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Project Discussions:  February Learning Toghether: All that STUFF!!  |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 25 2020 : 4:14:53 PM
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| When I was a sixth grader, back in 1953 and 1954...I was 11 years old. A boy in my class gave me a very neat Valentine. It's arms, legs and head all moved. Every kid in my class wanted to see that special Valentine cut out card that was riveted together so it moved. I felt pretty special...because I was the only one who got one. I still wonder if his mom did not get it for him to give to someone. The year before she came to school on Halloween, dressed up silly...but she was wearing a pointy hat. The coolest thing was that she had a big donut for every child in our room, the teacher and herself...all 0n the broom stick she held in her hand. No she never did ride it. But back then donuts were rare...out on the west Texas prairie. So it was a special treat. |
Texasgran |
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debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
2638 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
2638 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2020 : 4:45:28 PM
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I have been following this thread since Winnie first started it the beginning of the month. My mind has been so full of thoughts on the subject, I have had no idea where to start.
I agree that most "young" people these days don't want "stuff". And that's ok. I know what it's like to be burdened with other people's stuff that they leave with you, because they think it's important or that needs to be "passed down"...but it has absolutely value to you, sentimental or otherwise. For example, right now I am looking at a built in display case, about 5 ft x 1.5 ft, full of Brad's great grandma's rock collection. It "came with" the house when we moved in 35 years ago. I really don't pay attention to it anymore. Brad loves it. I guess it's the fact that his parents didn't want to deal with it anymore and left it here...but it's "history".
I have been through the whole process of taking care of my inlaws things when they both passed away. A 4000 square foot house FULL! I still have nightmares...
I see my mom's house just FULL. I try not to think about that day when I will have to deal with that. I've been encouraging her to start weeding out things that she no longer wants, sharing clothes she no longer wears, etc. I feel like having so much stuff is almost a mental burden sometimes.
I have things that were my grandparents and are very special to me. My great grandma's wedding band. My grandparents' crucifix that they received for their 50th wedding anniversary, it was sent and blessed by St. John Paul II. Things that my kids made for me. Things that my farmgirl sisters have made for me. But I am more of a minimalist and I'm not the kind of person who needs to keep EVERY picture, paper, etc.
Having "things" is a responsibility and I want to enjoy what I have and be able to take care of it.
Denise, your idea of paring things down and then going back later and paring down more is great! We could apply that to a lot of things. It helps us to see what is really important to us and to keep that for that reason, not out of some weird obligation. This last thought just made me think of my mom. She will keep ANY picture...whether it is good, bad, out of focus, whatever. She gave me a couple of pictures not too long ago that were of my brother and I when we were teenagers. They were not good pictures. At all. So I just took them and thought, I'll deal with them after she goes home. I don't know if I had a funny look on my face or what, but she said, "if you're not going to keep them, I'll take them back!" I kept thinking, either I toss them now or I'll find them again someday.. So, I put them up with my other pictures that are waiting to be organized and put into an album. I'd rather have pictures that really mean something to me, bring back happy memories, etc than just pages and pages of junk.
While I'm on the subject of pictures, we inherited so many from all sides of Brad's family. He has taken on the role of family historian since his dad died. But....there are people we have no idea who they are!! So, do you write "unknown relative?" haha I found some that said something like..."Clara's brother, Bob, ....I think"....haha I'm thinking if no one knows who Clara or Bob are, should we really have to keep them??? Do any of you have any advice on dealing with family pictures? |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2020 : 6:50:03 PM
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When I was nine and our home burned to the ground, it was my aunt's who sent photos to mother...photos of us. Mother always shared with them as they did with her, so everyone could keep up with how all of the grand kids were growing and changing. So many years later my mother passed away. I ended up with the box of photos. So I went through them. I made a pile for each family I recognized. Then I wrote a note and put them into manilla envelopes and mailed them. Believe it or not they were happy to get them. But there were still photos...some quite old. Next step I put them on a Bundrant Family web site, offering them to anyone who would take them. Well I did mail a few away...but I still have some. I have used some for crafting...but there are still more. Sometimes I have seen old photos at the flea market.
Do you have an etsy shop or sell on ebay? Perhaps you could sell them or offer them to someone else.
From my grandma I have some old catalogues. At least the last time I looked they were still ok. National Bella Hess. I had never heard of it. But it is from the 1920s---1930s. It is fun to see how people dressed. There is no cover and is missing pages. Perhaps someone ripped it apart and took part of it to the outhouse. I can not part with it...at least not yet. |
Texasgran |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9203 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9203 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2020 : 05:00:41 AM
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Photos. Well let's just say my dad was a photo hoarder. I wrote on some who he told me they were. But I have containers of them and I just keep putting it off. However, I bought some scrapbooks. The old kind like people would put momentos and newspaper clippings in and i am going to go through them and the only i keep i will mark and put in those. There are hundreds to go through. I had gone through dads and packaged up a lot and sent th em to different family members. I also had cassette tapes that my dad and his siblings made for one another and they mailed instead of letters. I sent some and kept some. I have one of my parents singing together and that will get passed down as I know one of my children wants that. It is a big job going through them and I plan to do it as soon as I get a place to spread things out. I need to leave them out and work on them so it has to be a spot where I can do that. I wnt to get them organized and I will probably be sending more to cousins. That's the plan for them anyway.
Even though this topic hasn't stayed very active I have been encouraged to continually keep in a state of purging |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Feb 26 2020 05:01:36 AM |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
3455 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
3455 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2020 : 05:59:47 AM
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Denise, I know your problem of what to do with all those old photos. I too have a large plastic container of photos for both sides of our family in my storage area. A few years ago, I took a long weekend to sort through some of them and put like with like in plastic bags and labeled by person. But then the bags are back in in the plastic containers. Every time that I have tried to do something with the many photos, I have sent extra to all family members and tossed the ones that were excess same ones. What those family members did with them, I don’t know. At least I now only have one of a specific event or time. But, they are just grouped in plastic bags and I can’t imagine taking time to make scrapbooks. For who?? My kids don’t care and nobody else in my family wanted them in the first place. So, the bottom line, I have managed to downsize them a little but there are still way too many photos that just sit in boxes on the shelf. Sigh.
Denise, I am glad that this topic has been useful for you and helpful. These issues seem to be left in the hands of the female family members to deal with. It can be a huge burden because we know how photos and memorabilia represent and tell the story of a family and there is a desire to want to keep that story alive for the younger family members. But it is made more difficult because it seems like the arrival of the phone , internet and social media has completely made these family pieces irrelevant to the upcoming generations. There might be a person who would enjoy one or two things, but not the boxes of dishes, linens, collectibles, photos and more. I think that is why we see all of these things filling up antique malls for people on the hunt for something specific or who like to collect certain things. Maybe this is how it always has been but today we have more connectivity between diverse areas through technology of the computer and phone.? At least that seems to be the issue I have experienced in my own extended family. |
Winnie Nielsen #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Girl of the Year 2014-2015 |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2020 : 06:25:55 AM
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Winnie, I agree that our younger folks don't care. That disturbs me. But my Had loves to receive a book with photos of her and others who are special to her.
Last Birthday her friends mom took her photos of the two girls and had a hard cover book printed for each kid. |
Texasgran |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9203 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9203 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2020 : 09:25:51 AM
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Winnie,
My children will want photos but I don't about the older ones. I mean I have photos of my dad as a child and they will want those but the other relatives probably not. I hope to get some nice books made to give them. As for the other photos, we have a very large extended family so before tossing any I will offer them to cousins.
Marilyn, my daughter has started doing her children's photos in hardback books on Shutterfly. I purchase from there and it is so nice to have them instead of photos all around not knowing where to put them.
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Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
5996 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
5996 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2020 : 10:18:08 AM
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Shutterfly is good,my friend in Colorado uses it all the time! She travels everywhere and has all kinds of get together’s.
She makes albums on line and otherwise.
Love you all! |
Farmgirl # 4943
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done.
Philippians 4:6
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2020 : 10:30:57 AM
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After our trip to Disney World, the kids were 11 and 14, I had books made for them. They were the last gifts under the tree. I planned it that way, so everyone could enjoy seeing their fun summer adventure!
I used some of the same photos in each book but more Individual photos, so each o e knew exactly which book was hers. |
Texasgran |
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Project Discussions: February Learning Toghether: All that STUFF!! |
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February Learning Toghether: All that STUFF!!
