My mom is a 'collector', also. You can hardly move around her house for all the stuff. All attempts to remove some of the clutter are met with stiff and sometimes hostile resistance. So, we have finally given up.
Once, about 20 years ago, I convinced her to let me clean out a couple of storage sheds and I hauled off about three truckloads of junk. She still talks about that.
LOL...that's part of my dilema too. My mom saved all this stuff for "us", my brother and I. I got stuck with all of it tho. It almost feels disloyal to her memory to throw it out, and I got in the mind set that mothers were suppose to do that for their kids, so I run out and buy newspapers and magazines when major world events happen. But I'm really not a collector. I like big empty spaces, no clutter, not much nicknacs:) Feels neater and easier to clean up.
Becky
When my parents kick off, I'm just gonna set fire to their house. Dealing with the arson investigators will be easier than going through everything Dad has kept since (my hand to God) junior high.
My family is a stratifying group. When we have something that needs to go into the attic, we go up the ladder, push the pre-existing attic stuff back until we have a space just big enough for the new attic stuff, shove it in, shimmy down the ladder, and shut the trap door.
When my parents kick off, I'm just gonna set fire to their house. Dealing with the arson investigators will be easier than going through everything Dad has kept since (my hand to God) junior high.
My family is a stratifying group. When we have something that needs to go into the attic, we go up the ladder, push the pre-existing attic stuff back until we have a space just big enough for the new attic stuff, shove it in, shimmy down the ladder, and shut the trap door.
I also still have my wedding dress. 30 years old....do I keep it???? It's pretty yellowed too.
I guess after 30 years this stuff just doesn't have the sentimental value it use too. I have never even thought about throwing it out, but still having the man seems a whole lot more valuable then still having the dress:)
Becky