Yes, still painting...and painting. Now I remember why I didn't repaint the interior of the house whilst living in it for 10 years, heh. And part of this whole deal is going through the boxes that remained behind after moving 99% of my crap out to Utah back in April. Which, btw, is still sitting in boxes in the basement out there. Can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to going through THEM this winter, ugh.
So I'm tearing, literally, through moving boxes that haven't been touched in 3 prior moves some dating from the early 80's. Dude, I found my first knitting project (as an adult) so can you top this? Anyone out there have an UFO older than 1976? Hunh? didn't think so. Christ on a pogo stick, most of ya'll weren't born then. I actually still like the yarn but will have to rip it and redo to get rid of the 24 stitch floats on the back. Didn't know then that you're supposed to weave them in every 4-5 sts. so we shall see. when the boxes finally wend their way out to Boulder and after I beat the dust off the yarn, I'll haul it out so we can all have a good laugh.
A bit more heartwrenching was finding two of my father's hawaiian shirts. He died in 1990 at the age of 89 or 90. Hard to tell because that bad boy lied about most everything, including his age. One of the shirts is a Sears & Roebuck but the other is the real deal vintage purchased in Tampa, Florida. Oddly enough, they're both yellow and red, the real Hawaiian shirt is red, yellow and gray. Not exactly my favorite colors and I'd imagine they looked truly dreadful on him given his coloring. When he died all he had was a few papers and pictures that all would fit in an 8 x 11 envelope, these two shirts and a few white shirts, vests and pants. And one ancient suit. That's it. My cousin Emilia, who had taken care of him for the last 15 years of his life sent me the shirts and the papers along with his death certificate. In the papers was an 8 x 10 portrait of him, taken in St. Petersburg, FL where he was living at the time on his birthday in April 1975. In his writing it says that it was his 75th birthday. I had never known my father's birthday so that was special. I hadn't been able to look at the stuff when he died and probably just stuffed it in a box. Which box I opened today.
So all of you holders-on-to-things out there? When your friends and spouses tell you to just chuck those boxes out because after all, you haven't looked at them for 20 years so you must not need anything in there, right? You tell them this story then sit carefully down in the middle of the living room floor, open a few boxes, and take a walk in the past.
Knitting news? O my peeps, I did find amazing quantities of vintage Rowan yarn, kitschy old Vogue (1969) pattern magazines, and are you sitting down? a bunch of A St@rmore books in mint condition. Those puppies aren't going into my friend's garage but will be sent out media mail insured to B-Town. And photos, migod, the photos...it's real jolt in the morning to get a look at yerself vintage 1980-something before you've got enough coffee anaesthesia in you...woof.
Pictures when I get back to paradise west. Back to ladder for me.
Caroline, I've got a post in process on this same theme. It's so hard to get rid of possessions! They carry too much emotional weight. If I just had room to store packed away boxes, it would be easier.
Posted by: Sharon | November 19, 2008 at 07:38 PM