“The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything.” - Chuck Palahniuk

The process of disseminating the contents of a three bedroom, two bath household has been occurring in stages. Something like the stages of grief.

Stage One: Let's make some money!

This stage went into full swing with the concept of Ebay, Craiglist, Half Priced books, consignment shops, and garage sales.   First we went through the house room by room figuring out the few pieces we needed to keep for staging the house, the pieces we need for day to day use, the pieces important enough to store, and those we needed separate from.  It seemed tedious to price, photograph, and post so many things, not to mention driving around town to meet buyers.  But doing so kept us in touch with the path, the road to freedom that was less than a year away.

Coin collection?  Mostly gone with the remnants on Craigslist.  Housewares?  Greatly reduced or moved to the RV for later use.  Clothes?  Donated.  Guest bed, living-room chairs, and piano all sold quickly. Stage One was a major and a minor success all at the same time.  We came to realize that people don't want to pay decent prices for decent stuff.  We'd rather donate than work that hard again bargaining with someone who wants something for nothing.  Some of our stuff is gone and forgotten while some ended up coming back into the house for re-marketing efforts.  Ok.  Round one over and we need to re-think the purge.

Stage Two:  Clean out the closets!

A meeting with a realtor, touch up paint, selling vehicles (there are 3 we must purge) and a thorough review of possessions made it really real.  The 1969 Karmann Ghia can't be a toad (a vehicle we tow behind the RV.)  We still haven't posted the motorcycle but the truck now sits in the neighbor's driveway.  He said since it was always parked in front of his house he might as well own it!

The idea that even the dishes are going came with tears over a hand mixer.  For some reason we needed to keep the mixer, the food processor, or the blender!  Two were gifts from Kathy's Dad so there's definitely emotional attachment.  The mixer will be kept until we move into the RV.  Why?  It seemed ceremonial to a past agreement that had been broken.

One more garage sale planned (violating phantom deed restrictions that no one can produce....)  We've agreed to rock bottom prices and a donation truck at the end of the day.  The date is set for October 5. Care to join us?