Happy Easter!

What a Blessed season!!

I am so glad I choose this project to work through Lent.  I've learned so much about myself and how I've let earthly items get in the way of my relationship with God.  I'm still working through some of the closets and rooms in my house - there is so much more I can Let Go.

I have the garage sale scheduled for the first weekend of May.  I will report how it goes - and I will be scheduling St. Vincent DePaul to pick-up any of the left overs.

Last Trip through the Closet

I thought I would look one last time through my closet.

I found these three blouses.  One of the companies I worked for several years ago used the colors of Red, Black and White - we all tried to dress in these colors when someone was coming into the office or we had a presentation to make.  The blouses were a left over from those bygone days.

I don't believe I've wore them much since then.  Into the Goodwill bag they go.

I can not believe how many items I have gone through - actually much more than what I've posted in my blog - and still I have just scratched the surface.  God has blessed me a great deal - but I know I've let so much STUFF distract me that I have at times lost sight of those Blessings.  Moving forward I want to change my life - continue to remove the clutter and allow more time for prayer and growth in the Lord's light.   I have 2 weeks before my Garage Sale - still time to clean out a few more corners.

Saying Bye Bye to Procrastination

I was looking through a "stuffed" dresser I have and came across these little girl clothes.

I had bought them one Christmas a while back for my Granddaughter - but found out that I had the wrong size - I just never returned them - they had landed in the dresser.  I know there must be a little girl or two who would love all this pink and purple!!  I've put them in the garage sale box!

These items are a perfect example of some of the clutter I have just because I did not want to deal with them at the time -- procrastination is one of my down falls.

This Lenten project has shown me dealing with these items times takes a lot less time than I've spent over the years fretting about all the clutter around me.

Lent ends on Holy Thursday - only 3 days left!

Rainy Days

I had this item picked out and photographed on Saturday, but did not have time to post it.

This umbrella has sat by my front door for over 2 years.  It was a Christmas gift from a former employer.  I do not golf or have need for a golf umbrella.  Along with the fact it has my former employer's logo on it - a place I was happy to move on from.  I've never even opened it up - note the little bow on the handle from when I received it.

Why I've let it sit by my front door all this time, I have no idea - time to move it along.  It's in the Goodwill bag.

Stamp of Approval

I have loved making cards for birthdays and holidays for some time now. Card making can take a lot of supplies - and I am one to not hold back with craft supplies...lol.

I need to make a couple of cards and thought it might be a good time to go through my card making supplies to see if there are some stamps I can/should let go.  I am starting with these five stamps.

A couple I have used and will not use again.  The others I bought because I thought they were neat, most likely they were on the clearance shelves at Hobby Lobby - and I was one who never pass up a good clearance - even if I would never use them.   That type of mindset is one thing this project has taught me to change - to only purchase items I have immediate use for.  Everything else is just clutter.

Facing Facts

Sometime our letting go is not only about material things but also about our illusions.  You know the saying -- Get Real.

Today I am letting go of these Dominoes -- I always had this illusion that the family would come over and we would play board games and have a good time.

But today is not the 1950's and I am not Donna Reed, people don't play board games like they use too.  Technology has taken over.  My grandchildren are 3 hours away - so they are not "dropping in" to play a game with Grandma.  It's time to face reality and let go of these games.  My only questions is are we letting technology take control of our life, hummm perhaps I need to look at how much technology am I hanging on to...I see a project for Lent next year.

A few more Items for the Garage Sale

Here are a few more items from the pie safe drawer, I am placing them in the garage sale.  I've thrown away many items - old pens, some homemade magnets that I made and now looking tired and warn.  I found several screws, box cutters and such which will go out to the garage.

I can not believe I've moved such junk around all these years.  It just goes to show us that what we thought were treasures - once we look at them in the clear light of day - we find they are nothing.  I believe that is also true concerning the lies of the evil one - wanting to take our focus off of the Lord by trying to divert us with the things of the earth.  But once we see it in the clear light of Christ we can see the lies and know they are nothing.

Treasures in a New Drawer

I decided tonight to start in a new drawer for my Letting Go project.

I have this lovely pie safe (which is a cupboard with punched tin in the front doors - a very long time ago they use to store pies and baked goods in the cabinet - the punched tin would allow the baked goods to have air to cool while keeping the bugs - and I suppose hunger kids and husbands from getting to goodies).  I the received the pie safe when my Grandmother passed away several years ago, I know it also belonged to my Great Grandmother and possibly my Great-Great Grandmother. Really cool - huh!

 When I got it - it was covered in paint which I carefully striped off and finished it with it's natural wood color.  I store my holiday dishes and glassware here along with several of my glass serving pieces.

There is also a drawer in the cabinet, which for some reason has always been a catch all for lots of little things that I didn't know what to do with.  AKA stuff that I could not just throw away - moved most of it several times.

 I pulled some of the stuff in the drawer out - I think I will have several days worth here...  There is so much little items - I am going to do them in batches as each batch a single Letting Go.  Tonight's Letting Go is a jumble of items, there is a bracelet, a magnet, a little heart welcome sign, and the TV antenna  thingie (yes, I know it's not a real word, but I am still going with it - sorry to all my English Teachers)  that I think belonged to a TV I had about 15 years ago. Everything except the thingie is going into the garage sale, the thingie it self is going into the trash.

Back from My Long Weekend

I had such a marvelous time this past weekend!!

If you ever had a dear friend who if you were any closer to, you would be twins, you can pick-up a conversation as if you just left off - even if it's been a couple of weeks since you talked and you know when the other just needs you to just "be there" for them - even if they don't say a word.  You know what type of friends I am talking about.  I have been blessed with two very special friends.  These women are in every since of the word - my sisters - God just forgot to make us siblings.  I was blessed to spend time with both my friends.

And it was my Granddaughter's 8th Birthday. One of my friends have Granddaughters the same age - so we took all three girls out for the day on Saturday.  We started at a Bead Store which had a place where the girls actually had the opportunity to make a bracelet and the staff finished the ends which allowed the girls to leave with a completed project.  We then had lunch at a cute Irish Pub (though their Irish Stew was nothing like we had in Ireland) and late we visited a park so we could get some fun pictures.  It truly was a wonderful day!

I also went shopping!! Suprise, Suprise...lol.   And so I need to let go of some items for the new ones I brought home.

To start - I bought a new purse - yes, I know, this is an issue for me - but I really truly, truly  really needed it. (Did that sound convincing? lol)  So I am letting go of one of the ones I had held on to.  This blue bag was nice, it was great for a quick day out, but for my every day bag, I could not seem to really organize it well - so I am letting go.


Then I bought a new DVD -- I glanced through our collection - and picked two to give up.  I started a while back with my Sister-in-laws and Mother-in-law to have a "Girl's Movie Night".  We have a quick dinner and then gather in the living-room to watch a movie - girls only (Love you dear - but you are a boy)!  We have been wanting to see "Saving Mr. Banks", I saw it while we were out and about, so I picked it up for our next movie night.


I still have some items that need to go back into the linden closet - I saw this clothes steamer in the pile.  Who steams clothes on vacation - REALLY?! lol  I think it was one of those items where I saw someone had one and thought - "that's cool" and - "that would be really handy" - I just had to have one -- I believe I only took it once or twice on a trip -- and I don't think I ever used it -- I've had it for many, many years -- taking up space -- time to go.


Last - I took a look at my closet again -- I found 2 skirts that I do not believe I wore at all (or very little) this past winter -- they are going in the pile for the Women's Resource Center.

These items should catch me up from the days I missed while I was away.

I did use the time to reflect on my project (I had a little over 3 hours of driving - both ways - great thinking time).  One think I thought about was how much I felt blessed by being able to spend time with my family -- and how by letting go of items -- actually could free me to spend more time with those I love -- both at home in Michigan and in Ohio; not to mention more time for prayer.  The more STUFF you have to clean, organize, worry about -- is time away from something or someone important.  Releasing these items, releases me from the bondage they create in my life.  Now, I know, these few items do not make a difference - on their own - but just think how these few items have grown into large piles of items I have let go over the past few weeks.  I have only a few days left for my project - I cannot believe next week is Holy Week already!

Off to Visit Family

My Dear Friends:

I am heading to Ohio to visit Family and Friends for the weekend.  I'm so excited for my Granddaughter's Birthday - we have something fun planned.

I've been thinking about what I wanted to do about my Lenten Project - I thought of doing a bunch ahead of time, then post them daily - but that felt like lying.  I did not want to completely skip these days.  I could catch-up when I get home.  This last seemed the most except-able plan.

I will be posting several items when I get home.  Enjoy the weekend - and tell someone you love them.

Peace,
Theresa