'Lady, You've Got Too Much Stuff!'

The above quote was spoken to me from a frustrated, overworked, underpaid professional mover/packer eleven years ago.  Apparently, her 'estimator' ran through my house a bit too quickly and grossly underestimated the amount of 'stuff' I was capable of hiding.. By the time another truck had to be arranged (and filled to the brim), she was about ready to bean me.

To my credit, I had warned the hurried estimator, that all 45 of my kitchen cabinets were full.  That my buffet, china cabinet, garage and most nooks and dang near all of the crannies were artfully filled to the brims. She offhandedly waved off my concerns with a 'Yes, dear, we are quite used to this kind of move..We do it all the time.'  Warned her.

I can fill a semi in nothin flat.

Now the down side to My Ever Increasing Collection.

Updating.

When Bob, the counter installer, called me yesterday to arrange a time for the install of my fetchingly beautiful Tur Quazzie counter, I thought to myself: preparing for this shouldn't be a big deal.  Just clear out those things that could in the way or broken by those that do not take my things seriously. Once I started, the refrain of the poor young packer of years ago, kept playing in my brain...'Lady, you've got too much stuff!!!' I do believe the chorus was even played in a minor key, just to add to the solemnity of it all.

I covered my rather large dining room table.  And the chairs.  And I went out to the garage/storage to bring in a folding table to make more table space. (You did know that I have five card tables, right?)  That filled, I started placing things in my laundry room and library.  Things started spreading out like slow moving lava and seeing it all out like that I gotta admit, I kinda got a little scared like it was the red hot stuff....Maybe the thought of Hubby seeing some of my well hidden treasures all exposed, might

jeopardize any future foray into Yard Sale Land. So I was a little anxious.

Daunting, isn't it?  Laden Counters, well packed cabinets, top of microwave, any horizontal  space is fair game for my 'collections'....Doesn't even Marjorie, my cookie jar, look a bit claustrophobic?  I reassured her that her New Happy Place would be forthcoming, that this temporary discomfort shall last but an evening....

By the end of the afternoon, Bob the Counter Man and his assistant Ryan, had completed their task and brought my kitchen into the 1950's...Retro Update; a bit of a contradiction, eh?

In all my appreciation for this most generous gift, I am vowing to be selective when returning things to their place.  I am proud to report that I have a box (albeit 'small') of things that will need to find another home. Maybe.