Thanks for all your comments about the troll. Having spent many years helping women and children escape domestic abuse I am used to dealing with misogynists like this and have been called every name imaginable so his pathetic little rant didn't upset me. The most common thing they could think to call me was a lesbian man hater, which is pretty funny as having a male partner and two sons I lived in a house full of men. Sounds like a lot of you received the same comment, he obviously has far too much time on his hands!
Sue over at Our New Life in the Country has been talking about de-cluttering. It made me think about my hoarding habits. I don't have knik knacks, ornaments, a wardrobe full of clothes etc. My hoarding habits involve books, anything to do with my sons, I can't bear to throw away their old school books, toys, drawings, favourite and home made baby/children clothes, especially made by my mum, their old story books, and my craft items. Also anything that can be recycled, old t.shirts etc for rag rugs and old cotton clothes for patchwork fill the spare bedroom/workroom. I also have lots of things that I cleared out of my parents house including furniture which is taking room up in the garage waiting to be 'up cycled'. I am torn, I like the idea of having less 'stuff' it must be incredibly freeing, on the other hand I hate waste and can always think of things I can make with just about anything. The bearded one and eldest son are get rid of everything types, my youngest son is like me and hangs on to everything. I am having a battle with him at the moment over all the computer stuff he left in his wardrobe years ago when he moved out. He knows if he takes it home his partner will want to get rid of it all. (also a get rid of everything type) The kids old toys and books are now being used by the grandchildren which is lovely, and I can be smug over my decision to keep them. I also love the fact that I have many of my original vinyl including The New York Dolls from about 1971 a prized possession. What are your hoarding hangups, or are you a get rid of everything type of person?
I haven't made a Xmas cake for years. I have never worked it out (though I'm sure many of you have and will put me right) but it just seems more expensive to buy all the ingredients, marzipan, icing, time in the oven, alcohol that we don't drink (more of a wine family) etc than to buy one. It may well taste better as well as I'm not much of a baker due to not having a sweet tooth. However since becoming gluten free, it is definitely cheaper to make my own than to buy a ridiculously overpriced GF one. So I had a go at making a gluten free Xmas cake yesterday. I'm not sure how it will turn out though as my oven decided to turn itself off halfway through. I didn't notice so I'm not sure how long it was off. It then appeared to be cooked a long time before the recipe said, so it could be undercooked, overcooked or fingers crossed ok. It may be a very expensive disaster, but hey we will eat it anyway. Have you made a cake this year?
Chickpea xx
(I am actually having a clear out at the moment, I think I may have to lie down to get over the stress of it all)
Hey Chickpea,
ReplyDeleteI hovver between hoarder and de-clutterer. I did hit upon the neat idea to photograph all of Olly's junk modelling and pictures. That way I have an archive, and I can get rid after a suitable period of time. New York Dolls - fab! I was introduced to thm vis reading an article about Morrisey, and because I loved Japan when I was growing up.
Leanne xx
I like having my possesions, having grown up with nothing I like having my things because I can, I find it so sad that people want to live in clinical conditions and not have possesions, my books and various art works bring me pleasure, any nicks we have have special memories attached to them, I know some people say you dont need things you have the memories, but having watch the lights go off in my mum with Alzheimers it was things that helped sparked the memories. So I for one are keeping my things :-)
ReplyDeleteMissed out on all your horrible excitement. Idiot person.
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on about the hoarding/waste. I love to get rid of things and find it freeing and yet don't like to waste and also nowadays like to hang onto things from the past. I still haven't cleared my mum's clothes and she's been gone over a year and a half. But the patterns and smell of the clothes is so familiar.
I hope you don't get anymore nasty comments x
Just ignore the trolls, I just don't understand people sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI am not a hoarder I have regular clear outs, things get taken to the carboot and if they do not sell off to the charity shop.
I am a bit soppy I have kept all cards hubby and son have ever given me, cards from when my son was born, baby teeth, pictures, school reports all that sort of thing, they are so precious.
Your cake looks lovely.
I'm not a hoarder at all! I don't do 'sentimental value' too much - though I do have some small things I wouldn't part with! I do hoard a fair bit of 'natural treasure' though, thinking about it!
ReplyDeleteHope the GF christmas cake turns out ok :)
Tomorrow is Cake day here.
ReplyDeleteYour cake looks ok anyway
I used to be a real hoarder and kept things ' just in case' then we moved to Canada and it was a mammoth task to get rid of everything. When we came back to the UK we kind of started hoarding again until I was off work for a long time with a back problem. We needed money so I spent a year eBaying stuff we never used, my mum de-cluttered too and gave me stuff to sell. Several years on we have downsized and remain clutter free. It is indeed liberating! The bonus lies in less dusting ;)
ReplyDeleteI think your cake looks very nice. I don't bake a Christmas cake. I have done so, but it doesn't turn out well. It's not really a tradition here but I wish it were because maybe by now I would have found someone to help me learn how to make a good one!
ReplyDeleteI hope that the cake turns out to be good, it looks very good!! I am a hoarder chucker, so I have the pleasure (!) of the hoarding and then the pleasure of the chucking!! It is very freeing and a great feel getting rid of stuff!! xx
ReplyDeleteThis year I am not making our Christmas cake, I agree it is more expensive to buy all the ingredients, also I end up throwing out items which does not last the year. Popping to M&S thursday
ReplyDeleteI am very good about not having lots of "things". My home is not cluttered at all. Very Japanese. Except my studio is filled with all sorts of art stuff.
ReplyDeleteBut I do have a few boxes in the garage that have treasures from my children. And I do have a box filled with letters from my Mum and cards from my children.
When my home burned down in one of the first big wildfires in California, you learn what is important. But I do miss the family Baptism gown.
Your cake looks so good. I rarely make cakes but daughter makes the best cookies !
cheers, parsnip
I like getting rid of stuff and my husband likes saving stuff. I guess we balance each other out!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you should post about making a gluten fee Christmas cake. I have been playing around with the idea, and even went so far as to look at a couple of recipes online this week. It was the cost of the alcohol that put me off as well. What recipe did you end up using?
I feel out of step here. Having
ReplyDeletelived out of a backpack for two
years and then gotten rid of
almost everything I owned to
move to the other side of the
world, I appreciate my
posessions now! I have friends
who live in very austere,
clutter free houses that I find
a bit sad and lifeless. I
do know I'm in the minority
but no one has ever walked into
my house complained it was too
much!
Photographing them is a brilliant idea Leanne.
ReplyDeleteYour comments about hoarding/decluttering show that we are all different, no one is right or wrong. I have been in houses that are very austere with no sign of the personal touches, I would hate that. Also houses where there is just too much 'stuff' everywhere. I think somewhere in the middle is the way to go for me.
I will post the recipe on here for you Kristie
My house is too small to have lots of things. the things I cant get rid of are books. it makes me feel physically ill. I had to do it, but I got rid of hundreds a small carrier bag at a time. it is much more manageable now.
ReplyDeleteI fear you would all hate my house, I have had comments that it is a mixture of a monks cell and Scandinavian wood. so not much and bits of ikea? lol
I also love the fact that I have many of my original vinyl including The New York Dolls from about 1971 a prized possession.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great piece of vinyl. I love the opening of Personality Crisis: OWOOOO! Yeah Yeah Yeah! No no no no no no no no!
Hard to beat that, rock-n-roll wise.
I'm a clutter-bug myself. I need to do a big closet/dresser purge someday. The books all stay, though!