I've been working on my basement. All I have left now are my Christmas decorations. This is a tough one because I have boxes of stuff, and each year I can't use at least a third of it. My friends have given me the bulk of the decorations as I lost most of what I had in a fire. But I am committed to letting go of most of what I have as I'm planning on moving and really don't want to decorate as I have in the past.

What I have decided to do is take two large plastic bins and fill them. Period. That does not include the tree. I figure a few light strings for outside, ornaments for the tree, some lights for inside (the tree is prelit), some linens, and that's that. I'll see if I can stick to this plan.

Next are my pictures. I have boxes of them. I intend to do the same thing with these. Ideally, I'd like to keep them in one bin. I know I have so many that I won't put them on discs, so if I sort, I will put them in three categories: youth, friends and trips -- get rid of duplicates and pictures that have scenes in them where I have no clue where the pic was taken. I'll report back on this as well.

I have to stay in the basement to do the Christmas stuff but can be at the dining room table or in my study to sort the pictures. Onward and Upward!!