Compulsive hoarding is a mental disorder that is just beginning to be understood. As a hoarder, I have acquired things over the years with a specific purpose in mind at the time of the acquisition, used some of those items for their intended purposes, forgotten the goal for different objects, but now that I find that they have outlived their purpose in my life I am struggling to rid myself of those same things.

You can read the start of my journey here.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Collecting and broken butts.

I've been busy. 

Cough.
Sort. 
Dehoard. 
Suck on inhaler.
Worry.
Cough.
Rinse. 
Repeat.

The Hubster went in for an MRI last week. He got the results on Monday. His butt is broken. Well. Not exactly, but it feels like it is. He's had horrible pain from sciatica for the last 5 weeks. He can't sit down due to excruciating pain. He tore his hamstring where it attaches to his hip. Or his butt. However you want to say it. For all intents and purposes, his butt is broken. Add the pain of a bulging disc on top of all of that, and he says ready for an amputation. Thankfully, he's just smarting off, but he really is in terrible pain. I so wish I could take it away. We're hoping he can get in for an epidural steroid injection to get some relief.  Soon.




I mentioned I've been sorting things. Sometimes it's seemed totally overwhelming, but other times, I feel totally in charge of the entire sorting process. Sorting through things made it very obvious I have a problem with decision making and with collecting things to recreate happy memories from when I was a child. 


For example, when we were little, Mom tie dyed shirts with us. It's one of my favorite memories. I have always wanted to tie dye with the girls, so I've collected Rit Dye over the years when it was on sale. I didn't realize how much I had collected until it was all in one place. I counted it this afternoon. I have 32* boxes and 13 different colors. I am not sure, if I'm going to save them and try to get them used, or if I'm going to donate them, so someone else can get the the good out of them. For now, they're sitting in a 2.5 gallon zippered plastic bag on a shelf in the laundry room.


I'll be storing school supplies on a bookshelf in the laundry room, too. I definitely have a fondness for school supplies. I'm sure it dates back to when I was a little girl. I remember loving to inhale the smell of the new crayons and theme paper. They smelled so fresh and clean and new. They smelled of the future. Of stories yet to be written. Of adventure yet to be lived. There's nothing quite like opening up a new pack of crayons, notebooks, pencils or paper. 


And while I already did give away several reams of paper as well as several boxes of crayons and pencils, I still have lots left. At last count, there were 32 packages of college ruled theme paper along with roughly 2 dozen single subject spiral notebooks on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. We only have a half dozen 3 subject notebooks, but I haven't even started counting bottles of school glue, dozens of pencils and boxes of crayons and markers we own at this point.


We'll be keeping the school supplies, but not just because of the emotions they evoke. With Hopper and Scooter still in school for a few years we'll use them. And now with them all in the same place, we'll be able to see with a glance, if we'll need to buy anything at all at the back-to-school sales. I have a feeling we'll be set, though. Besides. Notebooks and notebook paper are such cheap entertainment for the girls. It's hard to beat the hours of amusement 200 sheets of notebook paper purchased for 10 cents can buy.

*I found 3 more boxes of dye after I started composing this post a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping I don't find anymore.

9 comments:

  1. I've had a broken butt before. It's a bummer. :)

    I have a thing for school supplies as well. But I've found that as I buy stuff, I WAY over buy. Now I tuck the reciept in with the stuff and as I find we don't need it, I return it.

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  2. My daughter and I love school supplies, too! Even though we homeschooled I always took my kids to the school supply sales to stock up on crayons, colored pencils and paper.

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  3. owwie a brokeb butt ,sounds awfulpoor hubster.

    you could tied dye every item in your house LOL
    Im the smae with tapestry wool ..I keep finding bags of it.But I still have one to finish..if I remember where I put it LOL

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  4. I think the smell of school supplies is the best ever!! Sorry about the broken butt, that's really a bummer. Hoping he finds relief soon!!

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  5. Glad to read your keeping at it. Keep up the sorting.. you have so much patience. I probably have way less to sort though here at my house and when I come to a desk chore busting at the seems like in my sons room I pretty much just toss rather then sort. Your doing good keep it up but please take care of yourself. Sounds like you need to rest.

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  6. Hey, why check with Ami and send some of the tye dye stuff her way? I'm sure the kids would love it as an after school project for when the weather gets warm... just a thought. :)

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  7. Ouch!!!!! Your poor hubster. It's impossible to get comfy with that injury. I hope he heals quick.

    Office supplies are my vice. I really believe with the right supplies I'll be totally organized. Yeah... works about as well as you'd think.

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  8. Wow, you are doing so great with all your decluttering. Love the picture of the happy socks, together with their mates once again :) I've been sorting through piles of papers in my home office, which I'm planning to convert to a sewing room. But I made a deal with myself that I can't set up the sewing machine and start having creative fun until I get the mounds of paper filed. It is a big job, but having the reward of the sewing room dangling in front of me is keeping me motivated. Good luck and keep sorting! You're doing great.

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  9. Oh I am a sucker for school and craft supplies. Sales just reel me in. I still have a grocery sack full of index cards and crayons I bought last year. . .and we've got at least 10 packs of crayons already open. . .

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