I turned 75 two weeks ago, and I am also in the process of going through all of my things, getting ready to move back to Minnesota where I have a sister, 3 brothers and several good friends. Going through my stuff sometimes it almost seems like living my life in reverse. I know when I helped my Dad consolidate and clear our our family home how long the process can take, and saying goodbye to all those things. But it was also a wonderful way to relive the memories.

I have already given all my plants and plant stuff away. Today my bff is coming over and I can give her some shelves she will use to set up her sewing room. I have always been of the mindset that if I bring in something home then I must give up something. That being said, it is so darned easy to accumulate "stuff". One thing that helps is to say to myself, 'if there was a fire, what would I grab before getting out?' It helps to figure out what is most important.

I too am going thru photos and old letters. This takes the longest time. Most of the photos were taken by myself so I have hard copies, copies on CD and copies on my computer via/phone. The time consuming part is going through and remembering and then dealing with any emotions that come up, before I pass the hard copies on to my nieces, nephews, and other family members. It can feel like I am losing something, but again, I still have most on CDs. I like your idea of putting the photos on a rotating wall frame.

I will do the same process with jewelry. I think this will be a bit easier especially since I wear very little nowadays, and keep them mostly for sentimental value; although, I am surprised how possessive I am of my "jewels".

Good Luck in your downsizing process.