Did you ever notice that photos of computers on web sites or in magazines never have any visible cables? They say that sex sells, and it is indeed pretty sexy to see computer equipment with no cables piled up around them. The real world is a bit more messy. Even those of us who operate wirelessly still have to plug our computers and printers into wall outlets, and we still have to manage all those cords that connect our phones, tablets,…
Read more →In the last few months, I have been working with a number of folks who are in the process of relocating, or who have recently relocated. This is atypical for me because I am not an organizer who specializes in moves, as some of my colleagues do. While these colleagues handle all the details of the move, my role in relocations is generally limited to “the stuff”. In my mind, there are four major steps in a moving project that…
Read more →I consider it a wake-up call. The sudden decline and death of my sweet little dog in a 24-hour period underscored for me that any one of us can be gone before we know what hit us. Once again, the organizer in me kicked in. My husband and I actually began discussing our final wishes 2 1/2 years ago, when we found ourselves unexpectedly responsible for the end-of-life decisions for a friend. (This led to a frank conversation with my parents, which…
Read more →Over the weekend, we went through the traumatic experience of having our dog Taffy put to sleep. She was still young, and she did not appear to be mortally ill. When we took her to the vet on Friday morning to investigate something that had attracted my notice, we had no idea that in less than 24 hours she would be gone. I’ve written about Taffy before, most notably in Time Is A Zero-Sum Game and Embracing Change. Her untimely passing has…
Read more →A couple of my clients got a rude awakening recently when they discovered that their backup stash of hosiery — which they had stored in unopened packages for years — had gone beyond its useful life. In one case, it was a full drawer of unworn pantyhose. In the other, it was dozens of unworn knee highs. I have previously written about the lamentable fact that clothing does not come with an expiration date the way drugstore items do. (See my earlier…
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