parasitegirl | 100 Days of Goodbyes, Day 50: Traps

Oh, yeah.
I didn't forget about 100 days of decluttering.
I "just" fell into a depression/ was busy/ had legitimate clusterfuckery events to deal with.

And I promised myself at 50 I'd get some more yoga-capris.

Tonight, after I got choreography all polished up for tomorrow's classes (we have a cherry blossom festival students will be performing in next weekend, so they need to finish learning the choreo....) I decided it was time to declutter some more. And, yes, it was a ritual purge that was more about the last few weeks then it was about the objects in my apartment, but I didn't have to hunt too hard for items to get rid of.

I didn't need my too-large-for-me, not-worn-for-3-year red two-peice swimsuit...because I have another not-quite-right-for-me PINK one I bought for D's disaster of a visit here the summer after the earthquake when I realized I needed professional intervention for depression issues. Now I'm down to one meh swimsuit.

I've made a sizable dent in the photos. I now only have one cardboard file cabinet of them, not two! This gives me space for teaching supplies. I started bringing teaching supplies home a few days ago...when I was ready to run away to the circus/pre-schools...because they are over-flowing the city-hall space we have for such things. Now, because I'll be going to so many schools, it'll make sense to have them on hand when I set off in the morning...and I'll be the only one of the three of us needing the items for 1st-4th grade.

My mother also continues her "inspired by me" declutter. Her task is twice mine, because she has to deal with the items I've left (kept) back home. It's not all bad for her, she's got a delightful collection of expensively framed itaglio prints, but she also encounters things like this:

"For many years there has been a metal, rectangular box in the basement near the now visible furnace. I have moved the box around from time to time, for some reason believing that it contained old art supplies of yours. Tonight I decided not to be overly nostalgic about outdated art supplies that I would never use and you will never need. So I dragged the box over under a light and opened it. That wasn't easy. The locking device was unusual. But I persisted. The box is empty. It is not an art supply box. It's a World War II-era live trap for large racoons or small bears. WTF? How did this get into my basement? Do you know? "

I do not. I suspect that it was the sort of thing I probably brought home from time to time when I was away at art school...figuring I'd find some sort of purpose for it. If I did, I don't think >I< knew what it was. I no doubt thought it was a sinister-looking-box that should be made into some other sort of sinister-looking usable item. When Dean Mommy first sent me the above mail I couldn't picture anything...but now I've got a vague shape my head that may be what she's talking about. I've asked for photos to jog my memory.