In April I have to go in for the testing to check on my thyroid cancer again. Fingers crossed that everything is good and then I think…I’m not positive but I think…I don’t have to go back for another year or two. I don’t want to get too far ahead in my thinking. One step at a time but that would be so great if this could be a little further behind me. I think everyone who has experienced cancer deals with the one more test…one more test….anxiety. I’m good and not bothered by it but it is in always in my mind.
Anyway…to have the tests done I have to be on a diet for two weeks…then I have a week off of work as I have to drive to Lacrosse (a two hour drive there and another two back) to get shots or pills to prep for the test. As much as I hate the tests, I love the time off….but I want to accomplish something during the time so I get the earliest appointments and hurry home to sew or whatever I want.
Lately I’ve been walking around the house saying….the windows need to be washed. If you don’t do it before testing, you have to do it then. My African Violets needed attention…I say if you don’t do it now, you have to do it then. The stack of charity quilts…if I don’t do them now..I have to do them then. It’s been a great motivator as I want some me time sewing time then…not time to do chores and chores!
So on my list was going through my clothes…. I did it the day I repotted my African Violets. I figured I would be going up and down the steps with Violets I might as take something down when I went. I’m not a girl with a HUGE closet. I have PLENTY clothes but nothing to fill a big walk in closet. I managed to weed out this big pile. It was a big garbage bags’ worth.
One of the biggest problems I have is that shirts shrink up and then I don’t like them. I try to hang them but I still get some shrinkage. UGH. Another problem I have is that I don’t think through the purchase better…the slippers, I got them from the thrift store fore $1. The bottoms are slippery though…so out they go.
I had a pile to throw out….not as big as the other pile but still…see?
I am SO terrible at throwing things out. This time I did good though. I even threw out the socks that didn’t have a match. I have no mismatched socks at this point.
As I sorted through my socks…I did my normal chuckle. I have brand new socks in the back of my sock drawer…I just don’t open them. I get to the point I know I need new socks…I buy some I put them in the back of the drawer unopened. UGH. I always think…I can wear them once more. I didn’t REALLY need new socks. UGH. Then two month later I’m in town. I need new socks and buy them….then I start my typical, “are those socks really that bad”…no. I’ll just put these socks in the back of the drawer and pull them out when I REALLY need them. UGH. It’s a never ending circle!!! My true confession…I do it with underwear too. I currently have two pack of unopened underwear and four packs of socks. Someone please stop me!
The funny thing is…when we cleaned out my parents house after my dad died….Dad must have done it too. There were three giant packs of unopened socks. My sister looked curiously at them. Nope-not me…I totally understood!
Please tell me someone else out there does this too???!!
I think it all started back when the kids were all at home. We didn’t have any extra money. Hubby would get a bonus check and I’d buy everyone socks and underwear…I’d tuck mine in the back of the drawer and wait until I needed them. Now, even though I can afford socks whenever I need them, I still do it.
I am not a messy hoarder…the house is clean and organized. My sock and underwear drawer are as neat as a pin. I just have extra socks and underwear in unopened packages.
A true confession….I have unopened shoe boxes too. That started after foot surgery. I found shoes I liked and FIT. It was really hard for awhile to find any shoes that fit. Once I did, I bought an extra pair of each….so now I do it with shoes too. Oh my.
I guess there are worse things in life than being a sock, underwear and shoe hoarder…..
So my clothes have been gone through…that’s one more thing checked off that I don’t have to do when I have my week off. There’s plenty more on the list though so I’m off. The file cabinet is on the list and I’m sitting right next to it. UGH…nope, I’m not quite ready to tackle that yet.
Sorry Jo but I throw out my old socks and underwear when I get new ones!
I do the underwear/sock thing. Got new packs as I write this, will open someday soon… ;-) I use old socks for free disposable dust rags.
Unopened socks? I wish! I have three teenagers in the house. There are never any socks. They are buried in dark places. That is all. LOL
I’m like you about socks, I always think I can wear them one more time. My sock drawer is FULL.
I do a thing where every time I buy socks or long johns or bras, if I buy three, then three have to go away. I do that with old work pants, too. If a new pair comes in, then an old pair has to go. Some things go to St Vinnies but normally I am so frugal that clothes are too disgusting to appear in public so they become cleaning rags. I will never run out of cleaning rags at this rate. I am a super careful shopper based on years of poverty while raising kids and paying off the mortgage and then saving for retirement. I really understand how we all have certain habits based on being frugal. Nice that everyone is sharing so openly…..
Speaking of throwing away clothing….recently I dropped off some items at Goodwill, and saw a large roll of green tape with “SELVAGE” marked all over the tape. I asked what it was for, and she said it was for the clothing that couldn’t be worn any more, and was sent to a roofing company. I’d heard about this, but thought it might not be true. Seems it actually does happen!
So consider taking unusable clothing to Goodwill, and let them send it off to be recycled!!
I do not throw away odd socks…. I put them on my hand and clean something….. and THEN throw away the odd sock.
Absolutely! I always think I can wear it, whatever it is, one more time. I dislike shopping for clothes so – if I find jeans or bras or underwear or shoes that I like, I will buy multiples just so I won’t have to shop again for a while. So yup, I currently have a bag of new socks and a pair of athletic shoes in the box waiting for the weather to straighten out, I do a shoe rotation when it no longer muddy on my daily walk. Old garden shoes to garbage, walking shoes move to garden shoes, house shoes to walking shoes and then I break out the new ones! Silly, I know.
You are so normal. Love it. Hugs!
I do exactly what you do. So nice to know someone else does the same thing. We had 4 children to raise and learned to hoard my socks, underwear and shoes because mom was always last to get new things (I actually would ask for socks and underwear for xmas) and then hoard them away because my old things might just last a little longer. Now my children are all on their own but I still hoard these things. Trying to get better about this but it is so hard to break the cycle.
I think most of us have been touched by that most hated disease, cancer. My husband had Hodgkin’s disease and I do remember the follow up visits. They had to do some painful tests to make sure it hadn’t come back for several years. He’s been cancer free for a long time now. I rarely think about it unless another dear friend has found its time for the battle of their life. Thankfully they have so many good drugs to help, many more than they did when my husband went through his therapy. My prayers are with you Jo and please keep us posted.
I always have to wash new clothes before I wear them, unless it’s something that won’t be against the skin, like a coat. So new socks or underwear go right in the wash and then into rotation.
Oh yes — Well maybe I can wear it one more time-itis. I grew up frugal and had to take care of all that I had, which was minimal. I have both new undies and socks waiting for me to feel free to let of my old ones. I still get anxious when I have my cancer checkups. I try to keep my cancer in God’s hands, but I often grab my concerns back from Him.
I said I grew up frugal, but it is not very evident not when people look at my quilting fabric stash. I often say if I sewed all my fabric into 1 quilt it might cover my entire town LOL.
I had to laugh when you said you didn’t have mismatched socks – I worked with a young girl that would pull on the first 2 socks that she came across. One morning, I commented that I liked her (mismatched) socks, and then remarked that she must have a pair just like them at home. She thought for a minute, and then she replied that yes, she did! She seemed amazed that I knew that!
I am the same way with socks and underwear and bras; AND dish clothes and dishtowels!
I admit…I do it for dish cloths and dish towels too!