Exorcising the Attic

Day Thirty Five.

There's been a growing feeling that something is weighing down on me, a dark shadow is looming over us both. Sometimes figurative speech is as close to the mark as you can get. It's emanating from the attic. Where all the carefully packed boxes are, gathering dust. They've been there, virtually untouched, since we moved them out of our last house. Possessions have a weight, possessions drag on the psychology of the owner: with ownership comes a strange costly responsibility.

I feel it!

I have so many things. Thus the reason for this 'de-cluttering' theme. Apart from his tools (he's a builder) and brewing equipment, Phil tells me he owns about two boxes' worth of stuff. I can believe it. He's not a lover of books, as I am; he has no crafty hobbies (whereas I have far too many!); he has no instruments other than a beaten up guitar (strung backwards due to left-handedness) - I have three violins, two guitars and a miscellaneous banjo, amongst other things... When Phil moved in with me at our last house, he arrived in a friend's Land Rover, and before I knew it he was calling out "OK, cheers for the lift - see you!" I was thinking "Where's all his stuff?" Then he burst his way into the sitting room, scarcely visible behind the biggest box I've ever seen, and that was it. One (albeit giant) box, and he was moved in.

Back to the task in hand. Up in the attic I counted twenty boxes in all, mostly books, but the other random things included: one hand-operated Singer sewing machine, an ancient and huge accordion (which is unplayable due to its awesome weight!), a chimney flue (?), a box of random CDs which I have kept as back-up in case my laptop dies), some camping equipment and a big bag of tangled miscellaneous cables.

I have no desire to get rid of any books at this stage,but I am looking forward to going through the boxes at the smallholding - who knows, the books could serve to insulate our sitting room walls once we have renovated the house and put up a whole load of shelves! Our current plan is to prepare the items we plan on taking to the smallholding, ready for when the snow disappears. We want to clear most of the stuff out of this house, ready for the last touches prior to putting it on the market. We are so lucky to be able to move all of the boxes out before the sale!

Phil helped me to get everything down, and we carried it all into our spare bedroom (recently vacated by a tenant) - I know it's all still there, but it feels good to know that it's gradually working its way towards the door. Phil even sorted through his cables and has minimised the camping things, so the pile is getting smaller.

After I'd swept the attic, I climbed down the ladder, closing the hatch behind me. "No need to go up there again," I thought to myself, and you know what? I think the heaviness started to fade.

PS - No photos, I'm afraid. You wouldn't want to see a picture of our attic anyway. And capturing that 'dark shadow' I mentioned? Impossible with a flash :)