There is a kind of sadness that goes along with having to make these choices, though I'm excited, too. But a new start doesn't mean I'll want to live with all new things. I find too much comfort in the old, but I'll only have room for some of them.
The challenge is in deciding which ones get to go with me. 😏
The things we kept from ancestors are always been the most mundane. A cheap ceramic beer stein that has held pens and pencils by the phone for three generations, though we may be the last because people carry their phones around now. A set of Pyrex mixing bowls. Socket wrenches. A transferware covered casserole. A handmade lamp. A kitchen wall clock. You can always find a place for something mundane. Make everyday life full of stories and charm.
The things I have from the 30s, 40s, and 50s are the sweetest because they remind me of my growing up years. They'll be the hardest to cull through. I of course would want to take them all. They've become such a part of me, but, as with my childhood, I'll have to leave so much of it behind.
I have some of my grandfather's tools, some of them over a hundred years old now. It feels that the best way to honor them is to keep on using them, to add a new century's dents and scratches to the old.
When my dad died I found a small tool box and put a few of his things inside. He was an upholsterer and one of the treasures is his magnetized tack hammer. I'm just going to have to find a place for that little box.
The ones that have meaning and memories are the hardest to let go of. It's as if they're living, breathing reminders, even those kitchen things I use every day. If they belonged to someone I've loved then they belong!
I sympathize….a wonderful thing to do is take PHOTOS of things you love but cannot keep. That way you can even make a photo book later. Also, plan a PLATE WALL in your new place….plates can be hung so you can enjoy them.
I should take more photos. That's a great idea. I had a plate wall when I lived in the suburbs. All English transferware and I loved it! I never had room for one here, but I'm already planning on hanging plates along the space above the kitchen cupboards. The hardest part is choosing which ones!
I’m about to start doing the same sorting for the same reason but every time I open a cabinet door I find a reason to wait to get started. Good luck to us both!
Reading this made me dread the day I should ever have to move. I've been settled here for a long time and have some boxes I never even opened when I loved in because my place is too small. And in the time I've been here I've also accumulated all of my son’s belongings after he died a few years ago. I suspect when it's time to move I'll also fondle plenty of things while trying to decide what to do with them.
It's much tougher than I realized, though this will be the second time I've had to clear out a house we'd lived in for 30 years. I'm shocked at how much I've accumulated. My only consolation about living in an apartment is that I simply won't be able to do it again.
And the likelihood of living anywhere for another 30 years is slim to none. 😂
I guess I didn't mention the part where I'll be co-renter of a storage unit and some of it will go in there. I know there's no chance I'll need any of it but, as with some of Ed's things, I'm not ready to let them go out of my life.
I have so much empathy for what you are feeling and going through. My home is a collection of the things I love many passed down. There are constant reminders that my parents came to this country with literally nothing and created good lives. Everything creates a constant push and pull at this stage of my life. Total empathy.
Everything you've said is so true. It's more than just getting rid of things, it's saying goodbye to our memories, as well. The things that give us comfort.
Yes, it takes time to evaluate and consider every choice. It will yield benefits when your perfect home appears! You have some real treasures there. I loved the monochrome herons and the flowers and poplars. Really stunning! My grandmother, born in the late 1800s, had an antique shop full of porcelain, glass, and ivory in her basement. I spent the summers there growing up. I appreciate those very unique treasures.
Absolutely, When we lived in Washington, we had a large home with lots of storage space and lots of stuff. Then we moved back to California into a three bedroom apartment - talk about downsizing. But it was harder for me to move myself to the two bedroom - it was those decisions and all the memories attached.
Do you ever regret getting rid of something you might want now? When we left our bigger home to move to the island I had a huge yard sale after giving away many things to friends and family. Our island house was partly furnished so I started here with only the things I couldn't do without.
I can't say I ever missed anything I left behind. I try to keep that in mind as I consider this new move!
Hi Ramona, Not really. Maybe, I already told you this, but Dan had a red 1989 truck that was his pride and joy. We gave it to our son and last spring when I visited them in Salt Lake, the truck was sitting in the garage all shiny and well-taken care of. I was thrilled and touched.
The only things I regret getting rid of after Steve died and I moved were a lot of "Dick's Picks" Grateful Dead live recordings on CD. They are named after Dick Latvala, the custodian of the Grateful Dead tape vault until his death in 1999. Now I think they're done by David Lemieux and are called "Dave's Picks." I started listening to the Dead a lot more after Steve died and I could listen to the SONGS, not just the psychedelia the way he did.
I also kind of regret getting rid of my smaller crockpot, because I used to make mulled cider in it.
The mundane is where history spends most of its time. I'm glad to see that someone else mentioned photos. Memorializing in pictures what could not be brought along physically has saved me from the sadness of saying goodbye to so many loves.
There's something to be said for allowing things to live again with someone else who will love them. My mother played the violin when she was young. She decided if she wasn't good enough to play in a symphony orchestra, she wouldn't play again. Her violin sat in various attics and closets until she died 60-odd years later. My sister, who has musical talent, thought she'd take a crack at it. But since she's focused on guitar, Irish bouzouki, hammer dulcimer, and pennywhistle, she decided she didn't need to take up a new and difficult instrument. So she asked me if I would mind if she gave it to a friend who's a fiddler. Mind? I was ecstatic. The friend travels all over playing my mother's violin, and after 60+ years of being sad and forgotten, it is singing again.
If I were younger, I would offer to take that poppy casserole off your hands and love it. But I too am not downsizing, exactly, but trying to winnow down my STUFF to what I actually use, in preparation for actual downsizing at some future date.
Keep the things that most people wouldn't be interested in but that are meaningful to you. Take photos of things you don't use but love -- and pass them along to someone who will love them. Freecycle and Buy Nothing are GREAT for this. You get to meet the people who will love your stuff, and if you keep in touch, they might send you photos of your poppy casserole at a big family Thanksgiving. And so it will go, on and on. <3
A unique, lovely collection, Romana. I also have some treasures, most handed down by my ancestors. I am especially attacked to my Dalton mugs … still a collector item too. And I have my great grandmother's secretary, which is perfect place to display them.
I’ve begun downsizing in anticipation of moving also. The easiest way for me to part with things is when I find special places to donate - my husbands golf clubs went to a youth golf league, his bicycle to backstretch workers at a racetrack, tools to carpenters, fabric to Girl Scouts, old depression glass to a store-owner in town who collects donations for people in need in the community, etc. It’s a little easier to part with things that way.
There is a kind of sadness that goes along with having to make these choices, though I'm excited, too. But a new start doesn't mean I'll want to live with all new things. I find too much comfort in the old, but I'll only have room for some of them.
The challenge is in deciding which ones get to go with me. 😏
The things we kept from ancestors are always been the most mundane. A cheap ceramic beer stein that has held pens and pencils by the phone for three generations, though we may be the last because people carry their phones around now. A set of Pyrex mixing bowls. Socket wrenches. A transferware covered casserole. A handmade lamp. A kitchen wall clock. You can always find a place for something mundane. Make everyday life full of stories and charm.
The things I have from the 30s, 40s, and 50s are the sweetest because they remind me of my growing up years. They'll be the hardest to cull through. I of course would want to take them all. They've become such a part of me, but, as with my childhood, I'll have to leave so much of it behind.
I have some of my grandfather's tools, some of them over a hundred years old now. It feels that the best way to honor them is to keep on using them, to add a new century's dents and scratches to the old.
When my dad died I found a small tool box and put a few of his things inside. He was an upholsterer and one of the treasures is his magnetized tack hammer. I'm just going to have to find a place for that little box.
You and your treasures are as precious as you can be. Such sweet shares, memories, and sentiment. Your charm moves with you.
The ones that have meaning and memories are the hardest to let go of. It's as if they're living, breathing reminders, even those kitchen things I use every day. If they belonged to someone I've loved then they belong!
I sympathize….a wonderful thing to do is take PHOTOS of things you love but cannot keep. That way you can even make a photo book later. Also, plan a PLATE WALL in your new place….plates can be hung so you can enjoy them.
I should take more photos. That's a great idea. I had a plate wall when I lived in the suburbs. All English transferware and I loved it! I never had room for one here, but I'm already planning on hanging plates along the space above the kitchen cupboards. The hardest part is choosing which ones!
I’m about to start doing the same sorting for the same reason but every time I open a cabinet door I find a reason to wait to get started. Good luck to us both!
Have you started yet? Because I'm still at the "I have to get started" phase. I need a kick in the butt. How about you?
Reading this made me dread the day I should ever have to move. I've been settled here for a long time and have some boxes I never even opened when I loved in because my place is too small. And in the time I've been here I've also accumulated all of my son’s belongings after he died a few years ago. I suspect when it's time to move I'll also fondle plenty of things while trying to decide what to do with them.
PS: I love those Salamina plates.
It's much tougher than I realized, though this will be the second time I've had to clear out a house we'd lived in for 30 years. I'm shocked at how much I've accumulated. My only consolation about living in an apartment is that I simply won't be able to do it again.
And the likelihood of living anywhere for another 30 years is slim to none. 😂
I do live in an apartment so I can confirm that for you lol. It's the storage locker in my parking garage that needs an exorcism 😂
I guess I didn't mention the part where I'll be co-renter of a storage unit and some of it will go in there. I know there's no chance I'll need any of it but, as with some of Ed's things, I'm not ready to let them go out of my life.
Completely understandable ❤️
I have so much empathy for what you are feeling and going through. My home is a collection of the things I love many passed down. There are constant reminders that my parents came to this country with literally nothing and created good lives. Everything creates a constant push and pull at this stage of my life. Total empathy.
Everything you've said is so true. It's more than just getting rid of things, it's saying goodbye to our memories, as well. The things that give us comfort.
That may be the hardest part to reconcile.
Ramona, I see things working out for you, and your most precious plates and platters. I'm decluttering and gifting some treasures.
I do love giving some of them away, especially if they seem meaningful and might be appreciated. But it's still a big job!
Yes, it takes time to evaluate and consider every choice. It will yield benefits when your perfect home appears! You have some real treasures there. I loved the monochrome herons and the flowers and poplars. Really stunning! My grandmother, born in the late 1800s, had an antique shop full of porcelain, glass, and ivory in her basement. I spent the summers there growing up. I appreciate those very unique treasures.
Thank you. I've been in love with antiques and vintage all of my life and that won't change. The level of involvement will have to!
I hope that you enjoy your walk down memory lane.
I'm definitely enjoying parts of it. Some of it is painful. Decisions, decisions, decisions...
Absolutely, When we lived in Washington, we had a large home with lots of storage space and lots of stuff. Then we moved back to California into a three bedroom apartment - talk about downsizing. But it was harder for me to move myself to the two bedroom - it was those decisions and all the memories attached.
Do you ever regret getting rid of something you might want now? When we left our bigger home to move to the island I had a huge yard sale after giving away many things to friends and family. Our island house was partly furnished so I started here with only the things I couldn't do without.
I can't say I ever missed anything I left behind. I try to keep that in mind as I consider this new move!
Hi Ramona, Not really. Maybe, I already told you this, but Dan had a red 1989 truck that was his pride and joy. We gave it to our son and last spring when I visited them in Salt Lake, the truck was sitting in the garage all shiny and well-taken care of. I was thrilled and touched.
The only things I regret getting rid of after Steve died and I moved were a lot of "Dick's Picks" Grateful Dead live recordings on CD. They are named after Dick Latvala, the custodian of the Grateful Dead tape vault until his death in 1999. Now I think they're done by David Lemieux and are called "Dave's Picks." I started listening to the Dead a lot more after Steve died and I could listen to the SONGS, not just the psychedelia the way he did.
I also kind of regret getting rid of my smaller crockpot, because I used to make mulled cider in it.
I empathise.
Everything engenders memories and it's a truly cathartic journey you are on.
My favourite though, is the brown Japanese-style plate - it's so subtly wonderful. I love it!
Thanks, Prue. These life changes are exhausting! Time to settle down!
The brown aesthetics are surprisingly inexpensive now. I'm surprised at that. I don't dare look; I'll want to buy more!
I'm a blue person. I find it hard to walk past blue plates...
The blues are amazing. I have a couple of really old flow blues I love.
The mundane is where history spends most of its time. I'm glad to see that someone else mentioned photos. Memorializing in pictures what could not be brought along physically has saved me from the sadness of saying goodbye to so many loves.
There's something to be said for allowing things to live again with someone else who will love them. My mother played the violin when she was young. She decided if she wasn't good enough to play in a symphony orchestra, she wouldn't play again. Her violin sat in various attics and closets until she died 60-odd years later. My sister, who has musical talent, thought she'd take a crack at it. But since she's focused on guitar, Irish bouzouki, hammer dulcimer, and pennywhistle, she decided she didn't need to take up a new and difficult instrument. So she asked me if I would mind if she gave it to a friend who's a fiddler. Mind? I was ecstatic. The friend travels all over playing my mother's violin, and after 60+ years of being sad and forgotten, it is singing again.
If I were younger, I would offer to take that poppy casserole off your hands and love it. But I too am not downsizing, exactly, but trying to winnow down my STUFF to what I actually use, in preparation for actual downsizing at some future date.
Keep the things that most people wouldn't be interested in but that are meaningful to you. Take photos of things you don't use but love -- and pass them along to someone who will love them. Freecycle and Buy Nothing are GREAT for this. You get to meet the people who will love your stuff, and if you keep in touch, they might send you photos of your poppy casserole at a big family Thanksgiving. And so it will go, on and on. <3
A unique, lovely collection, Romana. I also have some treasures, most handed down by my ancestors. I am especially attacked to my Dalton mugs … still a collector item too. And I have my great grandmother's secretary, which is perfect place to display them.
Thanks for the memory.
I’ve begun downsizing in anticipation of moving also. The easiest way for me to part with things is when I find special places to donate - my husbands golf clubs went to a youth golf league, his bicycle to backstretch workers at a racetrack, tools to carpenters, fabric to Girl Scouts, old depression glass to a store-owner in town who collects donations for people in need in the community, etc. It’s a little easier to part with things that way.
All of them wonderful ideas, Cathy. Thank you!
Ramona! I love (and, you’re right, not at all surprised) to find you’re a kindred spirit in finding the kindred spirit in objects. ❤️