CLEANING OUT

It may not be Spring, but there is some "spring cleaning" going on. The weather is mild and balmy, and the humidity has gone for a while. The slightly cooler days are conducive to tasks like cleaning out the old laundry.

Our "old laundry", so named because this was where Bernie's mum did her washing when she lived here all those years ago. (We have the luxury of a laundry inside the house.) It is one of the rooms in a two room shed just behind our house, and over the years has always been a convenient dumping ground for "stuff." Too convenient, in fact, and I had to admit it had reached the stage where some of the stuff needed to be liberated.

There was old sports equipment for a start, like this golf trolley and a rather depleted bag of rusty old clubs. The concrete tubs you can see behind are definitely staying. They don't make them like that any more! are just so handy when there are big items to be cleaned up.

The small suitcase you can see contains masses of plastic cutlery - of the sort of quality they made about thirty years ago. Stronger than some of the modern metal stuff, I reckon. Cannot part with that, either! Besides, it actually belongs to a local organisation that is still functioniong, but which long ago forgot they owned this stuff, and is quite unlikely to ever need to use it, We are all too old to cater for big numbers any more like we used to.

 The croquet set is staying too - although it has only been taken out once or twice in the last decade!

Now, it is quite a few years since we kept peacocks, but I am still a bit sentimental about these lingering reminders. I think they will stay there and await a day when I feel a little more ruthless!

These old shoe cleaning brushes got a reprieve too. There are more than a dozen of them, and they are beautiful quality - but sadly, are rarely used anymore!

But I did turf out loads of junk - really and truly! I gradually piled it onto the patio, and from there Bernie sorted it and put into the back of the pick up truck ready to go to the Waste Management Centre. There were piles of old magazines, including loads of Craft, Gardening, and House and Garden types. I felt so virtuous in resisting the temptation to thumb through them!

 However, most of these books and old household items will wait for another day when I feel motivated.

 Among the junk was a whole suitcase of fabrics. They were all in remarkably good condition, but just so dated!! I cannot believe I was ever inspired by this insipid lot! They will go to the Remnant box at the Op shop. I am sure the ginghams, at least, will appeal to someone. Fancy, I have finally matured enough to be able to part with them!

Inside a little plastic bag, I found these pieces from a fabric that was produced a couple of decades ago, featuring iconic Aussie grocery labels. I no longer find them the least bit appealing, but feel I should save them for some future generation looking for heirloom treasures!

Anyway, I can finally see enough floor space in the old laundry to actually sweep the floor, and I am off to do that now!