The Question of Space

The big question on my mind today . . . do you get rid of items that you seldom use but are perfect for that unusual occasion?

For instance, the roaster that I've only used maybe twice since marrying 13 years ago - this past Thanksgiving (my parents were in California with one of my sisters and I made a whole Thanksgiving dinner for my family by myself, for the first time ever) and perhaps one other time that I can't even remember.

And what about those Tupperware pieces like the jello molds (which I regretfully couldn't find for my father's birthday party in October and needed) or the mega-size Corningware that I only use when having many guests or preparing a meal for someone else with a large family.

All these items take up a lot of cabinet space and fly in the face of simplicity. Yet, I already own them and they make my life much simpler on those rare occasions when I need them.

When we were in England, we had so little and our lives were so very streamlined. But we were only there for 3 months and everyone understood that we weren't "setting up house". Obviously, our real lives are different. We HAVE set up house and we do have those special occasions when it's very nice to have those special pieces.

I remember being much younger and dreaming about having that Corningware piece and a roasting pan. I figured when I was old and established and my children were grown and gone, I could have those nice pieces, like the older couples I knew that had the "perfect piece" for every concern and whom you would call from time to time looking to borrow. Those pieces were on my Wish List and I watched for Macy's Open Stock sale every year so I could pick up one more much-needed (or so I thought) piece of Corningware.

I think my friend, Kelly, would probably say (isn't it funny when you've gotten to know someone so well that you can almost hear their voices in your head!) that if you have the room for them and you think you might use them, then it's a toss-up. If you want to keep them, do. If you don't, get rid of them and make-do with what you have.

But I feel stuck in the middle between TOO many of those items and having worked very hard to get to this point.

Any suggestions or ideas from readers (all 21 of you)? I'd really like to hear some compelling arguments to move me from this point of indecision.

So, if you have any words of wisdom to offer, please, feel free to offer. I'd love to hear what any of you think about this issue (Kel, even you - I might have missed the mark on your thoughts).

One final note. My niece, Alicia, spent the day with me yesterday. We filled up several 40-gal. trash bags with stuff that's already out at the curb for trash pick-up and 4 or 5 more that are in my trunk for Good Will. It's not as if I didn't get rid of anything. But Alicia's comment, repeatedly, was "I've never seen so much stuff!" We cleared out at least one shelf in each of 8 different cabinets. Everywhere I looked, there was empty space. And that was after finding places for most of the stuff that sat on my counters and the appliances that sat on the top of the refrigerator and deep freeze (except for my Kitchen-Aid mixer which is unbelievably heavy and we tried in several cabinets, only to find that it's too tall or too wide. The only cabinets where it fit were ones from which I would never be able to retrieve it because of it's weight, so I'd never be able to use it, and I DO use it, so it remains tucked in the corner of the top of the freezer). I have lots of empty space now, which is great, but all too quickly that space gets refilled, and I'm trying to simplify, not just de-rid myself.

Enough said. Comments, anyone?