In the last few years, Andrew and I have moved from Belfast to Gibraltar, from Gibraltar to Dublin, and from Dublin to the Irish midlands. Through all of those moves, I have had some boxes that have remained more or less as they were packed. Today, I managed to empty three of them. A fourth was emptied but those things that were being kept and not thrown into the recycling or just into the general rubbish, ended up back in box number four.

Still, I can now walk into my study without bumping into boxes. This is progress. There is still a lot to be done to make the study capable of being used as a study once again, but that is for day two of the great sort.

I find it really difficult to know what to keep and what to throw out. I can only imagine how difficult it is for Andrew in working out what of my things are precious objects and what are just rubbish that hasn’t made it to the rubbish pile.

I know that making the house more tidy will help to settle my mind, and will also help Andrew as neither of us functions well when the house is untidy.

It’s a bit early for new year’s resolutions, but I’m looking ahead to a year where there is the chance of a kidney transplant, and I want to be ready to enjoy it. I’m also hoping to get back to work even two days a week, and that will mean that I will be very tired from working instead of being off at home. So now is the chance to do the tidy.