Stuff!

You know you are older when you start thinking you have too much "stuff."  Too much stuff to carry, too much stuff to pack, too much stuff to dust.  I now have enough time and disposable income to buy more than I would have without a bit of guilt years ago and... I don't want to.  I used to buy clothes almost because they simply fit.  Now I am looking for staples:  a good looking white shirt (one can never have enough), shoes (only if they are pretty and comfortable - and then if they are really comfortable AND pretty I might get two pairs). My wardrobe is black, white, shades of "greige" with an occasional pop of color and then I have rules for that too: red, cobalt blue and/or taxi cab yellow.  At my age with my skin tone pale colors tend to make me look like celery and any browns make me really look mousy.  And I want my wardrobe to be useful for at least three seasons (hate to change out my closet nowadays).

Even around the house!  I used to "collect" candles, pitchers and bowls.  Well I don't want anymore candles unless they smell great and I can dispose of them when I'm done.  All the holders I've accumulated in the past I'm selling as "vintage" on Etsy.  By definition on Etsy vintage is 20 years or older.  That's easy - there's nothing in my house newer than twenty years.  I'm not pouring anything from pitchers so they're going too and I have one giant glass bowl that is now my everything bowl even if its just a salad for two.

Then there are the bigger things around the house I really need to get rid of and buy replacements for but haven't yet.  Example:  we have a dishwasher so old I call it the "sanitizer."  We have to WASH our dishes BEFORE we put them in the dishwasher so the only good purpose for our current one is to sanitize and hide away the clutter.  Our glasses are rather opaque.  I'm rather amazed when I see how beautifully clear glass can be (when I'm at someone else's house).

We actually have a Maytag washer well over two decades old.  It clanks, bangs, and rocks, probably using more water than is environmentally acceptable these days.  But it works so why change it.  Oh but the age of the dryer is haunting me.  I'm afraid of a fire starting somewhere with 20 plus years of lint collecting in places I can't clean out.

My wonderful double convection oven is going and they actually do not make the replacement parts anymore.  Doesn't that sound "old."  Among the  other widgets and gadgets for it, the self cleaning timer doesn't work.  I'm trying to hold out long enough for a new one so I don't have to clean it one more time.  Of course we had to disengage the smoke alarm (and now I can't find that).   The stove top lost one burner years ago but there is only my husband and I.  And the charcoal (or whatever that impossible-to-clean black "gack") build up is hasn't killed us yet.

Who knew?  I never ever thought I would ever have more than I really need.  A blessing in disguise no?