Decluttering: Part 2

Yes, this is the second post today (miracles do happen) and yes, that is an actual picture of my bedroom while I continue to work on cleaning out my closet.  It's a really good thing I don't care to watch TV, because I can't see it right now.  It's slow going, mostly because I keep finding pictures and I have to look at them.  (That's the "C" in OCD).  However, I also have been cleaning other areas.  I know, skipping to clean out other places isn't really sticking to "the plan,"  but since I'll have to do every place in the house and garage eventually anyway, I figure, what's the difference in the long run?

My mom and I went to the hair stylist several days ago.  Our stylist is a confirmed Catholic.  She and my mother get into discussions about the church and priests and such.  So, this last time, my mom offered our stylist a Catholic bible.  The answer was an emphatic "yes!"  That's how I ended up cleaning out one of the shelving units in the living room.  To find the Catholic bible my mom had in mind.  Sounds fairly simple, eh?  Well, not in our house.  My parents (mostly my mom) had a vast collection of bibles, bible commentaries, bible study aids, concordances and other religious books.  Several years ago, I had gone through these during my Ebay phase.  Anything that looked new, I sold.  Probably four or five bibles or religious texts.  Then, a couple of years ago, I sorted through the bibles and stuff again, donating a few more to the library.  Now, I'm trying to find a specific bible in the more than two dozen bibles on the shelves (not counting all the other associated books).  So I decide, let's make good use of this time and pack up whatever I can to sell or donate.

After keeping all the bibles with ancestral and important event information in them, I was left with about a dozen bibles that I could get rid of.  Most of those had those plastic tabs on them to designate the books of the bible.  Those could only be donated to a charity.  Out of the three or four in good condition, only one had any actual monetary value.  That was the New Jerusalem Bible.  It's unusual and in like-new condition.  The other couple are going to the library.  However, by the time I added all the commentaries, study aids, concordances, prayer books, books on saints, books on grief, biographical books of religious leaders and one really interesting-looking book called Christian Metaphysics (almost kept that one), I had four good-sized boxes full to try and sell.  They are currently stacked in the living room.  Tabitha (alpha cat) has claimed one box as her very own.  I don't know when I'll be able to move that box.

Did you notice anything missing in that ramble of information?  Yeah, didn't find the Catholic bible my mom wants to give our stylist.  After sorting and packing through an episode of Hawaii 5-0 and one of It Takes a Thief, I was sweaty and tired and thirsty.  The process had been more difficult because my mom wanted to see what books I was giving away or selling.  Distracting her was a lot of work!  I leaned back on the couch.  My head lolled to the left.  My eyes narrowed.  On the middle shelf of the entertainment unit on the opposite wall were two good-sized hard-covered books.  Hmmm.  Wonder what those are?  I gathered what's left of my wits and crawled over to the shelf.  The first book is (yet another!) book on Christian living.  The second is--low and behold!--the elusive Catholic bible destined for our stylist!  Mission accomplished!

Yesterday, I loaded the trunk of my car with give-away bags and boxes.  I told Tabitha that I might be taking her box.  She didn't look pleased.  Fortunately for her, I ran out of room before I got to the boxes of books in the living room.  For the time being, her box is still there.  I think I'm going to have to buy some catnip for her in order to take that box away.  If I get her mellow enough, maybe she'll never remember the box.  Yeah, right.

Well, I can dream anyway!