.

And that's how I have come to have ice cream tubs full of the crystal drops and bits taken off broken and almost-tossed-out chandeliers, whole cubic metres of fabrics, ranging from upholstery fabrics that are an eye-searing combination of peacock colours a whopping 8 metres in length to mini-scraplets that will be suitable if I need a single square inch of this perfect blue for, say, a doll quilt (*note to self - add lessons on quilting to the list started above). I have vats and vats of beads (glass or semi-precious ONLY, thank you - no plastic - pfui), collections of (as-yet-unread) books that I bought at various op-shops and the Lions Bookstore but haven't yet had time to read (mostly because I am sorting and re-sorting - not tossing out anything, just re-sorting again - my various stashes - and no, the irony is not lost on me). Oh...and clothes that were a great deal at a garage sale / op-shop / almost tossed out by a friend, clothes that *almost* fit. Yes, I feel you there with me on that one. Half my closet of clothing is devoted to clothes that I will be able to wear once I lose some 10 kgs. Throw them out or give them away? Never. They MIGHTWILL fit...one day.

Why am I telling you this? So that you will fully appreciate what I did today.

I was rearranging my bookshelf, and noticed a plastic bag of cuttings from various magazines that I had saved (and not only saved, but dragged from overseas where I had been living for several years). These cuttings would probably be of a pretty dress that I thought I might like to try and make one day, or of design elements that were neat and deserved to be kept or duplicated in glass mosaic (yep- another class needed there), or of places I would like to visit. I say that's probably what they were as I chose not to look in the bag, really actually had no real idea what was in there, and so instead of opening up that can of worms for inspection, I just put the whole thing into the recycling bin.



I. KNOW.

The guts.

Damn that felt good. I highly recommend you do that occasionally.

Although, perhaps you could let me have a look at what you are getting rid of first...just in case. You know. :D