Day 72 - Thanks for the Memories!

I’m still actually working hard on the kitchen with meal planning, food prep, yada yada, but I will spare you the gory details today, and instead focus on my next big project: what the heck to do with all the MEMORIES – you know, the ones in the form of pictures, yearbooks, embarrassing love letters and journals from days of yore, etc. When all the dust has settled from a Stuff Purge, we are left with (hopefully) the touchstones from years gone by. What to keep? What to toss? How to store it? OY – this is going to be a doozie. Join me, won’t you?

First, I’m going through everything one more time to make sure it’s something I really want to keep. Those oh-sweet-Jesus-I-hope-my-kids-never-find-these love notes between me and my ex(es)? Gone. I mean, it didn’t end well (obviously), so why keep the cringe-worthy remnants around? Pictures, sure – these were important people in my life, but that’s it. Oh my – so much “treasure”, and I won’t lie – it feels weird getting rid of some of this stuff. Here’s what I wound up tossing:

-          Said steamy ridiculously chaste love notes

-          Return to ex: one class ring (hey – where’s mine?!)

-          All ugly pictures, especially of me. I’m keeping all the ugly pictures of the girls in school who used to torment me. You know who you are. I have pictures. I have Facebook. You have half-closed eyes and a perm. BOOYAH!

-          All duplicate photos (why do I have duplicates anyway?!)

-          Keep the best, toss the rest – I don’t need 85,000 pictures of me on a horse. 45,000 will do just fine.

Here’s what I’m keeping:

-          Pictures that are really worth holding on to. You know, the ones that trigger a story, an “aaaaaaw”, or a deluge of memories

-          Journals

-          Yearbooks

-          Meaningful Mementos – the outfit Sebastian came home in (it still smells just a little bit like him, I will NEVER part with this), my debate pins (nerd alert!), my tiara from the Miss PreTeen NC Pageant (this is a story for another time), and the like.

Next, I’m tackling how to store all these treasures. Right now? Sebastian is learning to use a spoon and my kitchen has a distinctly Jackson Pollack flair from all the SOUP HE’S FLINGING ON THE WALLS. Time to clean up … or let him fling just a few minutes longer while Mama pretends not to see the mess…