JEANNE BRAGG, Post Columnist
Posted: Sunday, March 21, 2010 12:00 am

I started in the kitchen with the pencil holder by the phone. I threw away 10 superfluous pens, 15 emery boards (good...I’d been looking for them), several unneeded pencils and two pairs of tweezers (been looking for them, too).

I ditched over half my ratty notecards, six 20-cent blank postcards, five unidentified keys (what good are unknown keys?) and six glue sticks (three good).

Out went half the rubber bands and all Sharpies that don’t write.

And out went numerous sentimental cards received over the past seven years. I tried to save the best (don’t tell Tommy and the children).

I then hit a cabinet in the laundry room that stores gifts, jars and some canned goods I have made.

During a reality check about six months ago, I realized MANY jars of things I had canned and stored — jellies, okra and tomatoes — were unappealing or old and would never be eaten. If questionable, down the disposal they went.

I was surprised how much was trashed, but the reward of having only the “good stuff” on hand was well worth the effort. If you’re a “canner,” you know what I’m talking about.

Into the Goodwill stack went some dishes I really liked (I could write a whole article about dishes I really like) and some odds and ends. In addition, I found 10 dishcloths I had knitted for gifts. Time to give those away!

I have so much extra space in there, I can store extra rolls of paper towels from the garage.

But the most rewarding effort of the day came when I addressed head-on the “spice” cabinet.

I love to cook and like to have lots of spices and seasonings on hand. My cabinet had become overrun.

I started by removing every spice from the cabinet, putting them in alphabetical order on the island.

I then organized them in a manner new to me (like-sized jars on door shelves, in alphabetical order). All those packets of sauces (sloppy joe mix, bernaise sauce, etc.) that usually fall out when I open the door went into a plastic box purchased at the Container Store years ago.

I pitched those out of date (2007 must have been the last time I cleaned out, because that was a predominant date). Hard to believe I’ve had things that long without having used them.

I merged duplicate containers, threw out some jewels I wished I had used (lemon-pepper and tarragon from the Farmer’s Market in Atlanta — the best), and took the time to fill my battery-operated pepper mill with peppercorns (if you don’t have one, you need one).

At the suggestion of my friend Pat, I even wrote the date and month on all unexpired jars, reminding myself to pitch them if not used in a year.

In the past, I bought spices at wholesale clubs but I have vowed not to do that again. Even though they are less expensive, I never use them fast enough to retain their flavor.

Into the disposal went “tired” herbs, unused condiments and duplications. Into the recycle bin went plastic and glass containers. A garbage bag collected everything else and I took it outside immediately to get rid of it.

It took a while, but was very rewarding. I’m on a roll.

The cake pan cabinet is next (filled to the brim with pans for cakes and breads but I hardly bake anymore).

Maybe I’ll find enough room to put the squeeze the crock-pot in there, too.

I’ll keep you posted.

‘Til next week.