... on pruning and knickknacks...

Pruning is extremely important for any gardener. It is the removal of branches, sometimes even living branches, to maintain healthy plant growth. It usually occurs in winter. It was also one of the most difficult aspects of gardening to learn because when you see something that is seemingly flourishing, why go and chop it away!  

 

I’ve been thinking about pruning today because I had a major house cleaning. I would call it “Spring Cleaning” but I suppose I missed the mark. Either way, my house is incredibly clean. This is probably my first major cleaning since my pipes burst in January; and, unfortunately because of my commute, the water flooded my first floor for six hours and the damage was thousands of dollars. Fortunately, my insurance covered most of the costs.  I’m finally at the point of letting go of the anxiety of that entire trauma. My house was only restored (new carpeting, cabinets, etc.) in May so it really hasn’t been that long since I settled in to my normal routine.

From January to May, many of my knickknacks (oh, wow, have I acquired many a knickknack over the years) were crowding every corner of my second floor town-home being safely away from the first floor construction. Last weekend, I reorganized my office and moved knickknacks back to their homes. During this process, some items were let go and some moved to a different place in my house. While I was cleaning, dusting each of my pieces, I understood the importance of personal knickknack pruning. My corner cabinet for one is much less crowded and because of that, I am able to enjoy my pieces more.

For the most part, I’ve been who I am since I was 15 years old. That’s 25 years of gothdom-- 25 years of collecting and 25 years of my friends gifting me coffins, bats, and other creatures of the night; and, while many of these gifts were simply perfect, some weren’t me but were kept because my loved one had tried so hard to find a little piece of the macabre. But, I have learned that I don’t have to keep everything. That super cute skull bag from twenty years ago has been replaced with a more grown up bat handbag. It’s a perfectly fine bag so it was turned over to the local thrift shop so that someone else could enjoy it. This is true for some of my Halloween novelty items as well. When I let them go, I can make room for new growth (including my “new” antique funeral coach sign at the top of my cabinet).

The cabinet was actually built by my grandfather and lived in my grandparents’ home throughout my childhood. When he passed about a decade ago, I acquired some of their furniture. This item was originally brown but with some black paint, a bat stamp, and some scrapbooking paper, it really transformed. So pruning doesn’t always mean out with the old and in with the new. It means that I have to discern which “branch” to cut at the right time in my life.

After my hard work, I enjoyed some pasta (Halloween pasta that I have saved as a special treat for myself for days like this).