A wonderful old friend of mine, Linda, and her friend Diane in Buffalo, NY put out a Fresh Start Challenge on Facebook:

Welcome to Fresh Start! This group was created to share and encourage organization and healthy lifestyle ideas in the coming year. We’re going to start with a “30 Day Organization Challenge.” It’s an easy task. Spend 15 minutes each day organizing an item or area and post before and after pictures. Don’t know where to start….don’t worry, we’ll give you an item/area each day.

How interesting that I can be a part of a group that I do not know and have not met.  Here I am admitting to these strangers that my house is in disarray and in need of a good purge.  These people are serious, and I needed serious to clean up and organize this house and my office. So off I went, and nothing was exempt from this cleaning tirade, even Izzy.

• We started out simple with cleaning out old paperwork. No problem. Bring it on.
• Next up, cleaning supplies. Easy breezy I had a ton of old stuff.
• Fridge & freezer. Uh oh. Not so simple. “I’ll eat that…eventually.”
• Your purse. Whoa. That is indeed a challenge. Old Chapstick, pens that don’t work and something that looks like an old roll of Tums.
• Coat closet. Mudroom. Oh My! Poor Izzy lost a few old blankets to the animal shelter.
• Pantry & storage, kitchen cabinets and dining area? Aww. I love those old plates and napkins.
• Medicine cabinet and junk drawer? Sometimes one in the same. I mean really, how many tweeters and nail clippers does one person need?
• Magazines, books, and entertainment area. I have a bag of cassette tapes from the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, a Cigar Aficionado magazine from December 2007 with Tom Selleck on the cover NEVER getting rid of that, and dozens of food magazines just waiting for me to make those recipes.

I have filled my recycle bin, brought at least 40 pounds of paper and old tax returns to the shredder at work and recycled 4 laptops, 8 iPods and 3 iPhones.

I’m exhausted. So, tonight, mid-way through this clean and purge month, I am going to make myself a drink. Do you know what it will be?

A neat martini- Italian Style

• Vodka
• A splash of Limoncello
• Maybe a twist of lemon rind

Add ingredients to the shaker with ice. Always shaken, never stirred.

Pour into a chilled martini glass leaving ice behind.

Ahhhh. I feel better already and prepared to face the remaining 15 or so days of the challenge.