I'm not sure what triggers it, but my husband has this little mechanism in his head that will suddenly ring an alarm and cause The Great Cleansing of Possessions every few months. Everything is up for debate. The Wii that he saved his spending money (yeah, we're a married couple that gives each other allowance) for months, while going to school and needing plenty of other stuff, is definitely close to being on the chopping block. His two black Aerogrows, which he specifically asked for a few months ago as a bonus from work, have had the plants ripped unceremoniously out and are ready to be packaged for shipping. There's a bamboo bench he just had to have which he bought from my brother-in-law that might be up for grabs, too, not to mention the six-foot LoveSac he's had almost since I've known him. He's the sort of person that will thank you graciously for a handmade card, then scan it a week later and shred the remains. (No, he's not getting a handmade card this year. ^_^)

Nothing is sacred, nothing is deemed worthy of keeping unless he thinks it's necessary.

Why don't I stop him? Well, he makes sense when he tells me he wants to get rid of something. Darn my ability to see logic in other people's plans... Plus, the extra money is always nice, the stuff isn't really doing that much for me anyway, and the things he wants to sell is usually something he can claim partial or full ownership to. He has stopped suggesting that I get rid of half my hoard, thankfully. He'll only bring up getting rid of or selling something of mine if he knows I don't use/want/need it. I'm happy to get rid of my junk I don't use, and even some that I do use, but I like doing it on my own terms and on my own time.

I'm grateful that he has this ability to get rid of "things", because both of our parents have a terrible time getting rid of possessions they don't use or need. Their homes are full of strange odds and ends. My parents house at least 6 mismatching side chairs, multiple out-of-date wardrobes in case of Surprise Child #2, and who knows how many containers, bows, toys, fabric, and probably innumerable other objects. I don't want to live in constant fear that three extra Mason bottles might have been exactly what I need in a month. That's not how I want to live! But sometimes...just sometimes...I wish there were things that weren't up for selling, scanning and shredding, and removing from our life.

Update: I went out yesterday for a few hours, and when I came home the LoveSac was sold, the Aerogrows were packed up and ready to ship, and there is practically an offer to buy one of our cars in the works. ^_^ He's a go-getter, that husband of mine.