WANTED: Left-handed Woman who wears size 8 gloves

Over the last, let’s say- twenty- years, I have lost some gloves. But look at what this picture tells me! I have nine left gloves and only one right glove, which matches none of the lefts.

I just figured out how this happens. I take the right-hand glove off, to perform an action — texting, zipping, tying, applying eyeliner — and I lose it. Ever find a lone glove on a sidewalk, or in a parking lot? Call me, I have the mate.

All this points to a disturbing character flaw. I can’t throw them out. I mean there must be a left-handed woman out there who has the same problem, right? and has nine right gloves with no mates? So right now, I wear my one right glove and a different colored left one on walks in the park with my grandchildren, much to their amusement. And I wear my one matched pair (new from my daughter for Christmas) everywhere else. I am thinking of getting clips to attach the right glove to my coat, like a kid, so it can’t wander off.

My New Year’s resolution is to sort through the clutter in my house. I was relieved that I am still at it, after I read my co-blogger Joan’ post 20/20Foresight, and didn’t already give up by January 12th. But, my joy is short-lived, because I realize my glove problem is indicative of a much larger problem. I cannot get rid of stuff. Don’t get me wrong–I am not a hoarder and I do eventually clean things up, but not by throwing them out. I am trying my best to reduce my carbon footprint, which means old clothes get washed, sorted and donated, old furniture finds a home, and plastic gets reused and then recycled. And I look for left-handed women who still have their mateless right gloves.

Amazing Collapsable Glasses, Crazy-glue Repair Resistant

Can you tell Ariel lists to the starboard?

This is a lot of work. I can see why most people just throw stuff out. Clutter in the home certainly adds to, and even creates, stress. I have a garage full of stuff going somewhere — but sometimes it’s hard to find it a home. If I break something, can I throw it out? Hell no. I take out my crazy glue and try to repair it. So I have wobbly cups, glasses with a tiny bit of glue on the lens (just for desk use…in the privacy of my home), Christmas ornaments gerry-rigged together, darned socks, mended pants, old shirts with new buttons. And a lot of glue. The thing glue does best is stick to itself.

Clearly, some of this is good, and some of this is excessive. Old stuff hangs around my house like the piece of toilet paper you just can’t get off your shoe.

All these confessions have provided me the insight necessary to actually achieve my New Year’s goal of decluttering my house. For some of my mending projects, I am just going to have to call ‘time of death’ and put them in the trash! Then I have to retackle my closet full of clothes. Can it really be five years since I used the KonMari Method?

I will continue to strive to mend, repurpose and donate, but at some point, I actually want a clutter free living space. And I am determined to get it.