Seven lamps. Three clocks. Five little tables.
That’s how many we had sitting around our house that nobody was using.
I counted them one morning this fall, with a cup of coffee and a notepad. Some were in the spare room. Some were in the basement, and a few were tucked in the back of the hall closet.
None of them were broken, at least not badly. They were extras. A lamp from Mom’s house, a clock from our wedding, a set of TV trays we used twice.
I’d already asked my kids about the big furniture. This time, I didn’t even bother asking about the small things. I knew the answer.
So what do you do with old lamps, clocks and end tables when nobody wants them? This is what I kept, what I let go of, and the places that were glad to take them.