Pack Rats vs. Purgers

When I went to do my once-a-month shopping down the hill in Roseville last Friday, I noticed that people were hanging out in two sections of the store: Health & Diet OR Home Organizing. Everyone was either picking up cans of SlimFast, protein powder, and Special K Bars, or they were stocking up on storage tubs, plastic organizers, and closet shelves. It seems that the month of January makes us want to clean up our messes in our homes and shed some unwanted holiday pounds.

Those who know me very well, know that I am on a perpetual diet. It's not that I am trying to necessarily LOSE weight, it's just that I cannot stand the thought of buying a larger size of jeans. I also am trying to steer clear of diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, diverticulitis, and other maladies that are a part of my family health history.
So, I picked up a big can of Whey Protein (Cookies 'n' Cream Flavor) so I can have a protein shake for my afternoon snack. I also got a box of FiberPlus Bars...they really fill you up when accompanied by a couple of glasses of water.

I did not pick up any organizational tools at the SuperWalmart. However, that didn't stop me from doing some closet purging and cupboard-cleaning this past week. We have a substantial "basement" below our home. It has a dirt floor, but there are shelves for storage. It is a nice place to stash things like Christmas decorations and my daughter's prom dresses. However, everytime I go down there I get the urge to get the pickup truck and fill it with various junk items that my husband insists he "needs" or "I'm gonna fix that...don't throw it out." There are broken computer printers down there, along with cassette tapes from the 80's. My husband is a packrat. However, he is a "neatnik-packrat." He makes tidy piles of all his junk and his closet looks like a Nordstrom store....everything perfectly ordered. However, he also saves things such as junk mail, magazines, newspapers, church bulletins, etc. It makes him very nervous when I start going through his things to clean-up...his greatest fear is that I will throw out something important. A few years ago I went through our attic and closets and tossed out many of the items that were just taking up space. I gave away old computers, monitors, record players, vcr's, and other outdated electronics. He never noticed til we moved. He was not too happy with me, but there wasn't too much he could do at this point. I think he realizes how it is probably a good thing I "purged" our attic...otherwise he would have had to rent TWO Ryder moving trucks to move to Grass Valley. We downsized from a 5 bedroom 3 bath home to a bedroom, 2 bath single-level home. I love my house to be uncluttered and with an "open" feel. I keep my kitchen counters free from most items except for a coffee maker, and a few decorations. I also steer clear of too many knicknacks in our living area....just too much trouble when I dust. It is also a rebellion against my upbringing. My mom would purchase little souvenirs whenever they traveled and our tiny house would be wall-to-wall trinkets. There would be little silver spoons from different states, miniature cedar outhouses from Appalachia, and pottery from Mexico.

Some people shop when they are angry or depressed. If I get angry I start cleaning out drawers and throwing stuff away. It literally makes me feel so good to get rid of stuff. But please don't tell my husband. He's gonna kill me when he finds out I threw out his 7th grade algebra notebook.