Column: The semi-annual wardrobe shuffle signals the change of seasons

As fall moves closer to winter, the days and nights grow cooler, and the time for the restocking of our wardrobes arrives. In our climate, every house must have a place to store our out-of-season clothes. Some houses are equipped with attic space, some have basements and some are limited to closets or under beds. But homeowners must deal with what they have. We have a guest room closet that must serve storage for out-of-season clothes, extra linen and a few blankets, plus anything a guest might want to hang up. Our house was on the stingy side when it came to storage space. Fortunately, a kind neighbor has given us space in her storage area in which we can store a few boxes. That is a real blessing since getting those boxes under the beds is not a fun chore.

Unpacking winter clothing is an activity that requires at least half a day. Cold-weather clothing is heavy when compared to summer wear. It isn’t as happy a time as when we are prepared for warmer, brighter times. So today was cloudy and chilly, the ideal day to take care of the semi-annual wardrobe restocking.

There is a happy time when the work begins. We rediscovered all the pants, skirts, turtleneck shirts, vests and sweaters we had forgotten we had. But the fun ends when we must clear out drawers and closet space to store them. Clearing out the drawer and closets means that we must put all our summer wear in the bins we just emptied of the winter wear. Sometimes confusion takes over when I realize that I was putting winter clothes in with the summer clothes. Eventually, things get sorted, and the winter stuff is out and the summer stuff is stored. Now, with any luck, there won’t be any more days when the temperature rises into the high 70s. But living in Ohio means a few lightweight shirts are kept in the closet, just in case.

Now comes the difficult part: putting all the storage bins and boxes into closets and into the neighbor’s storage room. Help is coming, soon, I hope. Then the semi-annual restocking is completed, at least until perhaps next May. Our next house will have two closets in every bedroom. That way, each closet will house a different season, and the semi-annual restock won’t be necessary. What a brilliant idea.

Laura Moore can be emailed at lehmoore1@gmail.com.