When it comes to reducing clutter, sentiment often gets in the way... I've noticed that recently in my efforts to decorate my home. Some of the 'clutter' is actually pretty nice too, good quality stuff that I have reason to remember... but I also realize that some of it has to go, and I frequently ask myself, "Do I really need this?"
What I'd REALLY like to do with some of it is donate it DIRECTLY to poor folks, without going through a middleman of any sort. I'm not talking about homeless folks on the street, they'd have no use for it, I'm talking about folks who are on the edge financially and can't afford stuff for their kids. Cool one-of-a-kind items to use for decorating their rooms, ya know?
Maybe Pastor Rick at the Cowboy Church knows some folks who are struggling... even though he'd technically be a "middleman" I wouldn't mind donating in that cause. I also need to call the animal shelters and ask whether they have any sponsors like thrift shops or whatever. Maybe check Alamogordo charities online, that's another option to consider...
I even thought of donating stuff to the Mescalero Apache Tribe, but then I realized that they have casinos up there in the mountains... and I don't hold with gambling, money's hard enough to come by for those who work down here. Besides, Casino Indians drive around in Mercedes sedans & brand-new pickup trucks... no point in donating there, I reckon.
I guess I'll look into the donation scene later today, since I already have some stuff that can go. I'm throwing in my large music cassette collection & VHS tape collection, I don't even have players for those anymore, but SOMEBODY might have a player, lol. Those can go to any old thrift shop, might even have somebody pick 'em up later (along with other stuff).
Anyway, that's my plan... y'all know I don't like seeing stuff go to waste, not when it still has 'service life' in it. Some stuff will stay, like the glass bottle collection, it has too much sentimental value for me to simply let it go. And it doesn't take up THAT much room, sitting on that shelf unit the way it does. It's a balancing act, choosing what stays and what goes, aye?
I'M OFF TO REPLENISH THE BIRDBATHS, THEY NEED TO BE REFILLED EVERY MORNING, RAIN OR SHINE!