Memories From the Basement

It was a two day event for Nick and me.  We attacked and cleaned the basement!!!!!

There was laughter.  There were tears.
There were some things we looked at and said, "Why did he keep this?"  There were other things we just said, "What is it?"

Nine garbage bags later.  10 bags full of things to the thrift store.  Then home for 6 more bags of garbage and 4 more bags for the thrift store.  Then it was done!

The tears came when we found things from their childhoods. Photos flooded our brains with memories. Memories of places. Visions of people we loved for too short of a time. 

Laughter came when we remembered why we kept the drawings, the photos, the journals, the paper clippings, and some of the things we found.

We wondered why somethings were still there after 40 years.  Why were they moved 20 years ago?  What meaning did they have then that they didn't have now?  Who were some of these people in the pictures?  Who was this baby in the picture?  Why did we have it?

Look at this!  It's my first communion veil!  What is this?  This is my bull fighting cape from when I took Spanish dancing as a teenager.  Look at these newspaper clippings.  Mom, is that you?  Why didn't you tell me you used to act in plays?  When did you do that?  How old were you?  Where'd did all these cups come from?  I don't know, but put them in the thrift shop bags.  (White bags were for the thrift store.  Black bags were the garbage.)

Now, what's left of the memories are organized in plastic bins.  Memories stored until someone else comes along and says, "What is this?"  "Where did it come from?"  "Why did she keep it?"
"Who was that?"  "Was she really an actress?"

Memories from the basement, but a basement that's cleaned!

On Being a Fairy Princess

Do you see that little girl?

When she was six,

or, 

maybe a little before,

she realized that she was a fairy princess!

She loved to dance,

and 

she loved to sing.

Isn't that what all fairy princesses do?

She ruled over a kingdom

where there was so much love and laughter

that she was never sad.

She was loved by her subjects beyond measure.

She loved them back.

When she grew up,

she knew that she would always be a 

fairy princess,

and so it is today.

Because of love,

Because of joy,

Because of hope,

She is a fairy princess!

Dreams do come true!

Are you a fairy princess, too?

Memories Found

I was cleaning out old photos of people who don't belong there any more. As I cleaned, I found this. I don't know how old Jenny was when she gave this to me. I am so glad that I saved it! It wasn't even in my "Treasures" box. Talk about memories. We both laughed as we read it!















Page 2:
1. We have the best time when we: go shopping together. (We should do that more often.)

2. My mom looks prettiest when: she and my dad go someplace (That's so sweet!)

3. My mom is the greatest because: she loves me.
(And don't you or Nick forget it!)

4. My mom makes the best: lasagna. (I didn't know that!)

5. I always laugh when my mom: gets the dog to have a spaz attack. (That was fun!)

Think about the nicest time you've had with your mother:
When my dad and my brother left to our station wagon.
(That was fun!)

Page 3: A Poem

Marvelous at "mostly" everything. (She said mostly.)
Occupation as a teachers aide.
Taste in clothes is good. (We laughed at that one!)
Her work at home is appreciated.
Everyone loves her.
Right "nearly" all the time. (Notice she said nearly.)

What memories!

On Cleaning out Closets and Stuff

I haven't painted in about 5 years. This is the last painting I did, and it hangs in my bedroom. I really ended up liking it. It's an abstract painting, as you can tell, but it fits well with the room.













I remember painting as a child. My mother was trying to develop the artist in me. She would buy me a canvas and paints to use. I was cleaning out the closet in the room we now refer to as "Jenny's Shrine." I decided that, after cleaning as much as I could out of the room, Jenny needs to come home and clean out her shrine and take her things home, but that's another story.

As I was going through the closet, I found two things from my childhood. I am amazed that they are still with me. I remember the shock of finding them in the "shrine." I honestly didn't remember them being there.

The memories came flowing back into my brain. I actually remember painting both of these paintings. I was about 8 at the time. I know I spent a lot of time alone. There weren't any children my age in the neighborhood, and my mother had to work full time to support us. I think that was another reason she tried to develop the artist in me.

















This is "Lonesome." I started to look at the details in the painting, and it told me a lot about my life at the time. What jumps out at me first is the horse's name Lonesome. He's in a horse trailer driven by someone. Who knows who that is? His trailer is painted in my favorite colors--pink and light purple. In spite of the trip, Lonesome is happy. Look at the smile on Lonesome's face.

Lonesome is on one road, but to Lonesome's left is a road that forks. Maybe Lonesome is thinking about taking a road less traveled? If you look up in the sky, you can see the Big Dipper and the North Star. I think Lonesome had some plans in mind for the future. What do you think?












I've always loved the ocean! Even as a child, it was a place where the waves pounded and gave me a rhythm in my life. Look at the beach, it's deserted except for a rock that appears to have the moon shining on part of it. Again, in the sky, there's the Big Dipper and the North Star. I think I might try to paint this painting again. I wonder what it will look like when I'm finished? I wonder if there's a bead in this painting?