Good work, if you can get it

One of my favorite tasks is to reorganize book shelves. Christmas decorations will soon 

be placed in the biggest spaces on these shelves.

Several years ago daughter Kirstin and I had a saying: "Save the best for last!" It was one Monday afternoon when I experienced the "worst for last."

I had saved our 28-year-old daughter's papers from preschool through high school, and it was time to cull the lot. A thankless task! I quieted my maternal emotions and edited two boxes of school projects down to a manageable level. It was near the culmination of a momentous job that caused a lot of strife and lack of sleep.

The home project to end home projects got its start eight months ago. I retired and made myself two goals: Clean and organize the house, and keep up on my scrapbooking hobby.

In the top photo, it’s heavy-duty shelf coverings for storing pans. 
The photo, above, shows how I did the drawers. 

It took a while to tackle the first of these goals and the project spread over 22 days in November. It came down to going through every single drawer, shelf and closet in our three-story home, adding high-end shelf paper where possible, cleaning and editing the contents.

Exhausting, pricey work, if you can get it.

There are both fitness and health benefits to house-cleaning. According to an Internet search, keeping a house tidy helps improve the health of occupants: It reduces stress, improves home safety and reduces allergy and asthma symptoms. In addition it's a physical workout to sweep, mop and vacuum.

We built the house 25 years ago, and my mother-in-law, Carol and I cleaned it after the construction crew left. That's the last time the place was as tidy as it is now.

The bulk of November meant upending much of our lives, judging what to keep, what to toss and what to donate. While the worst part for me was the childhood school projects the first step, on Nov. 5, was on the top level of the house, in the linen closet.

Culling out old towels, wash clothes, bedsheets, pillows, childhood blankets, and making room for the belongings of Empty Nesters wasn't too tough. We have plenty of room in this house!

After I emptied the drawers, closets or shelves, I cleaned and dusted each. Then I added the shelf paper. This was an endless process because I tend to be a little OCD, and follow a carpenter's advice: Measure twice, cut once.

It was basically fall house-cleaning, with the addition of the work in storage areas. Both Steve and I have closed up family homes, and we have some of the belongings of our parents in addition to what you normally find in a place where a long-married couple lives.

Steve took boxes and boxes to Goodwill (need a new valance and the hardware to go with it? Check second-hard stores) while I took a few days off for family events. Next up: Christmas decorating, and the joys of the holiday season. I intend to enjoy all that is out there, as much as possible!