Adventures in Organizing

[vanillafluffy]

GK got back from GA slightly after midnight last night, and began cracking the whip in the kitchen.

While she was gone, I'd managed to get all the canned goods into the lower half of the pantry, and took everything except the spices out of the upper cabinets to the left of the sink. Then I put all my Corningware and Pyrex into that space. Right now there's nothing in that inconvenient cabinet over the stove, and there's a helluva lot more room in the upper cabinets to the right of the sink.

The plan calls for the bulk of foodstuffs NOT to be in the kitchen. A lot of it got pitched or given away to good homes. Apparently Bestie's family situation is financially strained; she got most of it. Some of the stuff was past its prime, but BC volunteered to take it. GK took it with her this morning, so it's all gone.

We went through the non-canned stuff. Packages of tea and powdered beverages, pudding mixes, seasoning packets---you get the idea. And then there was the rolling cart with two big bins of carbs: Rice, stuffing mix, and LOTS of pasta. Upwards of 75 servings, according to GK. To which I defensively replied that it's a good thing to have on hand when I volunteer for hospitality at church.

A word. I love GK, I consider her to be one of the best friends, if not THE best friend that I've ever had. That said, working with her on something like this can be a bit stressful. She's very decisive, and tends to ask WHY I'm keeping something in a way that occasionally makes me freeze up. (ThunderBunny is a pussycat in comparison.) She gets things done, though, and her solutions are usually things I wouldn't have thought of on my own.

It isn't done, by any means. There are boxes on the stove and the counter, more piled on the dining room table---it makes me wince, really it does. Everything looked so good on Friday!

I'm staying home to work on the kitchen, and, since tomorrow we go thrifting, I'm resorting the jumble of boxes to make sure nothing goes that shouldn't, and vice versa. Maybe I'll even go through the sort and shred stuff. Tomorrow is also trash pick-up.

Eggs and omelets and all that. It's gonna get worse before it gets better. Breathe in, breathe out....
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Comments

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

*hugs* You'll get it all back in shape. And there's nothing wrong with 75 servings of pasta spread out over the next few months. Jeeze, it's not like you plan on eating them all at one meal. :D

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I know, right? And that's taking the package version of a serving at face value, which I don't. But I'm quietly puttering around, trying to figure out how to make it workable for ME. Alkthough I just took a couple Excedrin and am fixing to lie down for an hour, as my back is spasming.

I'm thinking gingerbread in my future, as in once she's gone. Now that I knowwhat I've got and where to find it, I CAN COOK!!!
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[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, gingerbread sounds so good. The weather turned off cold and nasty after last Friday, and winter food would hit the spot.

Now that you have the big picture in mind, you'll make it work and look good. But, yes, do take care of your back.

[playgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm going to eventually start organizing things in my kitchen, also. It is going to be a brain teaser for sure.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Part of my problem is, I didn't leave the nest, I inherited it. I've lived in the same house since 1974, and a lot of stuff is still whereever my folks kept it in their day. The fact that I have packrat tendencies doesn't help matters, either. But it's definitely better than it was a few weeks/months ago....

I liken the process to one of those sliding tile puzzles, where the only way to solve it is to push things around. Good luck with your 'puzzle'!
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[thru-the-blinds.livejournal.com]

I don't think that sounds like an exorbitant amount of pasta, either. For one, it will keep indefinitely. And, like you said, there's lots of possible uses for it (church being one of them).

Breathe in, breathe out... ;-)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I'm reminding myself that it's only temporary upheaval. That I haven't seen GK for a year, and probably won't for another year, because they're moving over the summer and she'll be busy with that. And I'm really, really pleased that her visit with me has been going well (although not according to her plans); she's been sleeping comfortably, and I feel good that I've been able to extend her hospitality.
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[thru-the-blinds.livejournal.com]

Those are all HUGE accomplishments / goals met!

*hugs you*

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've still got the pix I took last fall to illustrate my talk on hoarding, and it was about a week's worth of junk mail away from being a candidate for an ep of Hoarders.

And it sure showed me who my friends were.
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[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Don't know if you are aware but you can put dry pasta in the freezer- it keeps longer and eliminates any possibility of bugs getting into it- an old secret from my mother-in-law from the old country.
I give you kudos for starting any type of cleaning at midnight- I don't do housework after 5 pm unless it's an emergency. :)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

There's no room in my freezer; it's all packed into plastic bins with snap-on lids. I'll keep in in mind, though.

I'll do housework whenever the spirit moves me, or in this case, when I have a willing helper.
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[kukkurkurat.livejournal.com]

Your cleaning hours sound right now like ours were during the summer of 2008, when we tried to go through the stuff my granny left behind.
Mind you, the operating word IS, indeed, "tried" as we still have not managed to go through all the cabinets she had stuffed up. But it was a hot summer (for our climate, that is) and the temp which allowed some cleaning to happen was at night. I am SO glad we have good neighbours and our own house with a fenced garden.
Keep following orders of GK (for now and with your good common sense still intact!) and then afterwards, when you can breathe easier, chip away since it is still the LENT period! Remember your vow!

One more thing (or more)

[kukkurkurat.livejournal.com]

To GK about the pasta and other carbs - since it does keep for a very long time and who knows what financial world is doing, it is GOOD to have food at home that you can take and cook. She has the means to travel and visit you, she should TRY to think why you are keeping a simple enough a thing like food at hand.
Shred the mags later, I say. GOOD way to decompress. Go through the go-away boxes, so you can get rid of the stuff (and the boxes they are in - yay for ROOM). It also shows GK that you ARE willing to eject stuff, not only keeping it.
And if you can, I want pictures of the improvement!

Re: One more thing (or more)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I gave lots away and still have plenty. With everything organized, hopefully I'll be able to keep track of what I've got and maintain a more moderate stockpile.

Yes, lots of boxes for her to help me carry out to the van. I'm just happy to have a van and not have to try to stuff it into my car and make multiple trips!
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Re: One more thing (or more)

[kukkurkurat.livejournal.com]

*wibbling with excitement* I cannot wait to see the change!

Re: One more thing (or more)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

The kitchen is really taking it out of me...but I'm working on it. And GK got a package of lithium batteries and split it with me, so now both our cameras have new batteries!

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