I love my Mother- BUT...

[Poison Ivy]

My mom is just as bad!!! I told my dad he needs to rent a 40 yd dumpster. Then go through their whole house and toss everything they haven't touched or used in the last year. Me I'd toss it if it hadn't been touch in the past 6 months. I love to spring clean and toss junk out. I've been going through our storage container out on the back of our property. We moved and had to store everything we had. The old farm house we moved into was already furnished from when we bought the property 10 years ago as a summer home. So I'm having a hugh yard sell once I get back from vacation. We burned a lot of stuff a month ago and hubby got in trouble when the neighbors called or it was someone who passed by. lol it was funny and I ask my daughter he's not going to burn it all at once is he? She said I think so he only has one pile. So he got a $50 ticket.

 

[okiemommy]

I truly feel for you! I am a recovering pack rat, and I dread the day that I have to deal with my parents house. I refuse to do to my children what I know I will have to go through with my parents house, so out everything goes. Either on freecycle, craigslist, or the thrift store.

good luck with your mom's reaction! Hopefully she will be thankful!!

 

[Mom 2em All]

Quote:
I did find cans of juice...all rusted and full. Never opened. And a can of potatoes. I am not kidding- you can't make this stuff up. My daughter asked me, "Are you sure that is garbage?" Yes, throw it out. lol.

Weird things, like an old pool skimmer- broken, with a rope tied on it. (perfectly good one outside). AND...the broken pool pump from before they got the new one (I hear her- 'In case we need parts from it....') FOUR broken vacuum cleaners...

I did find my stuff from when I went to Florida when I was 20 years old. Pictures, oh the pictures I took. Lots of fun. I went through it all- kept FOUR pictures of a young, much skinnier and much more tan ME- actually had makeup on, and NO forehead wrinkle, lol..and then I pitched the rest out. Was a great time back then. However, I couldnt remember most of the peoples names in the pictures. AND I have lived without that stuff for twenty years. Into the trash it went. (along with all my high school algebra notes and graded assignments.

)

She is going to kill me.

 

[CritterHill]

Quote:
Yah, I think you are well and truly doomed. I can only IMAGINE the reaction I would get if I did something like that!

 

[justusnak]

I am so glad you have the strength to go through this stuff now. Just remind her of the flooded items, and the possibility of BLACK MOLD! PLEASE be carefull...that stuff is nothing to be careless with. IT DOES KILL! Im sure she will be upset....but in the long run, ALOT healthier for it. KUDOS to you! My mother is also a pack rat. Being a child dureing the depression, she saves everything. When something goes on sale...she buys at least 10 of that item. I Kid you not, she has about 15 cans of coffee under her spare room bed...at least I thnk there is a bed in there still.....cant tell from all the TP, paper towels...and other " sale items" she has bought in BULK! She even bought several cases of BEER!!!!???!?!? She is 70, and does NOT drink...but..." it was on sale and maybe someone will want one when they come to visit" What?? Its HOT and stacked in the hallway!!! UGH! I keep nothing...I craigs list it, or freecycle it...or just throw it away. Nope, I wont do that to MY kids.

 

[maplesky7]

From one pack rat family to the next...I have a feeling she may worry about what was tossed...hoping it wasn't anything of sentimental value. Which, face it, is hard to predict. But all in all, it is sometimes easier to trust in someone else who you DO trust to sort out some of the things that over the years have just overwhelmed you. And when your feeling over whelmed...procrastination is your best friend and enemy as well. Now if you could help her get through the rest...I bet it will be a LOAD off her shoulders and she will be thankful and appreciative.

And you may wonder how I can speak of such things? I live in my childhood home where my parents lived for 38? some years and my father died, my mom moved out and took what she wanted and my family moved in and we've been here nearly 8 years and I'm STILL sorting out things. But then again I'm not like my sister who can whip through things and make decisions...I tend to have some of my parents traits...ooooh whoas me!!

But we cleaned out the garage PARTIALLY and used 2--20 yard dumpsters (the big long ones) and went over 600-700 lbs respectively. We also have a 2 yard dumpster that I've filled nearly every week since we moved in BUT we were self employed so we made some of our own trash. But just saying...I still have cubby holes that have junk in them that I have to clear.

And sometimes it DOES take some one else to come and help out and motivate, inspire, encourage, and get the ball rolling. I've had my sister in law come and she's painted my bathroom and cleaned out the den all in a weekends work. After she left I laughed with her on the phone because I know I drove her crazy...she had 3 piles: trash, give away, keep. One of the things I kept was a rusty old muffin pan. I don't know why? I called her later and told her I threw it away. It's not like I didn't see her eyes roll when she was trying to zip through it and I was hemming and hauling. oh happy sigh...

It's tough for what ever reason but I must say, I would be somewhat upset at first but after I thought about it and especially if it was wet and the mildew factor and the health issues...I'd relent and say you're right and thank you for doing it.

Just give her a hug and pretend you understand even if you don't. To you it was clearly garbage but to your mom it held some memories and you and yor brother are all grown up now...insert tears here.

Regards,
Gretchen

 

[Mycookoonest]

You would make the PERFECT wife for my Hubby! LOL! He hates that I save everything. I fear I'm going to need it exactly when I throw it out.

I just am thinking to myself when my husband throws out stuff... I get so mad! The worst is when he moves things on me then can never remember where he moved them to when I'm looking for something. But he moves bills

.

 

[PearlD]

My kids will have NOTHING......I say NOTHING, to clean out when I'm gone. I cannot stand clutter. It makes me crazy!!!
And my husband and his dad are the WORST!!! OHHHH, the paint cans, spray paint cans with no nozzle, old water hose, bicycle tire tubes.....blah blah blah.....

I gotta go....this is making me nervous......

 

[Greyscale Rainbow]

I dread the day that my grandparents die. Not just because I am very close to them, but because they have a massive house - 4 storeys, 2/3 large rooms on each plus up two four mini rooms on each floor, plus a mini room inbetween each storey. A total of 19 rooms. Add to this the fact that at 80 and 87 cleaning is not their strong point.

A few weeks ago I found a bottle of coca cola which was made to commemorate the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Princess Diana . . . . which was in 1981. I'm going to try and flog it on Ebay as there are a fair few Diana obsessed people out there - but it does just go to show how much clutter there is.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Um... is she really scared of rats or mice? If she is, tell her you saw a HUGE one down there and were cleaning it out to find its nest.