What to Keep

What to Keep?

What to keep? If it has meaning, keep it; if not, toss it out. In a nutshell, that’s what I read in the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, a book that I thought might have a few new and compelling ways for me to get rid of more stuff. About half way through its pages I realized that my own system developed over many years works just fine for me. When there is major shift in my life, and I’ve had my fair share of shifts, I purge.

A possible move from Pie Cottage a year ago would have been perfect for another streamlining session but the move fell through and frankly at this time, I can’t imagine culling much more from my music library, cookbooks, sewing, knitting, garden tools, and kitchen and baking equipment. All of it has meaning for me.

The piles, baskets, and boxes of paper are another thing. Since the invention of the home printer I have more than I likely ever will look upon again but am instructed “to keep.” Oh, how I would love to throw that stuff out.

Some papers, like this one, are very much worth keeping.

What to keep? Definitely this.

Each holiday season I remember the when, the where, the who as this smiling fellow makes a return appearance from the box in the attic. Two antlered hands glued on to a foot to make one of Santa’s reindeer.

It’s never too late to make one. Here’s how:

• Trace both hands and one foot onto a piece of brown paper.
• Cut out hands (reindeer’s antlers) and foot (reindeer’s head).
• Glue the antlers onto the head, along with a red circle for the nose and white shapes for the eyes.
• Draw a smile and finish the eyes with a pen.
• Add a wreath if you like.

I hope your reindeer will be around for a long time.