A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone. -Henry David Thoreau

When David and I got married, I don't remember how much stuff I had, but I know I didn't have to rent anything to move it. When we went to Japan a few months later, we each had only two suitcases each. I left a few wedding presents and other things with my sister, but I never took them back.

When we left Japan, we had accumulated lots of second hand and gomi (things found looking through other people's trash) items, but we left most of it behind and came back with just the four suitcases. When it came time to move six months later, we rented a mini-van to move our stuff. The next five moves or so, we were able to move with just a U-Haul trailer. After that, it's been a U-Haul truck.

Lately I've been wanting to go through our stuff - to burn off the slough, as Thoreau would say. I've gone through the girls' room, but that's it. When we were moving more often, I would have a reason to sort through our stuff and give away things and throw away junk and organize what we keep. Now I need to make myself do it.

I've been thinking fondly on the days when my daughters had just small cardboard box of toys and when we didn't even have a couch. I don't really want to get rid of my possessions. If I did, I'd likely turn around and buy something similar. All I really want is to not buy more things, be happy with what I've got, and feel like I have control of the things that I do have.

I thought as I wrote this that I would come up with a point. I guess the real point is to step away from the computer and get to work.