Cleaning Up and Cleaning Out

Yesterday and today have been cleaning days. I sorted totes and totes of resale items, pricing, deciding which booth they will go in (I am still working on plans to open a second booth) and then cajoling Larry into carrying all the sorted totes to the garage. I don't like my set-up for this business at all. I don't have space in the house to work on it and the garage is a good step away and not enclosed enough. But I'm doing the best I can with what I have to work with, and hopefully soon I'll develop a better system. Step one in that plan is to sort, clean, price, list and pack immediately after I buy. The backlog of items to be processed is huge and I am seeing the error of my ways! Live and learn.

Today I tackled the linen closet, which was threatening to explode, and the scary under-the-sink region. I have way too many table linens and find it hard to part with any of them. I did sort out a few, along with some curtains, sheets, and other things I am sure I will never use again. The closet looks better--and while I was at it I got another couple of cupboards in the bathroom re-organized.

Under the sink--whew. How does that area get so messy? I'm trying something new. I moved the trash cans under there, and that meant a lot of stuff had to go. I mean, do we really need 6 stainless travel mugs? I don't think so. I kept 3, still more than we probably need. I ended up with some items that will need to go someplace else, and that means I have to sort another cabinet to make room for them. Ah, me. I remember simpler days when we owned so little we only needed two closets. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those times, but then I remember how it was to not have what I needed to cook and do other things, and I don't want to be back in that situation either.

So cleaning continues. It does feel good to reclaim the space and reorganize so that I can actually find things. I even found the broken piece of wing that goes to one of my yard angels, so now she can be repaired.

We've been working outside too. We put manure along each row of my early garden and already I can see a difference in the plants. We cleaned up the raspberries and blackberries and transplanted a row of small raspberry plants to double the size of that patch. Larry extended the electric fence so that the new garden, made where the old equipment shed was, is now also enclosed. Removing the building probably removed our resident wild rabbits who were a headache in the early garden because they could hide under the stuff stored in there, and they could also get under the big evergreens to safety. Now the area is exposed and not nearly as handy for them.

It has been cold all day today, and there were even a few flurries flying around earlier. I am worried about tonight; if it doesn't stay cloudy, or if the wind is still, we could be in for a freeze or at least a frost. With everything so leafed out, it will be devastating if that happens. We covered the strawberries, the small mulberry and my hydrangea the other night but there was no danger then; tonight, we might be in for it.

We'll be back outside this afternoon, transplanting blackberry plants--those thornless plants can get huge!--and planting some tiny trees from the Arbor Day people. I might get the rest of the broccoli planted too. This year's garden goal is to grow more of the things we eat most: carrots, broccoli, onions, celery, and lettuce. I think I can put up less if we grow a smarter garden, one that we can from fresh for more of the year. We'll see how that plan goes.

Back to work. I hope your day is a good one, and warmer where you are than it is here.