How much is too much?

Subjectively speaking I think you can have too much of a good thing.  Last night I didn't fall asleep till 4.15 am because my stomach was full to bursting.  After a month of watching what I eat and being very careful about amounts and portions, I threw caution to the winds and ate an enormous three course dinner.  Worse still, it was at home.  I served it up myself and could easily have taken less.  I am a glutton, I have no restraint. Such is the price we pay for greed.

This leads me to ask the question, how much is too much?  Do we all have to exceed the limit of enough before we know what too much is.  My girlfriend was talking about woman wearing too much make-up as they get older.  I love make-up.  Face painting has never been more fun for me and certainly more necessary.  The question is when have I troweled on too much?  When does make-up go from being an enhancement to a clown pastiche?  Only Ralph will tell me and he hates most make-up anyway.  He says I'm wearing too much make-up when all I've done is wash my face!

How much is too much in the way of clothing.  I have two large wardrobes full to bursting with clothes.  They're not double size or walk-in wardrobes, just cupboards from IKEA.  My intention (operative word here is intention) is to clear the wardrobes so that my winter clothes fit neatly onto the rails with no pushing and shoving and arguing for space.  I intend to colour-code the clothing, trousers all together, shirts, skirts, etc. but somehow there is always too much.  It's easy to throw away things I don't like, but throwing away much loved, but seldom worn, items is harder.  Funny though, as I think about it, I don't remember getting rid of anything because I'd actually worn it out.  No frayed hems, worn collars or split seams on my clothes - just surplus to space.

Shoes, handbags, scarves, bras, pants, socks, tights - all these things seem to grow faster than my weight.  I have drawers full of unpaired socks, pants that started life as pale peach and are now varying shades of grey.  These can definitely go. Boxes full of hats, pull on berets, woolie caps, the occasional floppy-brimmed sun number that has never been worn - these need immediate culling.

Well, thankfully my Sunday is almost over and I have thrown out exactly two shirts.  I did get rid of a saucepan the other day and a few items of clothing, but more action is needed.  I have to admit that I have too much of everything.  Too much time, too much make-up, too much clothing, too much indulgence.  The only thing I don't feel I have too much of is friendship. I went to say good bye to my two dear friends who do the expat thing of leaving the UK for the winter.  Two months in India, four months in the sun in Thailand.  I don't envy them the warmth, the daylight or great food.  I will just plain miss them.  At this  point in my life I can have full cupboards of things, but my friendships are the things that genuinely fill me up and I don't have enough of those.

Empty cupboards are most welcome, empty spaces for the next six months without my friends, that's something else.