I've had a very satisfying morning
Last week, I noticed my "plastics" cupboard was in a huge mess and my bookshelf was too. Usually the books are alphabetised by author and most of them still were, but I'd been shoving extra book into it anywhere they would fit.
I planned on using the weekend to sort these things out. Two days, two jobs.
Then I heard the weather report. Both days were going to be 40C or more and the plastics cupboard is out on the back porch.
In the heat.
The bookshelf is in the bedroom. No air conditioning in there, just a fan.
So those jobs got put on hold.
This morning I woke up to a cooler temperature, a cool breeze and a hungry cat.
Fed the cat, opened the house, prepared to make coffee. oh no! Out of milk. Less than a dribble left in the carton. Had a cup of tea instead.
Shut up the house again, went to the shops for milk and flyspray, came home and ate breakfast.
Then I made the bed, changed the sheets and everything!
I emptied the bookshelf completely,tossing placing all the books on the bed, then getting all the books that had spread themselves throughout the lounge room, added those to the piles on the bed and got busy sorting.
Alphabetically of course.
And back they went, onto the shelves.
The top shelf is twice as high as the others, so I got a double layer of books up there, which meant most of the others fit into the lower shelves.
With three author collections left over. They had to go somewhere, so I hauled the stuffed monkeys out of the small bookshelf and fitted the collections in there.
Jim Butcher-Harry Dresden series; Lee Child-Jack Reacher series; Janet Evanovich-Stephanie Plum series.
Of course, now I have several stuffed monkeys that don't have a home.
I left them sitting on the bed and tackled the plastics cupboard, hauled everything out, matched containers and lids then stacked smaller items inside bigger ones and repacked the cupboard. I'd expected it to take quite a while, but all I needed was a half an hour. Now it is neat again and there is space to spare! Not much, but space. And I'd fitted all my cake pans and cookie sheets in there! So my saucepan cupboard inside is less cluttered.
Then I heard something I haven't heard in a very long time. My stomach growling. I was hungry! I hadn't snacked once all morning. Yay me!
Lastly, I picked up the pile of random books chosen from garage sales and secondhand shops, that I had put aside in the bedroom and brought them to the table. These are books that I will probably read once, then give away. They looked interesting when I bought them, but I haven't even opened them and they've been here six months or more.
I planned on using the weekend to sort these things out. Two days, two jobs.
Then I heard the weather report. Both days were going to be 40C or more and the plastics cupboard is out on the back porch.
In the heat.
The bookshelf is in the bedroom. No air conditioning in there, just a fan.
So those jobs got put on hold.
This morning I woke up to a cooler temperature, a cool breeze and a hungry cat.
Fed the cat, opened the house, prepared to make coffee. oh no! Out of milk. Less than a dribble left in the carton. Had a cup of tea instead.
Shut up the house again, went to the shops for milk and flyspray, came home and ate breakfast.
Then I made the bed, changed the sheets and everything!
I emptied the bookshelf completely,
Alphabetically of course.
And back they went, onto the shelves.
The top shelf is twice as high as the others, so I got a double layer of books up there, which meant most of the others fit into the lower shelves.
With three author collections left over. They had to go somewhere, so I hauled the stuffed monkeys out of the small bookshelf and fitted the collections in there.
Jim Butcher-Harry Dresden series; Lee Child-Jack Reacher series; Janet Evanovich-Stephanie Plum series.
Of course, now I have several stuffed monkeys that don't have a home.
I left them sitting on the bed and tackled the plastics cupboard, hauled everything out, matched containers and lids then stacked smaller items inside bigger ones and repacked the cupboard. I'd expected it to take quite a while, but all I needed was a half an hour. Now it is neat again and there is space to spare! Not much, but space. And I'd fitted all my cake pans and cookie sheets in there! So my saucepan cupboard inside is less cluttered.
Then I heard something I haven't heard in a very long time. My stomach growling. I was hungry! I hadn't snacked once all morning. Yay me!
Lastly, I picked up the pile of random books chosen from garage sales and secondhand shops, that I had put aside in the bedroom and brought them to the table. These are books that I will probably read once, then give away. They looked interesting when I bought them, but I haven't even opened them and they've been here six months or more.
Wow, you need the Dewey Decimal system.
ReplyDeleteNope; I like my own system. Alphabetical by author, then that author's books arranged in proper order of publishing; I check online to see what year each book was written.
ReplyDeleteI keep my books together by subject. So, sociology sit together, Mythology books are together. It works for me. Most of my books are non-fiction. It works for me.
ReplyDeleteA quite satisfying day for you, I think. Cooler weather helps.
ReplyDelete... Hi River..... how great to get the book cases done....... I like to have books by the same author together and any sets together... but that's the extent of the order I go to....
ReplyDeleteI like all my plastic containers to have the lids on and then stacked ...my daughters think I'm silly because they take up more room this way.....but ... no lid means it's recycled out the door... just my way..
Hugs.... Barb xxx
Two things i really enjoy...organization day and chuckin' out day.
ReplyDeleteI hate the plastics drawer. The fact it has never been empty confirms my belief we have too much.
ReplyDeleteA double win- no snacking AND an organized book collection. That would be my idea of satisfaction, too.
ReplyDeleteHi River,
ReplyDeleteI did the same about six months ago with my CD collection. And very satisfying it was too.
:o)
Cheers
PM
You do put me to shame, I just stack my books where they fit not order at all, but I do have a cupboard of favourites that I read more than once.
ReplyDeleteMerle...........
Linda; my books are all fiction, so I don't need to bother with sorting by subject.
ReplyDeleteAndrew; and all done before lunch too. A day of cooler weather seems to bring on a spurt of energy.
Barbara; I like my books orderly, then I can more easily find the one I want, I just look for that author section. I match my containers and lids, but only to be sure each container has a lid, stray containers or stray lids get put into the recycle bin, then the containers get stacked and the lids are stored in the drawer.
Delores; I didn't chuck out as much as I thought I would, only five containers with lids that I have trouble opening now that I have arthritis in my thumbs. And one book, because I had two copies and didn't realise until I sorted.
Joanne; sort and toss, you'll feel better. (*~*)
Marty Damon; I love having my books orderly and I continued the non-snacking today too.
Plasman; I haven't touched my CD collection since I moved in. all the music is on my ipods and in my itunes, so the cds are gathering dust. I haven't bought any new ones, only new songs via itunes.
Merle; the favourites that I want easy access to was the whole idea behind the sorting. They're now in the smaller bookshelf right by my bed.
You have a cupboard just for plastics????? I'm so short of cupboard space and what I do have is really a mess. Thanks for the inspiration to organize.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on to points! Firstly, for a job well done; secondly, for making me feel guilty! :)
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like a good old sorting session.
ReplyDeleteI hope the monkeys have found another comfy home and are happy there :)
Good for you. I'd seen about those two x 40C days. We had one yesterday and today's pretty warm as well (34C).
ReplyDeleteI did sell lots of books some years ago but I find it difficult to get the books I want to read from our library (they tend to have a lot of ebooks these days) so I've begun buying books again. I have the full collection of Lee Child of course and they all sit together. I am now collecting those by Michael Robotham and I have a few by James Patterson. I don't put them in alphabetical order but definitely in groups by author.
My plastic 'stuff' I keep in two boxes in my kitchen cupboard but keep the lids separate from the bowl so as not to take up too much room. I did get rid of some plastics a year of two back as I had too much. Actually sold some on eBay.
Great to be busy enough not to snack I guess but then I don't snack as I seldom feel hungry. Daren't do it anyway as I'd be even bigger than am now, mainly through inability to exercise to any extent.
Where are the monkey's living now? Hope they found a comfy home.