The nature of "stuff"

[winwintoo]

There have been a couple of threads of late asking how people deal with books, CD's and photos which seem to reproduce on their own, growing in numbers so that they overtake one's whole living space if not controlled.

Well, I've been spending the last couple of weeks trying to bring order into my living space so that my visiting relatives won't think I've gone completely bonkers.

The other day I put up a 6 foot shelf in my storage room. It quickly filled, so I went and got another 6 foot shelf. I put that up this morning and it's now full.

You would think that there would be a gaping hole somewhere else in my apartment - a hole that is 12 cubic feet to be exact.

Not so!!

I've come to the conclusion that "stuff" expands to fill up all the available space. A flat surface left barren will only remain so for 5 minutes before it is covered by books and papers that magically appear.

I invited my relatives to stay with me to spare them the expense of a hotel room. Before I spend any more time and labor on trying to make room for them here, I'm going to call around - hotels can't be THAT expensive

Margaret

[chris h]

Margaret I agree on the expansion of 'stuff', here's a small corner of my yet to be sorted library!

[Cheryl H]

Chris--I'm printing that pic to show hubby I'm not that bad (close though) next time he gets on me about the clutter. But I did notice something. Those aren't photoshop books--you should be able to pitch them (or hide them under the bed--you did want one of those tall ones--right?) to make room for the rest of your library to reproduce.

[chris h]

Cheryl that is one of the tidier parts of the collection! I'm a little worried at the weight on the bookcase below but will get round to sort this little lot out in the next few weeks. I'm afraid books have been a lifetime interest and the computer would go long before the books !

[winwintoo]

Chris and Cheryl - I had piles of books like that too but I had to ditch them all the last time I moved. I didn't think I had THAT many books, but people would come over and be flabbergasted at how many there was. Don't some people read??

My two young grandkids just came over and I proudly showed them the new shelves in the storage room. "Well at least it's neat" they both said. I wonder what they say about me when I'm not there

Margaret

[jeaniesa]

Margaret, You're observation that stuff expands to fill available space is very true in my house! In fact, it seems to be a law of nature. I have yet to find a way around it, so it must be!

Jeanie

[chris h]

"Don't some people read??"

Not many in my area Margaret the local library is kept going by little old ladies reading bodice rippers, 20 at a time!!!

[CJ Swartz]

"Don't some people read??"

I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy of "The Dairy Book of British Food" -- my librarian told me that some bloke in the UK had checked it out in 1984 and hadn't brought it back yet...

[jeaniesa]

CJ!!

Jeanie

[chris h]

Hell!

Does that mean that 'Public Flogging for Unruly Females: A Beginners Guide' has been missed as well CJ ? I'm only on chapter 47!

[CJ Swartz]

Does that mean that 'Public Flogging for Unruly Females: A Beginners Guide' has been missed as well CJ ?

Naah -- they haven't had any calls for that one, so you can keep it. If you ever finish it, you can just send it on to wherever the Taliban are now located.

[chris h]

I'm afraid the book stacks in the picture have had to be dismantled, I was about to post the Dairy Book of British Food back to CJ and found the bookcase underneath was moving away from the wall. The books are now stacked in their new home stacked on top of some other stacks!

[winwintoo]

There seems to be a corollory to the rule about "stuff"

When you start to organize your stuff, you think a couple of shelves should do it. For each shelf listed in the original plan, there will be at least two more added later. I started with two, I've now installed 7 and I'm off to the store to buy 3 more.

I know that doesn't add up.

I think the rule is: organizing makes you crazy...........

Margaret

[chris h]

Of course CD boxes also compete for that last shelf as well M.