...I can't believe it's been 20 years...

June 24, 1988...
the day I got the keys to my house...
[it did NOT look like this...]

I unlocked the front door...
stepped-in, over MY threshold...
and began pulling up the ugly tan carpet...
exposing the hand-laid parquet hardwood floors...
which would be refinished before I moved-in....

there is STILL[20 years later...] lino and carpet...
GLUED to the hardwood...
in both the office and my bedroom...
[as well as ugly wallpaper in both rooms...]

over the next 2 years, I would paint...
remove layers of wallpaper...
[including 1930's "cherries" in the kitchen....]
layers of contact paper...
mirrored tiles glued to the fireplace
[over Delft ceramic tile...]
and have dangerous wiring "replaced"...

replace the fake-o wood panelling mantle "box"...
with a stained oak mantle ...
remove a giant commercial mirror from over the fireplace...
which I had "swept"...
and then installed a damper and spark cap...

have an aluminum car port cover removed...
from over the front porch...
and a green canvas awning, with period "spears"...
put in it's place...

the garage needed a new roof...
AND the old bifold doors had to be replaced...
a fence was constructed between the house and garage...
enclosing the back yard...

over the last 20 years...
I've landscaped, planted trees and roses...
replaced the green canvas awning twice...

I've installed...
a new roof...[50 year...]
new gutters...
a new heating/AC system...
a new electrical "box"...
had asbestos removed...

did a "small" kitchen make-over...
had the LR/DR repainted ...
[thanks to J & G...]
the floors "cleaned" and sealed...

had the wall AC turned into a stained glass window...
replaced ALL my LR/DR furniture....
[put together from kits...thanks to M & G...]
and replaced all my major appliances & bed...
[thanks to AMEX...]

I'm now on the cusp of the "bath redo"...
and besides the bath mess...
there are the foundation issues on the NE corner...
and the floors in both the office & bedroom...
as well as the mess therein...

and we won't even mention...

the back yard...

OR

the garage...

at least, not here...

so to celebrate my 20 years "here"...
I thought it only fitting to celebrate...
by "uncluttering" something...

packrat that I am...I've ALWAYS had a BUNCH of clothes..
my closet has always been stuffed with "several" sizes...
most of which didn't fit...but I didn't want to throw them away...

so to "mark" this milestone...
I present to you my closet...


to get here [basically one/two sizes]
I took 8 large bags of clothes to Goodwill...
plus one bag of shoes...

[disclaimer...]
I have only this closet for clothes...
[I have a hall closet with 4 or 5 jackets/coats]
the 4 built-in drawers below this shot ...
contain a couple of hooded sweatshirts, shorts,
unused hangers & some seasonal storage...

yes... most of the hanging stuff you see is "black & white"...
[musician...remember ?]
there are also a couple of "Aloha" shirts and other shirts that you can't see...

the wire baskets house sweaters & sweatshirts...
jeans, cords & khakis are stashed on the right...
top left are suitcases[2], top center...my winter bedspread...

and top right...[hidden behind the door, but still there...]
my full academic "garb" [Masters gown w/Master's hood
in pink (music) orange & black (school colors) ...
& mortarboard (with a pink tassel) ]....
(don't ask me who decided that the academic color for music should be "pink"...)
[and I still have it because I had to buy it, OK ?...]

I have a small cedar chest with 3 drawers...one with wool...
2 holding turtlenecks/winter tops/scarves & gloves[not wool]
and a large chest of drawers with underware, sox, tops, summer and winter tees, thermal long johns etc...
none of the drawers are full... anymore...

so what you see is, what I have...
[that includes about 13 pairs of shoes...
including boots[2], athletic shoes[4], Crocs[3] and old Birkies[3]...]

I honestly cannot remember EVER having less clothes...
since, maybe before high school...

so here's hoping that 20 years from now...
I'll still be "here"...
with everything still "working"...
and NO clutter...