This should be my downsizing year. As we age, we think of moving to a smaller house and garden, (or no garden), disposing of our clutter so our children won’t have to cope with it. I look at my cupboards and wonder where to start. There are programs on TV about people who are compulsive hoarders—I think I’m heading that way too!
I look in my wardrobe and wonder where to start, several favourite jumpers are at least 30 years old, but they made better quality woollens then—pure wool with no synthetic added. On the next shelf I find scores of T shirts and trousers. I’ve got to keep old clothes for gardening and around the farm. I”ve heard that when you buy a new article of clothing an old one should be thrown out. Not me!
On the back of the top shelf is a case containing my wedding dress (60 years), a lace creation with a bouffant skirt. I kept it thinking one of my daughters may have worn it, but alas, they weren't the same size as me, and lace was out of fashion. Perhaps one of my granddaughters will like it?
With COVID we don’t go out so we don’t need anything flash to wear, and when you are over 80, comfort comes before fashion! And, some of those old clothes are comfortable!
I move on to the linen cupboard. Apart from linen, there are stacks of photo albums, vases, Xmas decorations and records, a lot of which I’ve inherited from my mother. I look at the photos of family and holidays and I get very sentimental and find it hard to throw anything out. The Xmas decorations must go, apart from finding it a bother to hang tinsel etc. there possibly will not be a family gathering here this year due to COVID isolation. Anything worthwhile on records could be transferred to CD’s. Might manage to throw something out here!
Next I move to my “sewing room” (bedroom 4). Here I find two sewing machines plus my Nana's old treadle Singer machine. Sentimentality rules again, after all, that old machine has lots of drawer space! The wardrobes bulge with material scraps and craft books that only a quilter would understand. Those scraps, no matter how small, might be useful one day. Other craft gear of the past,--beads, ribbons, buttons, wool and paints I might use one day, (when I’m really old).
I wander out to the bin with a small bag of rubbish, the whole exercise was like shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic. I need a cup of tea and a sit down! Was it Scarlet O’Hara who said “Tomorrow is another day”?
I look in my wardrobe and wonder where to start, several favourite jumpers are at least 30 years old, but they made better quality woollens then—pure wool with no synthetic added. On the next shelf I find scores of T shirts and trousers. I’ve got to keep old clothes for gardening and around the farm. I”ve heard that when you buy a new article of clothing an old one should be thrown out. Not me!
On the back of the top shelf is a case containing my wedding dress (60 years), a lace creation with a bouffant skirt. I kept it thinking one of my daughters may have worn it, but alas, they weren't the same size as me, and lace was out of fashion. Perhaps one of my granddaughters will like it?
With COVID we don’t go out so we don’t need anything flash to wear, and when you are over 80, comfort comes before fashion! And, some of those old clothes are comfortable!
I move on to the linen cupboard. Apart from linen, there are stacks of photo albums, vases, Xmas decorations and records, a lot of which I’ve inherited from my mother. I look at the photos of family and holidays and I get very sentimental and find it hard to throw anything out. The Xmas decorations must go, apart from finding it a bother to hang tinsel etc. there possibly will not be a family gathering here this year due to COVID isolation. Anything worthwhile on records could be transferred to CD’s. Might manage to throw something out here!
Next I move to my “sewing room” (bedroom 4). Here I find two sewing machines plus my Nana's old treadle Singer machine. Sentimentality rules again, after all, that old machine has lots of drawer space! The wardrobes bulge with material scraps and craft books that only a quilter would understand. Those scraps, no matter how small, might be useful one day. Other craft gear of the past,--beads, ribbons, buttons, wool and paints I might use one day, (when I’m really old).
I wander out to the bin with a small bag of rubbish, the whole exercise was like shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic. I need a cup of tea and a sit down! Was it Scarlet O’Hara who said “Tomorrow is another day”?
Margaret Nelson
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