Building The Love Shack

 

 

So we made the big decision….  The question was…Where would we like to live when we retire?

The answer was easy, where the cottage is.

That brings us back to twelve years ago. When the kids moved out. Suddenly, we found ourselves living in a house that had 5 bedrooms, two living rooms, an office, a formal dining room with a walk through to the eat in-kitchen and a walk out to the pool, that no one used, except me.

I might add the reason I used the pool every day was because someone had to go on it to clean it and stir up the water.

And so we decided it was time to down size. And so we did…. To a 3 bedroom bungalow, which one of the bedrooms was converted to my office.

Ten years later, we bought the Love Shack.

Over the past twelve years, I’m still getting rid of things, not junk, but the things we had when we had, what I call, the big house.

In nine years and seven months, not that I’m counting, we are going to do it again. We are going to down size again.  We are going to go back to one home, you go it, at the lake.

That’s a definite decision.

So with having the Love Shack, I have had a place to put all those extra cooking items, extra sheets, towel and things you really do need in your home.

As closest were built and dressers have been moved up, our clothes have been divided between the two homes.

Even the Christmas decoration have been divided up. But…. and I mean BUT…. We still have too much stuff. So we are now playing the moving game.

This is a simple game, here is how it works. There are ten questions. They follow:

1. When was the last time we used it?

2. Do we need more than two of them?

3. Do we have another one of these at the cottage and are we using it there?

4. If we have another one at the cottage is this something that we could bring back and take up only when we really needed it?

5. Do we know what this is from and do we know where the parts are to it?

6. Does this even belong to use?

7. Do we know someone who need this?

8. Do we want to move this to another house?

9. Do you think the person who bought us this will notice that we haven’t keep it? And do we even see that person anymore?

10. How many years has it been since you were that size and do you expect to be that size again, when it comes back into fashion?

After these ten questions, if it doesn’t have a keep answer, it goes into the get rid of it pile.

Now there is another step to the game. If it goes to the we know someone who wants it pile, we deliver it. Don’t wait for someone to pick it up or you will be moving it with you. This pile is right next to the pile of this is not even ours, why are we storing it pile. To save time, drop them both off the same day.

Then there is the next pile, the one that you can list it on Kijji and someone will buy it. The girls at the gym taught me how to sell on Kijji…. Look for the same item or similar item posted and offer yours for a little less.  Dam if that doesn’t work.

I have also found a consignment stores for all those designer clothes I never wear, or worse, wore.

Then there are the local charity centers. Some of them will even pick up for free.

How is it going?

We are making progress. But, I do believe we won’t be able to stop playing this game right till after we down size and move to the lake. Where it is helping, I won’t buy anything unless I actually need it now.

I have also accepted that I will probably never be a size zero or two again and that’s OK.  I have also accepted that’s I don”t need thirty-seven coats or two hundred and twenty-five pairs of shoes.

Did I mention that I used to have a thing for clothes and shoes. I have gotten over that. The Love Shack has taught me how comfy a sweat shirt and a pair of jeans are. Stilettos… I still love you, but, I don’t need a hundred pairs of you.

Some where out there, there is a tiny female who loves designer clothes and good shoes. who has found her personal paradise at the Value Village.

Sporting goods are on their way out and we have found games that we used when we camped. They are perfect and are getting used at the cottage.

As the old sporting goods are being sold, new ones have been purchased with the same money and have life and use at the cottage.

This game is being beneficial. It’s making space at the house. Supplying the Love Shack with needed items and making some female who owns my old figure, look awesome in my designer clothes and shoes.

Oh yes, and this is giving Romeo a new game to play. He likes to take the things from the pile and move them around the house.