Empty shed, full trash bin
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- June 7, 2022
- 556
Several years ago we added a shed to our yard to house garden tools, patio things, and other lawn and garden supplies.
Who knew that poor shed would become a shelter for anything and everything for which our house had no space — such things as Christmas decorations, Taller Half’s tools, grill parts and, of course, boxes of “stuff?” Those boxes traveled with us every time we moved, and neither one of us really knew what they held. It was much easier to tote them from house to house than to open and deal with the contents.
Eventually, the shed was full to its brim, and we were forced to deal with that mess. It all began with sorting through the stack of old boxes. One box was filled with books belonging to our children when they were very small. Why we still had them was a mystery. Since the children were grown and had no interest in those books, we put them aside to take to Goodwill.
Next, we found a box of rather rusted, old garden tools we had long since replaced. The next box revealed old Christmas decorations and a pile of gift-wrapping paper we had forgotten we had. The shed was slowly being relieved of its “stuff,” but our trash pile was growing huge. When the last box was opened, we were shocked to find it filled with what appeared to be trash. It was! We had carefully moved a box of trash with us from one house to another for years.
It was an interesting afternoon of work. The shed was finally sorted, and we were exhausted. We both swore to never again put an unopened box in our shed. We promised to respect our shed and keep it neat and well organized.
So far so good — except for a pile of mulch and garden dirt that has to be kept dry until the rains stop. Oh, and a few big bags of pebbles and sand need a place to stay until the patio is built. Oh my goodness, the shed is getting full again.