I have spent my day doing the task I like the least: pulling everything out of my junk drawers and stow-it cabinet in preparation for the upcoming school year.
I teach privately at home and I have been using the buffet that’s in the picture for papers, books, receipts, and anything else that needs a secure spot and is mine. I want to change that and put napkins and tablecloths in the buffet, along with serving dishes. After all, that’s what the cabinet is for and using it for that purpose will open up some space in my kitchen, which I need.
Needless to say, the buffet has gotten junked up since the last time I tackled all of the debris, which was at least 3 – 4 years ago. I had piles of papers from my students: essays, stories, and quick writes, along with my stash of novel chapter drafts, as well as flash fiction and nonfiction stories and essays. In addition, I had stacks of paperwork from church and volunteer involvement, all of which were no longer useful to anybody. So, with great pleasure I tossed all of that, and re-organized my students’ writing, throwing away some and keeping some, depending on what it was. I also discovered a stack of personal journals almost waist-high. These I put in a suitcase to store them. One of these days, I will be thrilled to peruse those journals, particularly when I have more time on my hands. For now, they will be safe.
The next question is a bit more complicated. Where do I put everything that came out of that cabinet? I don’t want to just go back to the stow-it-while-it-gathers-dust approach. But the alternative? I don’t have one yet, so I will resume this clean-up in the morning when I’m fresh.
Maybe I need a filing cabinet with hanging folders. Does anybody have a good organizational tip for lots of old papers and small miscellaneous stuff? I could use one.
Hopefully, by tomorrow I’ll have come up with a method so the buffet can be filled with true buffet items, and my papers will be somewhere else. Again, don’t hesitate to offer help if you have any good ideas!
On that note, I’ll close. Nothing like sorting and cleaning to make a person tired….
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