The activity in the 5th wheel has kicked into high gear to get on the road. Every closet, drawer, nook and cranny has to be gone through to see what we can leave behind. The more we weigh, the more fuel we use. Besides, we need room for souvenirs!
I started on the bedroom today. I got through all of Bob's drawers and his cabinet. Its all nice and neat and the extra T's are already in the drawers in the park model.
Next came the closet. To be perfectly honest with you there were bags of stuff crammed into the far reaches of the closet that there put in there the day we left Delaware. The day we were cramming anything, anywhere, just to get it in the rig. Those bags are now GONE! I found unused checks that we had from 3 banks ago! I had pictures of people that I recognized, that I knew I had met but didn't have a clue as to their names. They're GONE! I found recipes that I had cut out from who knows what magazine. Food I would never eat much less make! You guessed, GONE!
Then I came across the flowered round box. I had bought these containers years ago, kept this one, gave one to Michelle, my sister-in-law and one I think to my niece Ryann. I don't know if they still have them or not.
I keep all kinds of mementos in this box. Some I know why I hang on to and one or two that I looked at it and thought to myself, "Why in the hell are you hangin' on to this????"
Case in point. I have a poem titled, "Forget Him", a really sappy, lovesick puppy, young teen age girl with a broken heart kind of poem. I had to be 14 years old when I typed this up. I know that because it is written on a manual typewriter and it had to be right after I learned how to type. And I vaguely remember this going around the halls of my junior high and how every 13 - 14 year old just had to have a copy! Note to Lourie: Do you still have your copy? Why did I hang on to this all these years?
A better question would be, WHY is it still in the box as I type this blog? I don't have an answer for that question. I don't know why I can't rid of it, but I can't.
Next I came across a newspaper clipping that I saved. I KNOW why I saved this.
Oh boy, did I get in trouble for this one! I was supposed to be a girlfriend's studying or working on a school project or some such nonsense. Instead I ended up at a keg party 25 miles from home with my boyfriend at the time and we were in an accident and my parents got a call from the police telling them I was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. His twin brother was also arrested that night 44 minutes later! I was 17 at the time.
Now we'll fast forward to the age of 21. I know why I kept this one too! I was thin! That outfit was a size 7! This picture was taken in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I went for the weekend with my forever friend Susan. It had to be early to mid May because I still had long sleeves on for the evening. This was just before Susan and I went to Hawaii in July and we spent the weekend at the beach to start on our tans.
Here's a picture that for some reason didn't make the Hawaii picture album but never got thrown away. I think I'm trying to figure out how to get those coconuts in the suitcase. Oh geez, look at the rollers in the hair!
Let's move along to the ripe old age of 22. I still have the proof sheet from the photos taken at my swearing in for the Delaware National Guard.
I'm sure they don't take pictures of everyone getting sworn in, but pictures were taken of me because that's my dad giving me the oath. How special is that?
I've kept letters and cards through the years that have special meaning for me or because special people in my life have written them to me. I have letters from my grandmother, a very special one that my dad wrote to me while I was in basic training, letters from my mom, letters from Bob when he was in Desert Storm and this special one.
My brother Billy wrote this to me when I was in basic training. I figure he had to be 12 when he wrote this. Most of it makes sense to me except the "rat" part. I remember laughing at him telling me that a case of sodas was lasting a long time since I wasn't at home anymore. Billy, are you surprised I still have this? Oh yeah, stamps were 10 cents when he sent this! TEN CENTS!
Ahhh,,,,our engagement announcement.
Getting back to Billy, I still have this proof picture of him, his wife Michelle and their newborn daughter, Ryann. Ryann is now 28 years old and I have tons of more recent pictures but I can't throw this one away. I don't know why.
Let's fast forward to my 31st year. My stepson, Jonathan, who was living with us along with his brother Timmy, brought this home for Mother's Day from school. I still have it Jonathan! Jon is now 33 years old.
I'm 38 now when I received this. This was given in honor of the accident I was in on May 1st, 1991. I was hit by the car I was driving! Yes, you read that right. That's a whole blog post unto itself. Let's just say I was involved in an accident when the car I was driving, my friend, Dianne's car no less, stalled at a railroad track and a train came and as I was walking away because I knew it was going to hit the car, the car spun around and hit me.
It was an unusual accident to say the least so I kept this as a remembrance. I don't know why,,,its not like one can forget getting hit by the car they are driving!
And last, but certainly not least, I have this little thing in my memory box. My grandmother made this out of plastic canvas and I just kept it because it came from her. And its the truth.
So there's a walk down my memory lane. I hope you enjoyed the trip.
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