I have been on my decluttering journey for over three six years now.  You would think that I have this down to a science.  But I still find myself agonizing over the stupidest things.  Things you shouldn’t agonize over.  Things that are obvious trash and need to go into the garbage. Things that cannot be donated to go live a more wonderful life with someone else.  Because they are trash.  Things like this:

That my friends, is a Princess House, 2 quart, made in France, pot.  I loved this pot.  It served me very, very well for years now.   And I will miss it because it did exactly what it was supposed to do superbly.

Earlier this week, I noticed that it had a crack on the outside.  Not a very big crack, but I knew that I couldn’t use it again.  I wouldn’t take the chance that it would explode and kill someone.  It could happen.  Maybe.  Probably not but I wasn’t taking a chance.  But, I didn’t put it in the garbage either.

I warned all of the family not to use it.  “Hey, that middle pot has a crack in the side of it.  Don’t use it because it could explode and kill you”.   But I still didn’t put it in the garbage.  Why?!?

Is it because I have the whole set?  Now it won’t be a complete set?  I don’t think so.  I have other things that I know aren’t a complete set and it doesn’t keep me up at night.

Is it because they cost the earth?  Nope, because you know me!  I didn’t pay the earth for them and it didn’t bother me one whit to use and enjoy them since they only cost me $12.00 for ALL of them.

I seriously think it’s because I truly have a difficult time throwing things in the garbage.  Not garbage garbage.  Used tissues.  Bags that have had meat marinating in them.  Things like that go straight into the garbage bin.

But, you knew there was a but, right?  I have a very difficult time throwing things away that I have convinced myself that might have another useful purpose to someone.

Recycle is one thing.  I have absolutely no problem every day putting things into the recycle.  That milk jug is going to recycle heaven to be repurposed into lawn furniture or a piece of playground equipment.  That cardboard box from our beloved Coke is going to become a cereal box, or writing paper.  Hundreds of times a day I toss stuff into the recycle bin and never bat an eye.  That might possibly be an exaggeration.

Anywho, I have come to the conclusion that I just have to buckle down and get over myself.  Some things cannot be recycled.  (Ceramic and heat treated cookware are just a few of them.  They can ruin an entire batch of recycled glass because they don’t melt at the same rate as container glass – I checked!)  And they are garbage.  Therefore they need to go into the trash.    Like my well loved and well used Princess House pot, since when I picked it up to move it to get to another pot that didn’t have a crack in the side, it broke and sliced my finger almost off.  That too might possibly be a slight exaggeration.  It was really deep and did bleed for a couple of hours though, and aren’t you glad I didn’t show you that?

Do you suffer from these dilemma’s too?  Do you want to own a lovely set of Princess House pot’s?  Here is a link where you can still buy them.  I will caution you that they do cost the earth, but if you are looking to invest in beautiful and functional pots and pans I love these.  Just make sure they don’t have cracks in them before you pick them up.

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