There’s nothing like moving into a smaller home to challenge one’s ability to skim off the excessive possessions.

Of course, this is not to lessen experiences of people leaving their homes due to civil strife and natural disasters.

Moving during a pandemic provides enough limitations and extra costs – even within the same community.

I recently had to make difficult decisions: I had been holding on to nicnacs, family portraits, letters, Christmas cards from years gone by and artwork my children made many years ago. I had to get tough with my sentimental leanings and those “what if” situations where we would need extra dishes, linens, towels and sleeping bags. It’s not like we can accommodate house guests or invite people over for dinner any time soon.

Family history

I embrace and cherish my journals and albums tracing the family activities through good times and bad. To me, these are important memoirs, accounts, photos documenting the children’s growth, the reunion with my oldest child, meeting his wife and my beautiful grandchildren.

What about the doodles and whimsical sketches I made to keep my sanity during the quiet evenings of the many COVID-19 stay at home orders in 2020 and 2021? I like to think they will also have historical value some day. The people at the Ottawa Archives may think so too. I wouldn’t want to be the entry level Archivist who has to sort through and categorize thousands of boxes. We can be sure that by now, most Archives will accept digital copies of memorable documents and pandemic artefacts.

Downsizing questions

• At what point do you justify paying monthly rent for a storage unit?
• How much effort are you able to put into getting useful items to local charities?
• How much are you willing to pay for a service that will take your junk away, and promise at best effort to redirect useful items to charity?
• How many wine boxes does it take to pack your beloved books and other delicate items? How many bottles of wine would you buy in exchange for the Wine Shop staff putting boxes aside for you on a bi-weekly basis? How many of those bottles do you consume or gift to others who are helping you in the process?
• When can I unpack my books and place them on the limited bookcases in our new home? Am I willing to make some difficult choices? Haven’t we been through this before?
• How long until I decide to move again? Will I have unpacked all of the boxes or piled some into a cramped corner?

Resources:

• Tips to be mindful and avoid acquiring too many trappings – Becoming Minimalist blog, Twitter feed and YouTube channel – https://www.becomingminimalist.com/
• Invest in your local LCBO or Wine Shop by making nominal purchases while picking up the empty boxes their staff put aside for you – https://www.thewineshops.com/
• Pay someone to take away your excess – Just Junk – https://justjunk.com/
• Pay someone to move the essentials to your new home – Universe Moving – https://universemoving.business.site/
• Pay someone to clean the dusty, grimy windows at your old apartment – Mike’s Window Cleaning – https://mikeswindowcleaning.ca/

Distractions

You can spend another five minutes reading a humorous account of activities surrounding the recent move.

The Tabby Cat survived the move

Thanks for stopping by. Please excuse the mess. I am trying to unpack one or two boxes per day now that we are settled in. I should be done by Thanksgiving.

Stay well. Stay safe. Be kind.

T