Of all the tasks of reordering that I had in mind this year, the one I dreaded the most was the attic. “Out of sight, out of mind,” certainly applied to this huge space above our second floor. Accessible by a wobbly ladder which opened into my husband’s closet, it held many boxes of who knew what. Another barrier to dealing with its contents was the temperature. Either, as in the three bears, too hot or too cold, the attic is off limits most of the year. But I was determined.
Last week, somewhat moderate temperatures available, I tackled the chaos. I worked for five days in a row, two to three hours a day, sorting stuff and putting it in the new bins purchased for the job. All the old cardboard boxes went out a window and were recycled by my husband.
While some of the contents belong to me, much doesn’t. Who could resist the chance to store stuff at our house? Now if the people to whom most of these bins belong will only climb up that ladder and take them. At least they will know what is in each one!
Saved By Words 
You are a marvel, and I am applauding!
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Thanks.
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You shame me with your industry and organisation. Our loft is full to bursting, and I have little idea what is up there!
Best wishes, Pete.
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For some reason, since it was over our bedroom, I kept being bothered by the mess. Irrational, but true. Now I know and no longer care!
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Oh my! To have a beautiful, organized space like that!!!
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If it was heated I might just go sit up there and grin.
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Wow, well done!
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Good for you! No attic here, but our garage is in need of (continual) cleanup and organization..
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My husband does do the garage each year. I can’t believe how quickly it gets filled up again with “I might need it some day” stuff.
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I cleared the attic, totally, a few years ago. I feel very smug!
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I am impressed. You should feel smug. Now we can form an “Organized Attics” society. Probably very few members though.
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You should charge rent for the stuff other people store in your attic (unless they’re storing valuables, in which case they could just leave the stuff to you in their wills). 😉
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Great plan. Maybe I could even store other peoples’ stuff, rather like those Storage Units everywhere. Now I have the room.
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You must have felt a new awakening after you tackled this. As to the owners, I’m guessing they are your children. I have a sad story to tell. My children don’t want their stuff. I’m still hanging onto things because I know their children will care one day. Sigh!
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Yes they are my children’s. They do want the stuff. Just not “right now.” I wonder why your kids don’t want their stuff.
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I wonder why, too… sigh!
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I’ll be you had a sense of accomplishment when you finished. These kinds of jobs are not for the faint of heart.
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I wear a Fitbit and it recorded measurable activity similar to exercising. It was a truly challenging task.
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Wel done! An unpleasant but satisfying job completed.
My sisters and I had the task of clearing our parents’ home earlier this year. Various things came to my house and have sat in the spare room until the last week or two when I’ve begun the task of sorting through. Included were 3 large boxes of my own children’s things (and a smaller one of my childhood treasures which I’d thought long lost.) Like you, Elizabeth, my parent’s loft had become a repository for many things which were not theirs. (And a lot of things which were.) Now I’m in the process of storing what is to be kept in clear, labelled, plastic crates. A lot easier for whoever has to look at it all in years ahead.
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I think a wonderful book could be centered on the attic clearing process. Let me know if you ever run into a novel like that. I have mementos even of my grandmother–locks of her hair! Not sure what should happen to those things.
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We have no attic in our house but we do have boxes crammed in every nook and cranny. We have now managed to move long stored items to their rightful owners. It is one check off of the retirement ‘to do’ list.
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Well done. I haven’t gotten the “rightful owners” to take their stuff. At least it is now labeled.
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It can take a while.
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Wow – that looks like it was a hard job but so satisfying in the end!
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Hey–hello. I have missed seeing you and hope to reconnect soon.
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Same – got out of the habit of coming here – and writing here. Had an idea of directing writing energy more for publication and in the end did no writing at all instead. Oops!
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Oops indeed. I had assumed you were doing writing for publication. I hope you do write more in any format.
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Hey! I just submitted a piece to two litmags *finally* – I’ve only been thinking about it for about nine months!
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Very exciting. Let me know how it goes.
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When my three sisters left home they left a whole lot of stuff behind. When my parents packed up their big house and moved to a cottage on our property, they brought a lot of it with them so we could store it. Two of my three sisters lived with me for periods and left more stuff here. I can seriously relate to your conundrum, Elizabeth.
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I am glad you know exactly what I mean! I hope your sisters left labels on the boxes.
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