Married for 58 years, with five children, our house was furnished with hand-me-downs and second-hand stuff. DH had to retire early, due to poor health, so nothing much was changed. Now I am finally living alone, after 8 months of harbouring DD GD 2 dogs and all their possessions, while their new house was being renovated. Finally having the place to myself has spurred me on to having a good old clear-out. Things that haven’t been used for years have been ejected. My large dining table and chairs has been replaced by more practical and space-saving ones. The big sideboard has given way to lower and more modern storage, and various other items have been sold or given away. All my new purchases are from our local charity shop, and I’m very pleased with my new look.
The house that DD has bought had only one couple living there from when it was built in 1952. The lovely, but old-fashioned carpets were the ones originally bought by them, at great expense. (She was given all the original invoices) They were still in very good condition, but DD was going to consign them to the skip. I Freecycled them, and a young couple, buying their first home, snapped them up along with some curtains. Amazingly they fitted the new rooms very well,, and they were delighted to have them. I hate to throw anything away!
