Making a distinction between objets d'art and the inevitable litter of 'decorative items', it was time to winnow through the many different objects that at one time or another we might have felt that the acquisition of something that caught our eye would enhance the aesthetic quality of things surrounding us in our house. That kind of attitude has a tendency to become habitual and eventually you find yourself in possession of more -- for want of a better descriptive -- junk than anyone could possibly find useful for any purpose. As it is, we have more than enough of good quality items that we intend to hang on to.

The mood finally took me to begin collecting some of those things that simply sat there, unneeded, unused, unappreciated and entirely redundant, with few redeeming qualities; items as diverse as small decorative lamps, to cookie jars, to designer dolls, animal sculptures, video discs and other things, bundle them up and haul them over to the Salvation Army thrift shop. Some of which will be suitable for their auctions, others to be placed on shelves for buyers who, just as lacking in discrimination as us may find appealing.

It's been close to twenty years since I retired from the active workforce, at 60 years of age. I had quite a collection of shoes, mostly heeled pairs, for workwear. About ten years ago our granddaughter looked through them, regretting that her feet are larger than mine, and wondering why I held on to them since I have never once worn any of these shoes since retirement. She urged me to go through them and select what I wouldn't again wear, and donate them. Together we chose the shoes I could bear to part with, and took the bags over to the Sally Ann.

Trouble was, I left far too many on the shelves, and though a decade has passed, I've never worn again any of the remaining ones. So they're now, finally, scheduled to go. Shoes, along with handbags, many of them having been gifts from my husband or our children to mark special occasions. And hats too, since those types of headgear aren't worn by me any more. The shelves that my husband put in place soon after we moved to this house of ours will soon be fairly empty. What will remain will be the flat-soled shoes that I do now wear. Sensible enough. And time enough to divest myself of all that useless accumulation.