Originally printed November 29, 2016, Gray Matters, Times Standard Why are we so attached to stuff? Sometimes it’s based on the memories evoked of a time or event in our lives. Or maybe the item reminds us of the person who gave it to us. Some things are status related – showing that we have been successful in our personal or work lives. Some things we have based on a moment of attraction. The things we bought on a whim to make us happy rarely do and we continue to find new

Originally printed May 17, 2016 in Gray Matters, Times Standard My mother has moved more in her lifetime than most Army brats or people on the lam. Not counting her move from the hospital when she was born, she has moved 19 times. You would think this would mean she enjoyed it or at least was good at moving. Not so. The up side is she owns less than the average 79 year old. If moving is the stressful event they say it is, with the potential for taking years off one's life, sh

Originally published August 23, 2016 in Boomers and Beyond, Times-Standard Less stuff, more time to visit beautiful local places. I’m a way-cationer. I leave town and usually the country on my vacations. I love flying to faraway places. At least until I am standing in an airport-related line or feeling claustrophobic halfway through a long flight. In my youth I worried when I couldn’t sleep on planes, now I just go with the flow. I don’t get jet lag. Sure, I am tired after a

Reprinted from Gray Matters, Times Standard, April 19, 2016 As we open our windows and doors and see the dust on all that stuff, maybe it’s time to push beyond our usual spring cleaning routine. I’m no expert on cleaning. I plan an occasion party just to force myself to do it. What I do know is that having less stuff makes it much easier. A few tips. Have a good reason. Joshua Becker (Becoming Minimalist) suggests you start with a pen and paper. Write down why you want to do

Originally published in Gray Matters, Times Standard January 5, 2016 (Family hutch waiting for a new home at Miranda's Rescue) My father blended his household with my stepmother’s a long time ago, each bringing much that belonged to their parents. When they downsized from a three to a two bedroom house they were meticulous and plodding. It took forever for them to go through everything and make the move. They never asked for help from their children, knowing we would have wan

Originally appeared on 1.24.17 in Times-Standard Your friends and family asked me to write this. Dale Carnegie’s famous “How to Win Friends and Influence People” book assuredly did not list asking friends and family to help us move as a way to win or keep them. Whether you are a serial mover, or are contemplating a move after living in the same place for many, many years, who do you turn to for help packing, loading the truck, and unpacking at the other end? Most likely you w

reprinted from Boomers and Beyond Times-Standard April 7, 2015 Do you have too much stuff? Are you thinking about moving but overwhelmed by the prospect of sorting, packing, or disposing of what you have accumulated? Do you want to stay in your home, but feel like your stuff is making it hard to live there safely? Boomers, do you think your parent’s have too much stuff? Are you worried about coping with their stuff after their deaths? Does talking to a family member about an

Reprinted from Gray Matters Times Standard January 26, 2016 (Selling my Castle) Note: I successfully downsized and sold my home in July 2016 and have been in my new place, a 500 sq ft. mother-in-law unit at a wonderful place in Cutten, surrounded by redwoods. I still needed to downsize a bit after the move and still try to not bring things in without a commitment to take something out. I love the freedom not having to care for a large home and garden bring. I am selling my h

Reprinted from Gray Matters Times Standard October 6, 2015 According to a 2014 study, we are all being followed by our stuff — our own “material convoy.” (The Material Convoy after Age 50, Ekerdt and Baker, Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69(3), 442-450, 2014.) The study looked at data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS), a national panel survey of Americans aged 50 and older. For the first time, the 2010 survey had quest

I will be posting here some of the downsizing related articles I wrote during the time Gold Star Move Management was with Area 1 Agency on Aging. These articles were originally published in the Boomers and Beyond section of the Times-Standard. Maybe you saw them originally, maybe you didn't. Maybe you didn't care then about the topic, but now, maybe you do. Or, you read it and thought, "gee, I should do that..." but didn't. So now, you get to think about it again and maybe,