I did pretty well. 1 old desk, two end tables and a bookcase are waiting for DH's son to come and see if he wants them. But they are cleaned up and stacked by the door, so they are ready to go out one way or another! I cleaned out Office Cabinet #3. 18 rolls of architectural prints from jobs we did years ago. They are in the shed waiting for a post-rain day for a bonfire. It was tad too dry and windy. I cleaned and re-organized the pantry. I actually didn't throw much away (we were pretty good about using up older food), but I can find stuff now! Like a 15 lb. bag of rice that I forgot about. And three liters of red wine vinegar. Guess I couldn't find the first two, so I bought another one. It doesn't go bad and I use a lot on summer salads. 3 ancient wooden folding chairs that collapse if you look at them are in the "waiting for bonfire day" pile. One set of dishes is washed and boxed up. That is going to DH's granddaughter, so she will have her great-grandmother's china. One huge box of paperbacks. A neighbor who volunteers at the library saw them and took the whole box. Two huge contractor-size bags of junk went in the garbage. This week is recycle week! So there's two cans waiting for them. A bunch of old glass jars mostly. I used to use them for dry goods in the pantry, but I've started using canning jars instead. They look prettier on the pantry shelves, and I have cases of those, too. Might as well store the canning jars full rather than empty.

I'm falling a bit behind the count of "Out The Door", BUT... I did manage to clear off a wire shelving rack this weekend and had some small empty boxes and plastic baskets for a sorting station. All tape measures go in one box (I've found 5 so far - remember, DH was a cabinetmaker - there was at least one everywhere so he could find one) All rechargeable batteries are in a box (with the charger(s) - woohoo!) Rulers (12", 18", yardsticks, architectural scales, engineering scales, metric rulers, calipers, and the list goes on). Scissors!!! I found 6!!!!! (And why is it a pair of scissors - never mind, it's probably the same logic as a pair of pants.) And why is it I can never find "them" when I really need one aka a pair. Tape (Scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape, double stick tape, carpet tape, 12 colors of electrical tape, 6 colors of surveyor's tape, etc.) 9,000 paper clips. (Well, 10,000 were free from the office supply store when I bought X amount 20 years ago. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) And 195,000+ staples (normal staples, staple gun staples, staples for the OTHER type of staple gun, staples for the OTHER, OTHER staple gun that I have yet to find that I know is here somewhere, staples for the saddle stitcher, etc.) Really. At least they are all together...please don't breed like rabbits.

I started in the kitchen because I knew I wouldn't have much sentimental attachment to that stuff! Pantry cabinet before and after. Discarded a bunch of out of date products and discovered we have 8 cans of baked beans! The whole top shelf is now empty. I also went through the cabinet above the pantry where I have cookbooks and misc. stuff stored. Threw away a lot of recipes clipped from magazines that I never used and discovered a box of powdered banana daquari mix from 1994. And I cleaned out the drawer under the oven and trashed or donated items from it. Now it is nearly empty. Here is my car loaded with stuff that is good enough to donate. I guess I forgot to pack my discarded cookbooks. Marcia

This past week I got rid of more books, some baskets that I don't use, placemats and napkins that I don't use, and a bunch of softballs and baseballs (went to the "Free Stuff" table). 5 plastic bags full of dried out highlighters and pens (to the trash). 3 boxes of recycled junk mail and catalogs. Six more rolls of architectural prints and some cardboard boxes (those are now mulch in the garden - hopefully they will slow down the weeds). Hopefully this week my neighbor will be available to take a pickup load of no longer working electronics to the recycling center. Right now they are piled in the middle of the living room.