Saw Oprah yesterday--her guests were hoarders that had been featured on A&E's new series on people who hoard. These people were messy--no--messy is too mild a word. People who live in houses piled to the ceiling with junk and who can't bring themselves to throw away anything, and I mean the tiniest thing.

One couple was reported to child protective services for the enormous clutter and filth the kids were living in. They were given a few days to clean it up or lose their children. But the worst was a woman who not only had the garbage dump house, she also had 2 refrigerators stuffed with rotting food. The cleaners who were sent to clean it up had to argue with her over each and every food item (some year- old eggs were so putrid the crew threw up;) but still she didn't want them to toss anything out.

A psychologist on Oprah said it is a mental illness, worse than just obsessive compulsive disorder.
Personally, I can't stand messes and piles of stuff, BUT I thought about it and this morning had a friend come over and help me clean out some old magazines that have been collecting dust and spider webs. These are Smithsonian mags, lots better than National Geographic's. They have beautiful covers and great articles.

So into a trash bags went Smithsonian's spanning from 1977 to 1997. It was a pang to discard them, but got rid of an armful today and next trash day, out goes another armful.

I minimalized four years ago, but stuff has a way of creeping back in. If you watch Hoarders you'll get the itch to throw some things out too I betcha!

susil