This weekend I was trying to clean out the closets and the spare bedroom. They are both massively cluttered with treasures. I have been looking at different decorating ideas and thought it would be nice to redecorate. Well, first of all the C.O. freaks when I say redecorate even a little. Havens forbid I even change the furniture around. Change is not easy for the C.O.
I had my box of stuff to send to the goodwill sitting on the
kitchen table. The C.O. walked in and asked about what I had in the box.
“Stuff to go to the goodwill” I said.
“No, wait a minute I need to go though it,” he said. You
guessed it. Half the stuff came back out of the box. “What’s wrong with the
ceramic bunny rabbit,” he said confused.
Other then there is no need for it. The bunny was part of
some Easter stuff I got from my mother in-law as an Easter basket. Yes, she still gives us an Easter basket. More
stuff.
I remember about five years ago, it was the C.O.s birthday
and a neighbor friend of his brought over a surprise. He had made it special
just for the C.O. Now I am sure he did it for a joke, the C.O. likes beer, as
do most men. I heard the C.O. say to him, “Sure, we can
take that lamp.”” It will go with the décor.”
After all nothing else in this house goes together, why
start now. Really, sometimes I feel like Ma from Ma and Pa kettle.
When I first meet the C.O., it was love at first sight.
After the normal two or three weeks, he invited me into his home. I was so
excited to see his three-story log cabin.
“Wow, your house is
so retro” I said “I love it” famous last words. There were two couches one pink and the other green
both from the 1940. There were old lamps and an old radio. Also, there was a
chair from the 1970s, which sat in the living room. In addition, lots, and lots
of salt and peppershakers. They were strategically
arranged all through the house mostly on brown put together k-mart specials shelving.
There was also an old round dinner table with chairs from the 1960.
When I first moved in the first thing that changed was the salt
and peppershakers. They all went into boxes. I did keep on display Sargent
pepper and uncle Salty because I like them.
We have learned to compromise. As you can see, I have the
C.O.s treasured deer skull in the middle of all my fine china and Depression
glass. 
Now I have lived here for going on 17 years and we now have an
eclectic bunch of crap downsized to a manageable bunch of treasures. Although
it is still eclectic, it is manageable.
The C.O. comes from it honestly his mother is a hoarders. She
is a clean and organized hoarder, but a hoarder at that. I could relate because my mother is also a
hoarder. My mother is not as clean and organized though. I am sure it is from growing up in the
depression.
I never could understand why anyone would want so many
treasures. I guess I take after my grandma Johnson. Grandma Johnson only had
what she needed. I am sure it is because you have to clean your treasures. She
cleaned every day. She even ironed her sheets and underwear. Do not ask me why,
I guess that is what they did in those days.
Grandma Johnson was a farm wife. Anyway, until I meet the C.O. my home
was always streamlined for cleaning. I never had more than a few knickknacks.
One time I went over to a friend’s house when she was moving
into a new home. She had boxes of stuff everywhere. “I just don’t know where to
put everything,” she said. They had downsized and did not have as much square
footage. “I keep getting things from my
mother and my mother in law,” she went on to say. “I cannot get rid of it because it would break
their hearts if they came over and did not see their items they gave me.”
I nodded my head and said “me to”.
“Oh you’re the keeper of stuff to’” she replied.
“YEP” I said.
Anyways, I understand the need for treasures. After all, I
still have my rock and my roster. I just
hope my kids like all our stuff.
