17 jackets?

I am a pack rat. Some of you may not know this, because I tend to keep the little things well hidden. Were you to visit my house, you'd probably be distracted by the bright colors, as well as the saddle bag for my camel and the handwoven strap for my yurt that are hanging on my walls (courtesy of my Dad's diplomatic stint in Central Asia). My students know I have trouble getting rid of things, not to mention putting things back where they belong. My piles became a joke this year, as poor Jeanne had to work around them since we were sharing my classroom. At the end of the school year, knowing that Nathalie would be in my room for a year, I filed all the contents of my piles, packed up a lot of personal items, threw other ones away, and had a box of freebies the kids could take. Leftovers went in my garage sale at the beginning of June. Deep down inside, there's an organized person trying to get out. I'm really, really trying.

Looking at my house, you'd never guess that I sold a ton of stuff at the garage sale (including a bed, several shelves, a coffee table and a couple of chairs), but I really do hide stuff well. I just don't understand how I had about 50 candle holders and 25 picture frames that I didn't even like. I'm not exaggerating. Just ask friends Laura & Penny who helped me price it all! Mom & Alison helped with the sale, and we made over $500, but I still had a truck bed full of stuff that went to the Goodwill. No way was I letting that back in my house. And still there's more. Habitat for Humanity just picked up four more bags of clothes - mainly coats - that I pulled out while cleaning. Who needs all those coats? I guess I do... There are still probably 5 coats (okay, I counted 7) and jackets hanging in the closet, waiting to see if there will be room in my suitcase. How can I leave my green corduroy jacket at home? And my denim one? And my leather coat? And I'll need a raincoat there, of course. It took all my strength to put the pink corduroy one (and the orange one, too) in storage. And remember, Kathy took my wool coat with her last week, so that's one less coat I have to cram in my suitcase. I love jackets and coats, and I can't wait to get to the cooler climate of northern France so I can wear them.

This weekend, I've still got to tackle my bedroom. If you think I have a lot of coats, just imagine my collection of shoes...