Christmas break has been a welcome reprieve for my family and I. Tracy took some days off, I didn't have to work, and Shea spent all her time with us. It was a wonderful holiday. While we did do the family gatherings, the gift-giving, the holiday dinners, etc, the best part of the whole week was the days that followed.
Tracy, Shea and I basically hunkered down in the house and simply rested, played, and enjoyed each other's company. I spent almost no time on email or any other electronic media. We played with all of Shea's new toys, and simply enjoyed our time together as a family.
By the end of the third day or so, I got the itch to clean. The cleaning started simply as putting the boxes away, putting new clothes away in the closet, but it quickly escalated into filing all of my comics into their polybags with cardboard backs and slotting them into their proper longboxes. From there, it meant cleaning out all of the cupboards in the office. From the cupboards, it moved into my closet, my dresser, the downstairs closets, Shea's, etc.
Tracy, Shea, and I wound up putting together almost six bags of things for donation. We filled up our recycle bin, our garbage, and a couple of other bags that will have to wait until next week's pickup. There are cupboards in my house that are empty, organized, clean. My office is organized, books are put away on proper bookshelves, and by desk is ready for use.
I am ready to start the new year in this new space. I think back to Madeline DeFrees and her craft talk at the Pacific MFA. She told us how she knew a creative spurt was coming on, the formation of a poem, when she began "clearing the decks." Clutter can be a physical situation, but it can also extend its reach into the mental landscape. I'm hoping I've made some space here.
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