Down to the last crap...

[Readytogo]

Oh no, another one! If we ever have "knitting around the campfire" I guess I could watch!

[Dawn309]

Oh no, another one! If we ever have "knitting around the campfire" I guess I could watch!

I'm sure we could turn you into a convert!

[Sandersmr]

Oh no, another one! If we ever have "knitting around the campfire" I guess I could watch!

I'm sure we could turn you into a convert!

Uh oh - am I going to have to re-learn how to knit before the Texas GTG? I think I still have boxes of yarn in the spare bedroom. But if I brought them, Red would definitely have to sleep in Dawn's tent. I would have to pitch mine to store the yarn at night

[avalen]

well I used to have 4 large rubbermaid tubs of fabrics but when I was getting the rv ready to put in storage, well the fabrics just had to go, since
my sewing machine was broke. Sold those tubs of fabric to a quilter, ($40) great bargain for her but now I've got this little sewing machine I'll have to collect
a little fabric now and then for quilts again. Its all do-able but think I'll use up some of my yarn first. (by then I might have a decent sewing machine)

[Travelinana]

I ran across my bag of yarn and needles I purchased 25 years ago thinking I was going to learn to knit and crochet. Well, you know I didn't get very far. I was about to put it in a box that is going to leave but decided I would just bring it with me and let you girls give me lessons. The only handwork I ever liked was chicken scratch and I did alot of it. For some reason I was lousy at crewel or needlepoint. I probably won't carry my sewing machine at first but I can't get rid of it. Thank goodness I took all my fabric to the consignment store several months ago.
I finally have a system going. I have laid awake at night feeling so lost in all this stuff, not really knowing how to sort with the least handling of boxes and bags. I have started with the Living Room and I am putting things to be sold against one wall and things to put in storage against another wall while also loading those big contractor bags with throw aways. I will do this in every room then do the garages. I will then bring a dealer in and let him or her look at what I have in each room and garage and give me a lump sum price. I have tossed the matter around long enough. I might make a little more money with garage sales but the additional work of doing it this way is too much now. I can now see where this will go fairly quickly. The sooner someone comes and loads it all up the sooner I can get a cleaning service in here and put it on the market officially.

[Dawn309]

Nancy, sounds like you have a good system going. I am doing one room at a time too. When I finish that room, I go to the next. Otherwise, I feel like I am going around in circles. I started out feeling completely overwhelmed until I decided to start at the back of the house and work my way to the craft room. I really have cleared a lot out of the craft room too but that was when I felt like I was going around in circles. I cleared out the back bedroom except for the furniture, but Echo can tell you it is stacked full again with MH items. I am leaving our bedroom until last because that will be the hardest room for me to clear out.

I know you can do this just like I know I can. Stay strong!

[Getupngo]

Dawn, you are my hero right now ... you are working so hard and are being so brave. But give yourself permission to just take a breather when you start going in circles. You have had a huge loss and this kind of confusion is normal. I understand about the bedroom being the toughest. Every time I tried to take my husband's clothes out of the closet it was like an electric shock. Like having him die again.

I finally was able to pack them out after a few months, but I couldn't take them from the garage to the donation place. That meant acknowledging ---once again -- that he was dead. I guess I could have just ripped off the band-aid, but It was a process.

Hugs to you.

[Dawn309]

Janice, after Chuck passed I washed up all his clothes that were in the laundry. I folded, put away and hung up just like always. It was as if I had to make sure everything was right where it should be if there had been a mistake and he could come back home. This was totally unrealistic. I had watched him breath his last as I held his hand and stroked his cheek. I had seen him in his casket for hours on end, but I just could not accept he was truly gone. Since then, I have only opened his closet once and went to pieces. Janice, I am not strong at all. I ask Chuck for guidance and strength all the time. From the first time the doctors told me they did not expect him to come off life support and live, he fought for almost 7 more years to stay alive. During those years, he would tell me he would stay with me for as long as he could. He was a fighter and the strongest person I have ever known. I still lean on his strength.

Last night I was telling him I was scared of not being able to handle the motorhome. I woke up around 4 this morning from a dream where I was driving my motorhome. In my dream, everything was fine and I was very relaxed behind the wheel. I know it probably sounds crazy, but I feel like he is still with me and still letting me lean on his strength. While he was alive I knew I could anything because he was 100% behind me and my biggest cheerleader.

[Sandersmr]

Dawn - you may very well may be feeling Chuck's presence. My mom said she felt my dad for a while after he died, then he went and tormented my sister. She got the devastating news that her cancer spread about that time, so he was there for her when she needed him.

And my mom had us clean out my dad's closet pretty early on. There were only a couple of drawers in his dresser that she saved for a while and one was his "junk" drawer. My BIL had Kathy and I clean out Mary's stuff right away before we left after the funeral. It saved him having to face it later on his own.

[Echo]

Dawn, you will do the bedroom and get thru it fine. Sure you will cry but I firmly believe that Chuck is there cheering you on. This is something he knew that you would have to do and he also knew and made you promise to go full time cause it was something that you wanted to do. I think he let go and passed on because he had confidence in you that you could and would do this. He's still got your back and so do we. We are all here cheering you on too!!!

Go thru the stuff and do what has to be done. Cry, it wont hurt a thing. Keep a couple of his T-shirts if you want, you can wear them to clean in or sleep in.

You go girl!!!!

[VickieP]

I kept one of my Mom's nightgowns, put it in a ziplock bag. I can still open it and "smell" her smell. It's probably just the detergent, but I used the same detergent and softener for years and it wasn't the same. Just an idea.

[Sandersmr]

Dawn, you will do the bedroom and get thru it fine. Sure you will cry but I firmly believe that Chuck is there cheering you on. This is something he knew that you would have to do and he also knew and made you promise to go full time cause it was something that you wanted to do. I think he let go and passed on because he had confidence in you that you could and would do this. He's still got your back and so do we. We are all here cheering you on too!!!

Go thru the stuff and do what has to be done. Cry, it wont hurt a thing. Keep a couple of his T-shirts if you want, you can wear them to clean in or sleep in.

You go girl!!!!

I have a couple of Daddy's "old man" sweaters - IZOD cardigans - that I wear from time to time. I keep one in my office at work for when they try the meat locker mode.