MAY PROGRESS REPORT

May has been another busy month with a visit to NYC the first 10 days and with NHL playoffs games every evening and weekends, I did not make any progress towards my quest of de-cluttering and simple living. At the beginning, it was easy to discard items that no longer carry meanings or outdated. It is getting harder to let go of things such as books, family memories and personal sentimental. On a positive note, I have not made many purchases without giving up an equal quantity of existing items. I am sure you would agree that de-cluttering include not only getting rid stuff we already have and also not making new purchases.
Our church is planning a rummage sale at the end of June as a fundraising for a local shelter. It would be a good motivation for me to seriously gathering items that are in good condition as donations to a good cause.
I saw and quickly captured the above photo but did not see who the owner was. I was on my way back to my sister's place after dropping off two large bags of clothing as donation from CH at a thrift store on Flatbush Avenue. Was the owner of these bags a typical bag lady or a homeless man and the bags were all of his earthly possessions?

CH told me she has tried to de-clutter her condo and hopes to make significant progress prior to her trip to Viet Nam in September this year. On our way to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden the day before, CH told me that she almost purchased a 600 square foot condo at this building (photo below) for a hefty price of $110K. That was in 1994, and even in this downturn economy, the seller could still ask for $200K easily. The realtor said that was a good price considering the building is right across the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, nice Public Library, two blocks from the subway station and it is, after all, Park Slope, a hip, relatively safe neighborhood and with lot of characters in Brooklyn!