GIVE AWAY, PUT AWAY, THROW AWAY

It is the first Sunday in October.  It is time to renew our spirits and enjoy the peace that awaits us as the Flylady says.  The New York children have returned home.  The holidays are over and it is time to do a Super Fling Boogie in my fridge. Body clutter is the most personal clutter of all and the first step is to purge the cupboards of all the temptations and the fridge of holiday leftovers that have run their course or contribute to bad eating habits. 

I am gratified though, to all who are around me that I have become known as the food lady not only for my cats and dog but for my grandchildren, my sons and daughters-in-law and my close friends who received one of the twenty honey cakes I made.  This morning my granddaughter Allegra was following me around the kitchen until her scrambled eggs were ready.  She likes the way I do them and that makes me happy.  My daughter-in-law, Dara, who is with child has done a wonderful job of clearing out a couple of honey cakes, extraneous bean salads, kugels and the like.  She confessed and apologized for eating all the meringue from the frozen lemon torte, making such a mess of it that she had to throw the rest in the garbage.  Food is there to eat but when it is done and the party is over it is time to get rid of it all.  It is like the flowers and decorations at a party. They look so beautiful at the event but when it is over, it is time to say good-bye to them.  It has served its purpose as did all the delectable food I made for the holidays and my family.

Now, so you don't think that food is the only thing on my mind, Sunday is also a day when I go around doing my 5-minute room rescue or "fling boogie".  It is when I go like a bat out of hell from room to room seeking some semblance of order.  I think this will be the week to also focus on the exploding pile of papers on my kitchen and office desks.  Statistics says that 95% of paper clutter comes from junk mail and newspapers but mine also includes loot bags from parties, cards and gift wrap that come with the many holiday gifts.

This week I am determined to get my body clutter, fridge clutter, paper clutter under control.  The weather has suddenly turned.  It is cold, it is damp, it is October.  Time also to think of getting the furnaces checked, the air conditioning turned off, the pool closed, the floor heaters turned on and preparing for winter. 

The one good thing I am looking forward to today is a nice hot bowl of chicken soup.