Why My Garage Will Never Be Completely Organized

The first three months of 2014 are almost gone and I'm only on my 7th post here. 

I apologize. I've been cleaning out the attic and garage. We freshened up a newly vacated bedroom. Going through my son's closet was a bit scary, but we made it.

The last son moved out to share a house nearby with a friend. This is taking some getting used to.

But the room is all painted up after 15 years of boy scuffs, marks and closet graffiti had dirtied up the walls. Looks quite nice now. What a coat of flat white paint can do!!

The carpet was finally mended where the puppy dog who's now 8 chewed at the door. And the carpet is cleaned and has a nice shade of green instead of yuk.

New photos from son, Jesse of New York's skyline adorn the walls along with charcoal sketches of New Orleans I picked up at a garage sale. Add in daughter, April's framed photos of family get together 3 years ago.

The attic was another story, but we managed to throw out files from 1996 and 2006. How on earth did we save them for so long!





The garage is half cleaned.


But here's the reason why my garage will never fully be organized.

- And that as fast as I heave out boxes from the attic I will carry them up the ladder to fill it
again -

 It's because  I keep having birthdays and receiving touching cards from my children. Like most moms, it's the tender notes from my tough boys that really get me. Especially when they apologize for being trouble all their lives. How can a mom resist hoarding?

Front of card: "My Cell Phone is also a camera."

Inside: "Your card is also a present. This is a great age we live in!"

 This was the card from my youngest who is 18:  

Mom! It's your day and too few of them come around. You're always there to comfort, help, advise, intervene...and with a sweet heart. There were many times I acted annoyed, ugly and rebelliously apathetic toward your efforts. It was most all for foolishness and laziness. Would that I could take it back! But now I can only thank you for being up for a fight by the fifth child. :) So thank you for your strength of character and discipline. You are an inspiration. I am blessed a million times over to have you, mom! I love you so much! Happy Birthday.

Even now as I clean my desk (for the fourth time this week) I keep promising myself to throw out the stack of month-old birthday cards and a November anniversary wish.

I 

Just

Can't!!!

 

Then, with one eye open and the other closed,  I slide the card containing the shortest inscription into the wicker wastebasket.

But that's it.

The rest will end up in a box
that will end up in the laundry room,
that will end up on the work bench in the garage
that will end up in the attic
for another 10 years,
until I attempt to
organize my garage and attic
again!