Car Clutter, even I have it. A snow shovel, spare windshield wiper fluid, 2 ice scrapers, baby toys, CD’s, maps I don’t use or refold properly, and endless little scraps of, (gasp!) paper.

The car is such a small space with very little built in storage space. Usually this space is shared by a partner, maybe a child or four, dogs, co-workers and friends. Keeping your car clutter-free is important to keep the space safe. A box of Kleenex sitting loose in the car can do damage in a sudden stop, I personally guarantee it. Keeping the car clutter-free can also give you a morsel of inner peace as you reach into the glove compartment while a stone-faced police officer waits by your side, his speeding ticket writing finger on the trigger, as you successfully pull out your vehicle registration instead of a handful of doggie treats, scissors, and four pens - one of which has self-destructed!

So organize this space. Start with the glove compartment and keep it simple. Vehicle registration, car manual, small notepad, two pens maximum, small working flashlight, and a travel size tissue package are a good start. After paring down to your essentials, allow a couple of novelty items; tire gauge, gum, hand lotion etc. Unopened mail, drive-thru napkins and ketchup packages are not appropriate novelties.

Keep the car interior clutter-free too. A small garbage container is essential. The door side pockets are accessible and therefore prone to clutter. If you spend time in ferry line-ups or traffic jams then keep an easy-read novel in yours. Keep a local area map; not the one from your trip down the Oregon coast back when tape decks were high-tech. A couple of non-perishable snacks are great for driving past the drive-thru.

Don’t allow clearing the inside of the car to fill the trunk with junk. A couple of small totes are great. One clearly labeled ‘emergency supplies’. Keep in it a roadside first aid kit, emergency blanket, flashlight, bottled water, and non-perishable snacks. Have a second tote labeled ‘lifestyle’. It can hold spare work-out gear, ski gear, kayak gear, baby supplies, and/or an overnight kit. Update it seasonally; out with the extra mittens and ski goggles and in with the sun block, spare bathing suit, and travel towel.

I recommend covered totes because they can’t spill their contents, and tomatoes can’t jump in them on the way home from grocery shopping. Lastly check the condition of the spare tire, making sure you have all the necessary tools in good working order.

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February seemed to zoom by. Spent a lovely weekend in the sunshine in Tofino, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. David, my mom, Misty and I went for a 3 day get-away that was a little bit of heaven. It is so wonderful that spring has sprung and that the daylight hours are getting longer. My mom, having recently moved from the East could not believe we had such fine weather in February compared to the often cold and snowy conditions the East has at this time of year. 'Tis wonderful to live in “paradise”.

Myself and two other women had a “princess night” at the Kingfisher Resort and Spa this month to remember our friend Annemarie. We brought her picture, poured her a glass of wine and all sat around the table in our pj’s catching up, reminiscing and eating our delicious appeys. We had a beautiful room on the ocean and the full moon and a sky full of stars lit up the water. It was as magnificent as the sunrise the following morning. I think it was Annemarie’s way of joining us. Thanks again to the readers who have sent me a note in the past month with your support and stories.

Well, the big news is that we have accepted an offer of sale on our house and the offer includes us renting the house back until our new home is built. David & I are thrilled not to have to deal with the mental, emotional and financial clutter of finding an interim place to live, doing all the “hook up” and packing stuff you have to do and then doing it all again when our home-building is completed, not to mention the time & energy of it all! This way we get to do it just once. And, no more prep for showing the house. There are still some “subjects” to be removed in order for the sale to complete. By March 11 we can anticipate it to all be a go. Please be sure to hold good intentions for all of this to complete by the 11th of March.

I can hardly wait to get de-cluttering some more and begin to pack a bit at a time those things we can live without for the next 5-6 months. Hmm. . . just thought. If we can live without these things for the next 5-6 months do we need them? I’ll keep you posted on the de-cluttering and packing. I must call the de-clutter whiz, Kathryn, to help with the process.

This brings me to my next news in the Cumberland Chronicles.

Cumberland Chronicles
This was all very interesting. As soon as we decided to go ahead with the excavation our realtor brought us an offer on our Royston house. Once again, when we get clear on what we want the world steps right in and delivers. Not only that, our intention was always to close by the end of March and be able to rent back. Looks like we are getting all of that. I am in awe.

We began excavating two days ago. As you can see in the pictures, there is a big footprint for this house. One shows you the depth (David’s in that one) and the other the breadth of it all. We are taking pics as we go so you will see things as they unfold each month. I cannot believe how big this will all be. We got all the papers signed that we needed in order to get the building permit. Now we are awaiting a final signature from the government in order for the building permit to be finalized. In the meantime the geo-technical engineer is back to check the slope now that the excavation has been done and will have to sign his ok. I believe this “ok” will once again cost us more money, as does everything I am finding. I met with the head of the sewer and water for the Village this morning at the lot and discovered the cash register ringing up once again for another ‘something” I had no prior knowledge of. I am absolutely amazed at what it costs to dig a hole in the ground, never mind put a house on it. Tonka toys ought to put a warning on their toys about the difference between play digging and the real M’Coy. :~) It is very exciting though to see what you had in mind and on paper, begin to come to fruition. Pretty amazing. It feels like it is all moving very quickly now although I bet there will be times it will feel like things are taking forever.

If you remember we own the little house next door and have fabulous tenants. In our digging and excavating, a water line was cut and Jack our plumber came to the rescue to temporarily re-store their water by late afternoon. Thank heaven’s they are great tenants and our neighbors through all this as their back yard looks like a bulldozer went through it which it did! We’ve decide to thank them for their patience by reducing their rent by $100 per month until we move in. Another win-win for all. They are a blessing.

I expect by next month you’ll see pics of the foundation (you know that expensive thing no one sees) and maybe even some framing. Join us for the ride on our new adventure. Wouldn’t it be great if all of our readers could get together for a BBQ when this is all completed?

-Linda