When I was growing up my father would declare on certain spring mornings, “It’s time to Muck this place out.” He had spent quite a bit of time in the military where I think he first learned to love that call to cleaning action.  

What would follow is a purge of out-grown clothes, bits and parts of over-used toys and the general flotsam and jetsam created by a family of 5 kids and 2 adults.  

Nothing would do except to tackle a room with a three-step exercise: pile everything in the center of the room, study it, decide its fate. It was one of three Keep, Toss or Giveaway; the Decide Later option I see organizers of today use was not a choice. 

I think about this as I am  shifting things on my desk to claim a working surface.  Muck out, I say to myself. The first thing I pick up is a snow globe with a kitchen aid mixer in it. I shake it a few times and see that the snow drifts as faithfully as ever. I see from the sticker on the bottom that it cost $3.99 from my favorite salvage store. 

Does it deserve prime desk real estate?  Well, it’s witty. It doesn’t leak, it reflects light nicely, it even has solid wood base.  I put it back. No muck for the mixer this spring.