The Spare Room

The worst thing about cleaning out the spare room is how you find yourself questioning your choice of past lives. It's been a journey down a multitude of lives as I move, pitch, shuffle and question items which have been bought, and then discarded over the last fifteen years. The spare room is the repository for all things abandoned it seems. 

There's the massage table, which doesn't get used enough. There's a scarf I used to cover it - which used to be a rich, royal blue. It's been covering the closed table for so long, one side is faded to a petrol blue, the other side navy. Do I sell on the table, or keep it for the occassional reflexology and massage client?I have the answer for that, but I feel saddened for not doing more body work of late. I enjoy the healing arts. It's a time thing. 

There's the stone mobile/windchime which a friend bought for me ten years ago. That's off the wall for the first time since I put it up there. I like it - but it's in a place where it never strikes. I'm glad the downstairs neighbours removed theirs. 

The net curtains are in the washing machine - first time in fifteen years. It will be interesting to see if they survive the wash and dry. I don't like them, never have liked net curtains, but I suppose they serve a purpose. The ones in the kitchen were thrown out and a wooden blind replaced them. The ones in the bedroom and lounge have been replaced with black out curtains - they do the job well. 

There are items which should never have been bought. The old noise cancelling headphones, which have never worked that well. A small travel hairdryer and iron, again, rarely if ever used. The books which haven't made their way into the lounge room book cases. A paperback copy of The Great Gatsby - after 25 years of attempting to read it, I finally made it through - and enjoyed it for the most part (and what is that old adage...and that's why fickle, lovestruck fools, end up face down in swimming pools...) That really needs a place in with the mainstream books - not with such titles as Judaism for Dummies (I still maintain I'd make a great Jew), Galileo's Daughter (Might get back to it one day, started it about 10 years ago), a hardback of a Salman Rushdie (again, should be mainstreamed) and History's Worst Decisions, which includes debarcles like Trading Manhattan for some spices, Gallipoli, Rasputin and the introduction of rabbits to Australia. I wonder what would make it in there after this year. The book on plain English is now back in the book case. 

There are far, far too many pairs of boots - these I'm keeping until Jay and I do the Camberwell Market stall in early March. See what can be divested when we go there. 

There are canvas bags - far too many canvas bags - procured in all sorts of places - book shops, clothing stores, writer's festivals - a prized one from the Victorian Writer's centre, won for a 30 word story.  A book bag from the Faber Academy. Some of these I just can't part with. The canvas Dymocks bag can be the place where op shop findings can go, ultimately ending up in the charity bin. 

There is a box of crystals. The box is lovely, but I'd rather rehome the crystals. I'm a witch, these are my tools, but I don't practice with these any more. Like  the tarot cards, I'd rather see them rehomed than thrown out. They have been good to me. But they are not for the bin. 

Oh, and then there's the laundry hamper. I haven't used it as a laundry hamper in many, many years, instead just putting the dirty washing straight into the machine (and the white into a bucket near the trough). I don't need this any more. It's a great laundry basket, but why have it when it just sits there and never gets used - think that might end up at the Camberwell Market too. 

Barney dropped the cats off - Rey, the girl, strutted out of the cage, had a look around and is now asleep in her basket. Kylo, the boy, stayed in the open cage for over an hour, only to slink out and go under the couch a bit later. He's still there. When you pat Rey, she purrs. We'll be fine. Blarney also took the CD tower - says it will be a good repository for The Unit's shoes. I might be able to get a few more things like this. 

What is troubling me most is the number of things I have which I really, really don't need. Four suitcases (again one will be going to the Camberwell Market, filled with stuff, then sold on. A book case, which has no books in it. Photo albums I've never looked at again. Knitting needles (I knit really well, who knew). 

It's strange looking over my life like this. I'm not sure what to think. 

I also cannot believe that today marks the 365th day I have posted a blog post. This is an acheivement. 

Today's song: