Monday, October 15, 2012

What We Keep


The Joads Naperville Now pulled out of Savannah, GA, at 8 a.m. and landed in St. Louis at 9 p.m. I think it's about 9,000 miles. Close to that, anyway. And I have a cold and a cough. And I couldn't do any quilting because I couldn't see well enough in the dim of the cab. And Charlie's watch kept beeping the hour while I was trying valiantly to nap. And road food is positively awful, awful, awful.

But we have tucked a few memories on board. Ironstone dishes that remind us of our Mom and all those wonderful dinners enjoyed on her screened-in porch. Pressed stemware that accompanied those meals. Quilting books, patterns and unfinished quilts. A tonnage of photographs taken across 90 years. Furniture that arrived miraculously undamaged after miles of rough road.


My driver did a fine job figuring out where and how to fit everything in the truck. These are new skills to us, but give a man some rope and packing tape, miracles are possible. (No dog crate had to be bungeed to the roof in the making of this adventure.)

We will leave for Naperville around lunchtime tomorrow, having spent a few days rearranging and recuperating with our daughter, AJ, and her family.

I am drafting ideas on my next post about stuff -- what we keep and why we keep it. Possessions are funny things.

Let me know what you have amassed in your cupboards/garage/attic/storage unit. What's your plan for everything? Is there a plan?

Naperville Now participates in Mrs. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. See what others have to say here.

21 comments:

Beth said...

I have no plan. For some reason I have been named "One Who Will Keep Our Treasures Forever After We're Finished With Them." I have someone's bronzed baby shoes, a purple, yellow, and orange porcelain tea set, Tupperware bowls with no tops and much much more. I guess my plan is not to pass all this stuff on to my kids.

Lynn said...

I, like Beth, have no plan. What I need: Someone to go through and organize it (not me) and 2 kids with their own houses so I can pass back the boxes with their names on them containing all those childhood "treasures" (aka trophies, composition papers, report cards, awards, etc.) Every time I think about going through it all, I look at it and walk away. Clay will tell you he has marked several boxes in our basement with "stuff Lynn won't throw out". And we paid to have this stuff moved. Totally true.

Anonymous said...

That looks like a lot of work. I am a horrible packrat, but this makes me think I should once again "clear the clutter." I have to do that occasionally. :-)

Betshy said...

No plans at my house,either! And I'm not allowed to touch any of the "stuff" from Pete's mother's house, none of which I want. That's why in the basement!

anitamombanita said...

My parents were "collectors", or more correctly they didn't throw things out. Me, though, not so much.I hate clutter and don't tend to be sentimental...

Unknown said...

We are sharing some of our treasure with charity. A certain young boy says we should save them for his children.

carol l mckenna said...

Already cleaned out several houses ~ this hopefully is the last and I am working on that ~ going for the 'Zen' look ~ good luck to you both ~ (A Creative Harbor)

My name is Riet said...

I am still trying to get rid of stuff but I am not good at it.

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

When I built my house I got rid of almost everything I owned and now I try really really hard to only buy things I am going to use...

I don't always follow that rule, but I try!

Susan Anderson said...

I am getting better about simplifying things as I get older. My husband is my best helper on this...

;)

MFM said...

Have you ever heard George Carlin's routine on "stuff"? It's ages old but a classic!

Judie said...

I did a serious purging before we moved here, or so I thought. When I was unpacking the dining room, I can across more than one item that was totally foreign and mysterious to me.

Thankfully, Jenny and Steve took all my garages sale items to Phoenix one Sunday.

debra said...

no plan / but basically I have alot of clothes that don't fit anymore, ha ha

Gattina said...

I feel with you, I also catched a cold and caugh like an old locomotive !

Betty said...

I didn't always keep things because we moved a lot in the early years, but I've been in this house now for over 20 years and I've got stuff jammed under beds, in closets, the garage, and I rent a place at one of those storage places. I buy a lot less now. I think twice before purchasing. I really need to start going through stuff and donating. As I get older I realize that I don't want my kids stuck with having to clean out everything when I'm gone. I still remember doing it for my parents. Unfortunately, I'm a sentimental old fool and there are things that are worthless to anyone else, but pull at my heart strings.

JJ said...

Love your blog. I am your newest follower, and I invite you to join my blog as well.

Kathy and Freddy said...

Took my sister down to the basement to see my other sister's and my ponytails wrapped in tin foil from the time my Grandmother chopped them off without telling my mother.
Couldn't find them, but found yet a different blonde ponytail!!

Splendid Little Stars said...

Oh the sentimental value we place on things!
But isn't that lovely, too?! the sweet memories that can be evoked like meals on a porch.
I have some articles of clothing from my mother and father that I want to make into something. But what? I need ideas.

Jenny said...

Oh my. What an incredible amount of work. So many memories in 'things', aren't there?

Jenny said...

Oops. I forgot to tell you that anyone this brave deserves an A++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Joyful said...

I have no plan either. I just pack and sort at the other end. For my few very long distance moves, I was very fortunate to have the moves paid for by my employers but back then I didn't have so much stuff.