Two Kinds of Progress

While I'm nowhere near "there" yet, for now the idea of tying the spring cleaning/clutter-clearing project to the move to Florida is working, even with the date of the move so very unset (as in, what year will it happen, who knows). I usually need a deadline for these things, like with regular cleaning tasks; I'm currently cleaning because my mother will be here in a few weeks, even though she doesn't care how clean it is (spoiler alert: she loves me anyway). But I have, as I always do, put things off for too long and now I care. The same way, instead of looking around in resigned despair at the clutter of ten-plus years, sighing, and going back to my book, I am able to frame it as, "This will help with the move! The sooner you can get this done, the more likely the move becomes, and you want to move, right? So get to work."

I was thinking about it this morning, and I've lived here about three times longer than I've lived anywhere since my parents sold the house where I grew up. I wasn't a total rolling stone, but it's been two years in this apartment and three years in that one, until I bought this condo. I was used to having to face moving every few years, and while I hated the moving process, it forced at least some de-cluttering to happen on a semi-regular basis. No wonder things have piled up in the corners here.

What this means right now is that I will shortly have before-and-after photos of one corner of the bedroom, which is almost sorted out. Much progress has been made, and I am pleased by it.

Meanwhile, here is another kind of progress. I bought a hyacinth last Wednesday, and have watched it grow since.

Here it is, peeking up on Thursday morning.

And from above, just for the fun of the angle:

See how fast it grew: by Friday, almost as tall as the leaves (is that the right word?):

And Saturday, taller:

And the purple, sorry, blue is just starting to show.

On Sunday, really blooming.

And Monday it was just about all out.

No more white in the overhead view.

Tuesday, yesterday, is when I declared it fully bloomed.

It looks the same today, and will until it starts dying. Which is the sad part, but watching it grow has been very cheering this week. Considering the possible snowstorm on Saturday, I may need to buy another one fast.