Possessions

Today is Tuesday, July 21, 2009. It is sunny and warm. The sky is a beautiful blue.
As I have been straightening up the house yesterday and today, I've spent a lot of time putting away "stuff." You know, books, magazines, pencils, pens, dishes, clothes, tote bags, pillows and the like. I have tried over the years to get better at "a place for everything and everything in its place." Some days I think I have made progress. Other days I'm not so sure.
If you have ever been in our house you know we have many, many books. Not only do we have the books we bought, but we have books from Glen's parents' collection and books from my mother's collection. Add to that books that belong to some of our children. We love books, what can I say? Most of them have been read more than once.
When Glen retired from teaching he brought home his office. He had wall to wall, floor to ceiling bookcases filled with more books. We do have lots of book shelves and they are all filled and spilling over. My oldest sister once said that if she left 2 glasses out on the counter top overnight they multiplied by morning. I think that is true of books, too.
We have dozens of cookbooks. And several sets of encylcopedias. And we all love the old Reader's Digest Condensed Books. (We don't like the new Select Editions. They have too much graphic sex and bad language left in them. I feel perfectly okay if one of my grandchildren selects an old Condensed Book to read. I have expressed my dislike to every Reader's Digest person who has called. "NO, I do not want your Selection Editions because ....")
Not so long ago I decided I would like to collect all the Caldacott Award and the Newberry Award winners. Sure, we need more books. It is a fun project. I just wish I could find a copy of Wanda Gag's Millions and Millions of Cats.
And everytime a book ad comes in the mail - five books for $1 - I pore over that ad, select 5 books I'd really, really like. I am doing better at not making the order. I know that I can cancel at any time or return any book I don't want BUT too often in the past I have just kept buying book after book.
Photographs are another possession that we have boxes and boxes full - and albums, too. I am trying to be more discerning with the photos I keep. I ask myself "Is anyone really interested in this photo of me 15 years ago with some of my PTA friends at Disneyland?" Or what about my PTA friends without me? And where on earth was this picture of the highway taken. Oh, yes, once I said I wanted a picture book of trees and clouds so that when I am too old to do much else I can look at the pictures. Wait, I think I said that same thing in my last blog. Am I overly concerned with getting too old to do much else? Maybe.
Dishes - I love dishes. Whenever there is an offer to get dishes in the grocery store, I always fall prey to that come on. Over the years I have parted with some of the pieces but not many. I treasure those dishes. Sure, they are kind of cheap but I like them nevertheless.
Last week I went through my clothes closet. I have plenty of clothes but I usually wear the same old favorites. One of our granddaughters asked her mother "How come Grandma always wears the same dress?" I love it, that's why. Can I clean out my closet a little and give some of those things away? Nope, I might need it one day.
Some of you will understand about me and my possessions. Others of you will shake your heads. A friend told me her mother's motto was "Every day throw something away." I'm trying but somehow I hear my mother's voice, "As sure as you throw that away you will need it." There's got to be a happy medium.
That's all for today. I'm going to tackle a drawer in my filing cabinet. I am doing well at throwing away papers. Wish me luck!