Okay, buckaroos, we are over halfway through January. It’s usually a long, cold month, right? A good time for hunkering down, using the hell out of your slow cooker, and enjoying the beauty of nature (from inside your house, of course).
But this year’s different (surprise, surprise). January is no darker than usual, but it hasn’t really been all that cold. Still, it sure has felt cold and dark, hasn’t it? And I don’t think I’m alone here.
Like every January, I try to convince myself that now would be a perfect time to do my spring cleaning. It makes sense, especially this year. You know, do it now, while you’re under Covid house arrest. Why save it for warmer weather when we might be able to socialize? Well, I’ll tell you why. It’s hard enough just to keep up your morale with everything being as it is. Add spring cleaning into the mix, and that would just about do me in.
Instead, I’ve been trying to declutter. You know, getting rid of stuff you don’t want and making room for things you do. It’s the kind of thing you can work on while you’re watching the tube or binging Netflix. It keeps your hands busy, so you’re not eating all the time, and it makes you feel like you’re actually accomplishing something, instead of just sitting on your duff, waiting for winter to end. Decluttering’s a win/win in my book.
Now, you don’t have to get crazy about it. Maybe organize your junk drawer in the evening while you’re watching reruns of Jeopardy. It’ll take your mind off the fact that you still don’t know the answers! Sort out your utensils while watching “The British Baking Show.” Last weekend while streaming season three, not only did I see some amazing food (which is the next best thing to eating it), I got rid of a bunch of spoons, spatulas, and sorted gadgets I don’t use. Now every time I walk into the kitchen I feel happy. Get inspired by “Home Edit” and clean out all those clunkers on your book shelf, your expired coupons, or them old AARP magazines that you think you might read but don’t, even in the bathroom. You get the idea.
Guys, you got heat in your garage or shed? Now might be a great time to sort through that crap that’s been sitting there for years, doing nothing but taking up space. Charlie’s been going to town, boxing up stuff for the swap shop down to the transfer station. Now and then he finds a treasure (his word, not mine) he’d totally forgotten about (or I didn’t hide good enough).
Every little bit helps. It’s freeing, keeps your mind and hands busy, and is a great way to make a fresh start in 2021.
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!