Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Loving what remains!

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 
to the Tuesday Slice of Life sponsored by 
My mother worked as the fabric manager in a Ben Franklin store.  I have fond memories of caressing the stacks of remnants as I waited for her to get off work.  Today, I've been caressing the remnants of my teaching career!

I'm not a minimalist.  I'm a keeper, a piler, and a stasher (a rather neat one, I might add).   I've booked each and every friend who has offered to help with a time slot.  Having help encourages me to keep up the momentum.  My husband reminds me that we already have too many boxes  in the garage.  But how do you toss aside what took you years to amass?  And even though I'm "separating from service," I will always be a teacher. 

I'm leaving my classroom library because those books belong in the hands of readers, not in my garage or on my bookshelves.  I've allowed myself one box of favorite titles from the collection. There are professional books I can't part with, picture books I'll keep for my future grandchildren, and poetry books I'll need in my self-appointed role as poetry ambassador.

I have culled and weeded three file drawers and cleaned out four large drawers and the stacks on top of that cabinet, but what remains is still massive.  My desk, six additional file drawers (of the shorter variety!), a bookcase, four cabinets, and a closet still remain to be sorted, but mostly purged!

Enough rambling about this project.  I promised myself I would be finished by Friday.   Feel free to leave your advice and encouragement in the comments.  By week's end, I hope to be celebrating the arrival of summer and the beginning of a new chapter!

5 comments:

  1. I've been there, Ramona. It can be done, & I have managed to continue amassing for new things. Best wishes caressing... Love the memory connection!

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  2. Beautiful beginning to this slice. I too am a "collector" and I think you have the right attitude and good sense to get others to help you. They will be good when you can't decide what to keep because decision making is sooooo exhausting. Enjoy your summer Ramona. :)

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  3. Oh the dreaded going through things! I am horrible at doing this both at home and in my classroom! I seem to only be successful when I have someone there to help me! Good luck!

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  4. I was sorting only seven years of accumulation - I can't imagine an entire career. I am a "keeper" also so I know how hard this is. Good luck and I hope you meet your deadline so you can move on to summer!

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  5. I know what you are going through! It's tough and oh so hard to pitch things that you've used for years. What a lucky teacher to inherit your books. Keep working and soon you'll be finished and celebrating.

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