Paper Chase

I spent two days of my week going through paper. That's what I get for putting "Clean up office" on my list. I started by going through all the paper that has been thrown onto the "company's-coming-better-make-this-disappear-pile" on my desk for the last month. Then I moved onto the file drawers. One of my favorite tools got conscripted to work it's little heart out:

The PAPER SHREDDER!! I love that thing. I felt so free as I listened to the whir of that motor crunching and munching it's way through the useless paper I have stockpiled for all these months and years. I'm not the only one who will benefit. The recycle guy might even issue me an award for the bags of shredded paper. It would have to be a recyclable award.

I don't even miss the paper. I can't remember what I've shredded. I'm sure there's a metaphor for life somewhere in there....

I was inspired by all the space I had created in my file drawers. So I moved downstairs and went through my scrap booking supplies. After a little hesitation, I gave up on the idea I will ever get it together enough to scrapbook all those pictures. There are SOO many of them. I haven't scrap booked since I finished my daughter's two-year old pictures. She's almost nineteen. Out went the fancy scissors (except the ones I really love) , the stickers and the templates. Once in the box, I didn't even remember what all I had put in there. I am hoping a scrap booking lover will buy the whole lot from me. This adventure brought me to the pictures themselves.

I will save you the details of this one and fast forward to the end three hours. By that time, I had all the pictures into albums. It's not pretty but it's done. They are in no particular order. So the viewer may be looking at graduation pictures on one slot and then a baby picture in the next one. Oh well. I'm not worried. At least they are all contained. That makes me happy.

That's the great thing about getting ready to move. It makes me re-evaluate my "precious" stockpiles. I know I will save myself from lifting heavy boxes of non-essentials onto the moving van, if I take the time to throw out the stuff now. I know from experience that once items are packed away, it's rare that they are missed, so if I can save myself some hassle later on, I will.

Next stop? My husband's tool box. Oh, I guess I'll have to leave that for him.