Books by the old Leather Chair

  • Snow In The Summer
  • My Bible
  • The Power of Silence
  • What Comes Next and to Like It
  • Encore Provence
  • A Year in Provence

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Today And Clutter Or Memories


Special prayers and thoughts go out to my youngest granddaughter's this early morning.
It is the first day of school.
A day of excitement and a little nervous.
On their mind
new teachers
and new faces and hopefully some familar old friends.

Grandma is thinking of you with much love.....

Now on to my original post for today :)

Many items at this time of life
are just something to clean, shine, look at
and in the past you were used almost daily...

Downscaling a number of times but still cabinets, drawers and closets filled with items that are only used occasionally.
So you clean and put back on shelves, you wash, starch and fold old linens, air old quilts, go through your vast collection of books repeatedly,  thankful that only a few Christmas decorations remain.
Guess it is just a part of years of accumulating and my lifestyle is so totally different at this time.   My son tells me I have done good that there is really not that much left.   
I agree until I start doing special cleaning in Spring and Fall.
 
I smile that my granddaughter in New York on her last visit said "grandma you have something I would like to have"   I asked "what is it?"    It was a fur jacket that was purchased 50 years ago.  Since it was a small size I asked "does it fit"  her reply "oh yes perfectly"  She sent me pictures last winter of her wearing it in very cold New York.   When complimented she shares it was her grandmother's and it also has my initials embroidered in the lining..... E.L.
 
Better she enjoys it then little granddaughter's wearing it outside on their visits when there
are frigid winter days
 cold winter days.....
 
 

17 comments:

mel said...

It always feels good to me to downsize more and give things away. You live a beautifully simple life and I know your son is right - you have done good.

Nancy said...

We move in 18 months, so am presently downsizing. Oh my, what a tough job. I also just washed and ironed old linens, which I probably won't use. What to throw when much is full of memories of Mom and favorite aunts? Life is an accumulation of stuff. Our kids will appreciate our weeding out.:)

Tabor said...

I have not had lots of nice things or heirlooms and I never purchased expensive items, but I still have lots of junk that I try to get rid of when Hubby is gone on travel. He is a collector of junk.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Tabor, you make me smile. The father of my children would
take a lot of items I was going to throw away and hide them:) and yes, he was also a collector of junk :) Guess my grandmother and mother knew I would take care of their treasures
and they were passed on to me.
Now my children have no interest in many of them :)
Mel and Nancy :)

Balisha said...

I remember the day that my Mom, in her 70's, brought me several boxes of her hand painted treasures. She told me that she wanted, in her last years, to see me enjoy them. I went right to work to display them all and delighted in her face when she would visit.
Now, I have done the same with my kids. They all have things from our house when they were growing up. Pieces of furniture, paintings, tea cups and saucers...oh so many things. Sometimes I see these things, when we visit...realizing that we have different tastes now,,,but knowing that some day they will love having them.
Balisha

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Balisha, yes, their taste are different and I think mine just do not want the cleaning, polishing and having them sit around.
Maybe one will as I was the only for for my mother that loved all she had..except boxes and old framed pictures and I wonder "who are some of these people" :)

Judy said...

I think we have trained our children well when they want something that is ours--as we wanted something that was Momma's or grandma's. I love the things I have that my mother and grandmother once treasured and touched.

the wild magnolia said...

you are an encourager
and a planner

downsizing is a very good idea
i have done it and will again in spring

the granddaughter you have your arm around
appears to favor you a lot

the fur coat
ah hah! wonderful you can enjoy
her wearing it now

mermaid said...

It seems as if keeping some things around is worth it. Your granddaughter made fabulous use of the fur coat. Cleaning is good, but only for those things you truly want to give away.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Kaveri, had not worn this fur jacket in 20 years :) happy she can make use out of it.
Judy and Sandy, :)

lil red hen said...

Growing up in a poor family, there wasn't much to pass on to me. Sometimes I long for something from my youth. A lot of what I have kept are things my own children had, and none of them seem to want them. I think someday I'll just box it all up and give it to them to deal with :)

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Charlotte, my 18 year old mother
did not have anything but the clock that I have - but much passed down from my grandmother :)
Can I buy one of your aprons
with a bib ?

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Granddaughters are the dearest! I have six of them..and they hold my heart in their hands..they really do. Grandsons are wonderful too. There are eight of those.
I just read your bio. I have never been a professional..I've worked, but only as an office manager in property. Nothing of great importance and only after all seven children were raised.

Like you, I have lots of time..and like you, I feel the days are just flying by. How I ever found time to do all I did..I've no idea. As Balisha says, "Never Enough Time"..
:)
Mona

Wisewebwoman said...

I love the story of the fur coat. Now it is having two sets of memories...

downsizing is hard. But once you start it flows...

XO
WWW

Marcie said...

I loved reading this, Ernestine. I am already in the phase of downsizing my own things. I just don't want life to be all about "stuff." But, having said that, because my daughters are both "young twenties" I am storing several boxes of things for each of them that they may want when they have their own place. They will have a grand "going through" when they get those boxes and sort through to decide what to keep and what to pass along. Have a beautiful weekend!

BlondeMomBlog (Jamie) said...

They had a wonderful first day experience at school. Thank you for thinking of them and checking on them! xoxo

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

My Jamie, thanks for visiting. WWW, Aisling and WOC, :)