Crystals and KnicK Knacks
Another trip to the op shop this morning brought another unwanted Knick Knack back home. And there was the garage sale as well where I just had to buy that box of pins, stationery and hose clippings. Just had to. Stephen was wise and waited in the car.
I had earlier run into a woman from the writing group who saw the donkey towing a little cart in my hand. ‘’I am just adding this to my clutter,’’ I spluttered. ‘’I have shelves of clutter.’’
‘’But how do you keep it all clean?’’ she questioned. The answer is I don’t. The crystals, and there are hundreds of them, go outside once a year where they are hosed down and then sit gathering the beautiful energy from the sun before being brought in again. The rest of the time they are shunted from side to side as I wipe the copious dust from the shelves they sit upon. Stephen and I always have the doors and windows wide open, even in winter, and so we do get a lot of dust. Most of the time it is invisible, but magically, this becomes very apparent if ever we have visitors. I’ll be sitting on the couch and see that film just above the surface. Damn, I had meant to dust yesterday!
I have too many crystals, I know that. These were gathered one by one over the years. Initially I used each one of them as I worked on myself, but I rarely do that kind of work these days. But try and take one from me and I am acutely aware of its absence. However, I have conceded lately and moved a few of the trays down to my treatment room, rather than having them in the house. And I have just cleared the shelves here above the writing desk, with two more trays to leave as well. The crystals create an energy and one gets used to that energy in the house. But in the same token, there is nothing worse than stagnant crystals, ones that haven’t seen the sun for a number of years. Ideally, I should take mine outside three or four times a year but it is a big job and some of them are very heavy, which is why I don’t. It was a good move some years ago, when I moved the smaller ones onto trays. That way, they are easier to move inside and out.
But back to the knick knacks. I think Stephen is guiltier than me on this front. Periodically we box up items and take them to the garage or the op shop. Our walls are all full of pictures and photos too and I have a large number I have bought over the years down in my treatment room, which provides a dry rat-proof storage area. I guess I will need to go through these too at some stage and discard the ones no longer used. They say it is empowering decluttering and I must say I do find satisfaction when doing so. But in the same token, I love op shopping, finding those little bargains that one would never have bought new, but which, at a dollar or 50c is the perfect thing to have in one’s house.
We have our own ice cream container of hose-fittings but there is never the one we want, that is how I justified buying the $1 box today. As for pins, I have a half dozen and am always meaning to buy some more – well, now I have. The stationery – it is more of the same, but now with three new sellotape holders, another stapler and punch, I can’t go wrong and perhaps I can even pass some on to my grandchildren. Oh, and there was another computer chair, bought to replace the tired one I have been using for the last few years, second hand of course. But alas, not quite high enough. But never mind, we always need an extra chair at meal times when the family comes and this is much smarter than my current one.
I guess my life will continue the cycle of acquiring and decluttering. The habit is too ingrained to be anything else.