STUFF (and nonsense)

Well where to start? I have been swamped by 'stuff' for years. This 'stuff' has been following me around since I sold my own house and opened a shop called 'That Arty Place' in Faversham, Kent. 

That Arty Place was a craft shop, packed full of goodies. My customers used to call it an Aladdin's cave or a sweetshop (without the calories).  I also had a large workshop, where I held craft classes for groups of up to 12 people, and every weekend held at least 2 children's craft-based birthday parties. And don't forget I had a house-full of ordinary household 'stuff' as well.  I rented That Arty Place because the exchange on the shop and flat i had been buying fell through. I had terrible problems with the landlord, and ended up taking him to court (but that's a different story!). The bottom line was that even though the shop was a success, I couldn't sell the business on as a going concern.  I had a sale for weeks before closing down, and was virtually giving stuff away, but there was still an awful lot of 'stuff' including all the fixtures and fittings which I owned.

When we got married, we bought a new house, and effectively moved two house-loads of 'stuff' PLUS all the 'stuff' from the shop into it. Rob had his own unique brand of 'stuff' as well. We had 5 bedrooms, a large attic, a double garage, 3 garden sheds and my studio in the garden and still we didn't have room to breathe for all the 'stuff'. When I first moved to Scarborough I left the 'stuff' in Kent, and felt free for the first time in ages. I forgot i had 'stuff'. I only had the 'stuff' I wanted, and began to enjoy the novelty of acquiring new 'stuff'. MORE stuff. But then we sold the house in Kent, and bought a tiny, damp house with a dilapidated shop attached in Lockton. All the 'stuff' I had left behind, and happily put out of my mind, came back to me. Not only my own stuff, but also a lot of other 'stuff' which wouldn't fit into Lockton! 

The Studio Gallery had become a depository for 'stuff'. Not stuff that was wanted. Not stuff that was even really useful. Just the detritus of life, and 'stuff'.

We went about refurbishing and refurnishing the property and shop in Lockton. You guessed it. More 'stuff'. When Lockton failed, for various reasons, we rented a house in Castle Crescent - fully furnished!!! Then we all moved into The Studio Gallery. All of our 'stuff' in one place. Under one roof. One 5 floor house, stuffed top to bottom with stuff.

To be continued . . . . .