Think of me on Friday

Whirlingbetty is back!  I have not been blogging lately because I have been spending every waking moment (except when I'm at work) organizing, purging, and cleaning my house.  That may not sound like a big deal, but it is for me.  I've been a lifelong slob, a fact which was only barely masked by recent (over the past few years) efforts to sweep the mess under the rug.

I've always had a sort of vague dream of getting my act together regarding my physical environment, but I never really believed it would happen.  In this dream, I knew what possessions I owned and where they were located.  There was no excess- I only owned what I needed.  My paperwork was so clearly organized that anyone could come into my house and know everything there is to know about me and my affairs.

Suddenly, without warning, I began.the process.  This was 2 months ago, so I'm not exactly sure, but I think the first thing I accomplished was to organize a kitchen drawer (after tossing out most of its contents).  From there I moved to a cupboard, and then another.  I started to obsess over purging, either by giving things away or tossing junk into the trash or recycling bin.

I was on a roll. Then, seemingly as a reward for my efforts, the Victorian house downtown which I wanted to buy at a foreclosure auction in March suddenly became available again after having been withdrawn from the March sale.  The new sale date is this Friday, July 16. 

When I learned about my renewed chance to buy the Victorian house, my efforts to get my current house in order took on new meaning.  Now I thought of it as preparing to move, to show my house for sale, and for clearing the way for new things in my life.
 
Here's an example of one room's before and after shots:

Most remarkable, though, is the basement, which used to be my dumping ground for anything I didn't know what to do with but couldn't be bothered to figure out.  Every last inch of it is now organized and cleaned:

Every day over the past 2 months I sorted, examined, purged, cleaned.  I didn't know if I'd ever finish, but this Friday, July 16 was my goal.  It appears that I'm going to reach my goal, since I'm now putting the finishing touches on my organizing.  The house looks so different with all of the junk gone.  One last batch of give-ways will be picked up by a charity on Thursday.

Each Friday I have attended the sheriff's sales in which houses in foreclosure are auctioned off.  I had to learn how to bid by observing how it's done!  It's very daunting.  But I think I understand how things work and the degree of effort and risk involved in foreclosure purchases.

Yesterday I went to take one last look at  the house I'll be bidding on (if I don't faint during the auction).  Here's the ultra cool front:

 And this is the view through the back gate looking into the backyard, which I find equally charming:

My longtime readers know how many years I've been trying to find a way to live in this downtown pedestrian neighborhood.  This time, I've done everything humanly possible to make it happen as far as setting up the right conditions.  I'm all ready for moving, for starting a new life, for selling my current house, and I'm prepared to bid on my dream house!   Wish me luck on Friday (July 16) at around 9:15am EST!!


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