Sunday, March 30, 2014

It Was a Pleasure to Burn. . .


On one of our cold days this past week, I settled down to a job I'd managed to put off for years -- destroying all the old tax information we've saved, as one is told to do in case of an audit. Seven years, they say, and every year, after the taxa are done, I've carefully stowed all the cancelled checks, bills, receipts, bank statements, insurance inforation and anything else that seemed even tangentially important ib boxes and stuck them down in the basement. Out of sight, out of mind. 

But not long ago we did a great clean up of the basement and I chucked all the pre- 2006 papers into empty dog food bags to await burning.  

Nine years worth of paperwork  kept us warm most of the day.  It was a tedious job, feeding the flames  a bit at a time, but strangely pleasant  -- cleansing and hypnotic.


And the piles of papers made such pretty patterns -- like fiery roses.


There's a job done, as they say around here. Perhaps I'll manage to do it yearly from now on.

Perhaps I'll become a more organized person.  

And perhaps pigs will fly. . .


6 comments:

Ms. A said...

I've got about 38 years worth, that needs to be burned and no place to do it... not that I would, I save everything. Too much of everything.

It sure did make a pretty fire!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I am a procrastinator and always dread doing these kinds of jobs, but you're right. You feel so good when they're done. They really created a pretty fire.
Sam

Jime said...

Oh Vicki, I now have a guilty conscience. I got all this paper work stuffed in the garage and in my file drawer. Our fireplace won't do for paper(one of those want-a-be gas log things)We have a shredder but it is not industrial quality so it would take a week to shred it all.

Guess I will just forget it!

Barbara Rogers said...

Love to watch a pretty fire! Good for you for having cleaned up something. Anything cleaned up lessens the sense that there's something still undone!

Brian Miller said...

nice...we did that last year...and it is def nice to have the space...but also the memories....did find a couple cool things to remind me as i tossed them in the flames...

Brenda said...

LOL!! That's too funny. Love the abstract fire photography. Very cool. Well no, hot. Can something be both hot and cool??