On Mennonites and Organizing

I’m currently on a trip to New York (actually writing this on board an Amtrak train) for the annual Trustee meeting of Women Welcome Women World Wide  but first I stopped to see a best friend Margy, in Elmira, Ontario. Elmira is as small as New York is big. My friend and her family live on 9 quiet acres surrounded by Mennonite farmers. Not Mennonites like the ones in my hometown of Grunthal, Manitoba (way smaller than small Elmira) but the Old Order of Mennonites kind.

In Elmira, the Old Order Mennonites live on farms that are often off the grid, they speak a different dialect of German that I mostly understand but cannot speak, they wear black kerchiefs and plain long dresses, drive (ride?) around in black buggies, and keep themselves quite apart from the larger community. They appear to have an intensely close-knit bond within their own religious community.

Through my friend and around town, I’ve had the pleasure to meet several of the Mennonites. I love the way they talk, both their accent and the words they use, simple, slow, endearing. It fascinates me, as does their lifestyle. They seem to be industrious, hard-working, relaxed, and gracious.

With my friend, I visited the neighbours farm and was invited in to see one of the women’s workshop, where she built miniature replica tractors. Everything seemed to have a quiet sense of order. It wasn’t pristine or perfectly organized, but so much of their lifestyle seemed well-planned and thought out.

Our walk took us out past the barns, past farm machinery that felt like home, through the fields to a conservatory, with a great running path. During my run I wondered about my organizing skills and Mennonite upbringing. Have I come by my skills honestly? How much is hard work a part of my organizing? Is my cultural background a reason I am happy with simple things and believe that less is more?

On my last run, I came across Mennonite men fishing, a ‘parking lot’ of horses and buggies, stopped and spoke with a Mennonite woman named Selindra for a most rewarding chat, and then kept on running, happy with life, grateful for travel adventures, and fitting together my world of organizing with my cultural heritage.

What part of the world do you need organized? I’m happy to combine organizing and travel. Find me at www.goodbyeclutter.ca to book your home visit!

Funny things I’ve found in bedrooms and closets

As a Professional Organizer I have an interesting job. I work with clients in their homes and offices, in their intimate spaces and sometimes in places haven’t been looked at in years. We de-clutter, organize, and occasionally ‘excavate’. It can be like a domestic archeological dig.

People say “You must find some interesting things”. Yes, I do. Recently I was helping a client organize her bedroom and underneath a mass of assorted clothes, newspaper fliers and what-nots was a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. I showed it to her, we laughed, and I asked if I might find a can-opener next. Another memorable moment was finding car jumper cables in a single persons bedroom! We joked about boosting their love life.

I like quirky things, like the Roy Rogers lunchbox my client used as a small boy. He put it in the discard pile but when I remarked that it was a treasure, he insisted I take it home. The dead mouse I found wasn’t quite so cute, though it did lead to shrieks, then laughter. I was sorting through toys with a client. She thought she was pulling a toy mouse out of a gift bag. She shrieked when she realized it was real. And dead, I shrieked when she shrieked and the mouse when flying through the air in the shock. Our shock, not the mouse’s.

My goal is for clients to discover the reasons and effects of their clutter, but wherever possible humour and compassion are present on the job site. Clearing the clutter can be fun. I love finding treasures.


During the course of my work, I have found bullets, cheques, cash, teeth molds, unopened mail from 40 years ago, precious jewelry, a five-year old business card from my own company, a one ounce bar of silver, and my pièce de résistance, a package (clear baggies inside other baggies) of cash, gold jewelry and a five ounce bar of gold. That’s just a small part of the rainbow of odd and interesting items found over my 12 years of de-cluttering.


I’ve been calling myself a Professional Organizer, but some days a more accurate term might be Domestic Archeologist. Got anything you want to dig up? Dig out? Dig down? Dig it man!

I must be hungry...I'm thinking about restaurants

It's Sunday morning, I've had my pre-gym workout fuel, a yummy, healthy flax bread with banana, but perusing the WestEnders Best of Vancouver awards, I once again have food on my mind.

Recently I was delighted to read that two of my favourite culinary experiences have been recognized with awards: Deacon's Corner, for best Breakfast restaurant, and the Secret Garden Tea Company, for best Teahouse.

I met Kathy and Erin Wyder, two sisters who run the Secret Garden Tea Company a few years ago through their mother, Helen Burnham, an incredible woman in her own right who received the Order of British Columbia in 2000 for her work as founder of Avalon Women's Centres. Kathy and Erin wanted some help organizing the office where they ran their highly successful, very busy restaurant, the Secret Garden Tea Company, at 5559 West Boulevard.

These two motivated, focused, high energy women managed to run a bustling, popular tea house out of a very small office, 4'x8' at best. It was one of those organizing projects, like many, that are 'fun' and have the best work memories. They were a dream to work with, providing me with a fascinating look at the behind the scenes operations of a restaurant. Occasionally I even convinced Kathy that a few of their exquisite mini high tea sandwiches were clutter and of course they made their way promptly to my stomach. (Just trying to be helpful, as always.) Since then, I have enjoyed several delicious high tea sessions, yummy lunch soups, and tasty tea's at the Secret Garden Tea Company.

Deacon's Corner attracted my attention by it's name. It sounded vaguely familiar. On my first visit, I learned why. The owner hails from the Winnipeg area and just outside Winnipeg, on the TransCanada, if memory serves me correctly, there is an intersection named by locals as Deacon's Corner. With this connection to my home province, and then the incredible biscuits and gravy on the menu, this restaurant jumped to the front of my line for breakfast places to patronize. On all my visits, the place has been busy, with a clientele mix including police officers, actors, and generally zany creative looking folks. It's at the foot of Main Street, by Alexander, so I don't frequent it often but if you're ever wondering where you can take me for breakfast (I'm free next Saturday!) this is the place: Deacons Corner

Today's blog may not have much to do with organizing, but then again, next time you're asked to organize a breakfast or high tea, you'll be in the know of two popular Vancouver places to go. Plus, after your strenuous spring cleaning session that I know you have planned, you'll need fuel, try one of the above, or both.

Here's my slightly altered tagline for the day: Goodbye Clutter! We make room for what matters. And what matter's today is biscuits, gravy and high tea.

A bear in the bathroom...

Have you ever had an item in your life which has gone from the 1) I love this! So cute! to the 2) hmm is this getting dated stages but you still want to keep it? I have that from time to time. I start to question, is this clutter? but like the thing and want to keep it, but...but...

Here's my item in question:

Bear was sent to me as a get well card in September 2010 after a very nasty fall down some stairs (Note: avoid checking email on iPhone when walking through dark lobby with dark granite steps albeit in lovely green.) My fall was traumatizing (ok so stunningly painful I thought "it can't be broken because then I'd feel something and this hurts so much I can't feel my leg!!") with almost broken bones and more than almost knee injuries, halting my marathon running in mid-stride (darn! bummer! just 3 days after a hilly 10k on Bowen Island to celebrate my 51st!)

The bear card was a warm and fuzzy reminder of my real teddy bear that helped me get through trauma at age 30 (a blog post for another day.) So I loved that card. It caught my breath when I opened it and I felt like I'd just taken a visual hit of Rescue Remedy, immediately feeling soothed. Thank you Janice at www.sendacardeverytime.com for your timely, perfect card.

But then it was January... February, and my clutter radar was beeping.

Now, clutter isn't clutter anymore if we can re-purpose it. On a trip to my medicine cabinet to get a bandaid, my organizer light bulb went off and I knew Bear was staying. His place was going to be with my few first aid items, as my personal Dr. Bear. Voila! From clutter to happy moments. He now gives me a hit whenever I open the cabinet, and as needed, my booboo's are pleasantly eased with his cute presence.

Here's his home now with before and afters. Fitting him in gave me the opportunity for a quick de-cluttering session in another corner. So he stays but actually there were a few items in the cabinet that had to go.

How about you? Do you have any items you think might be clutter but you'd like to re-pupose? Maybe I can help. That's what I do at Goodbye Clutter: I make room for what matters.