memories & stuff

I'm finding all sorts of treasures as we continue our decluttering/organizing/purging project at home.  We are literally going through all of our "stuff", limiting things we have in storage to keepsakes and Christmas stuff, and either using or pitching the rest.  Today I actually got through the *last tote* in our storage room!  THE LAST TOTE, PEOPLE!  Woo hoo!  I never thought we'd get there, but we did!  It's been fun.

In going through our aforementioned "stuff", I ran across a box of keepsakes from my childhood.  In there, among other things like my Smurf collection, my little "Odie" doll, and Holly Hobby set (it's a cardboard Holly Hobby where you where you can put different clothes on her with yarn that you lace through the holes - I know you wanted to know that), I found my diaries... 

October 23, 1980 "Today I got a class picture of that cutie Matt.  Ooooh is he a hunk!  I think he likes me, too!  I gave him a class picture of me too!  He wanted one!  I hope he can go skating tomorrow night!  If we can I hope he skates with me on Moonlight-Midnight Skate!" 

He did.  And I see I have been overusing exclamation points since I was eleven!!!

June 22, 1984 "I am so happy!  I found Christ and am starting to live for him right now!" 

And then I went on to talk about the weather....see, my rambling goes way back too.

I've found all kinds of other things that I had forgotten all about.  I actually have an entire dresser full of picture frames, candles, candle holders, and linens, and I think we have enough school supplies to get the kids through the next two years!  I'm a saver. I don't like to throw things away...not in a "Hoarders" kind of way (that show makes me so sad I can't watch it) but I just love saving things that have sentimental value. I think I have saved nearly every card and letter I've ever been given.

I have boxes of things from the kids...notes they have written, drawings and projects, and even some of their worksheets from school. The best ones are the ones where they spell stuff just like it sounds - like Nick's chart of "primary colors and second dairy colors" :) I have two big totes full of their baby stuff that I can't part with.  I have the original "We Are The World" record, and Life Magazine with them on the cover.  I have the newspaper from 9/11.  And like I said, all my diaries since 5th grade. 


My letter jacket (can't part with it - it's the only actual proof of how thin I was in highschool), and a folder full of art projects that my cousins, siblings and I used to make at our grandma's (I especially loved the glitter glue and it has held up surprisingly well for the last 30+ years!) 

Now all this has me singing "Memories...misty water-colored memories..."  Chevy Chase style :)