What Do I Do with This Stuff?

Roberta: You say you have room in your closet, so -- let the box or boxes sit there. They are your treasures. They are your box of memories. You'll know when it's time to let go. And, if that time should not happen, well -- then they were meant to remain in your care.

EhBeth: Please think twice about that "Clean Sweep".

Dlowan -and Ehbeth - Didn't you have a warm 'extra special' feeling when you posted about those souvenirs? Sure you did. I could feel it.

Sure - but I only want so much stuff......and they make me sad, too - human condition and all that....

when we arrived in canada 48 years ago, we had three suitcases and two crates(one filled with german china; the china survived the ocean travel , but ... ). here we are 48 years later with a house full of stuff, and mrs. h is NOT the packrat that i am, she can toss things out quickly ... everytime we visited germany we came back with a suitcase full of books. at one time the train-conductor tried to help me off the train when coming back home to our little town, he grabbed one of the suitcases and just about landed under the train; "wot ye got in there". he said "BRICKS ?" . there are all my insurance and accounting text-books, i should toss them out, shouldn't i ? ; i don't think i'll be asked to review company procedures and financial records ... but one never knows. of course, there is also my stamp and letter and postcard collection; i really, really should do some work there ... the garden-shed ? ... so little time, so much to do ... and a friend of my mine is trying to get me to write my life-story (really - he has already started and thinks our experiences must not be allowed to be simply forgotten. far too important, he thinks.) hbg

Roberta, at least check out the library to see if they would want your old papers. Your family represented one of the large groups from Russia that came to New York, especially the Bronx, and helped give it such a wonderful character.

Hamburger, do write your memoirs. Your background sounds fascinating. I've often wondered why more people refuse to write memoirs--I would love to know more about my grandparents and gg grandparents--they were part of the history of the West, as were Dys' ancestors. If the memoirs aren't written, your history will be lost to most people except Bethie. What a shame that would be.

I once put all my mother's family letters in order, in order to figure out for myself who was who. This wasn't easy, as I spent years of my teenaged life avoiding dwelling on the main family concern, which was what that crumbum, my uncle E, did to Aunt L, buying her property for a low price, because of his wife, the elocutionist, MMc. Trust me, even if they were right I didn't want to hear one more word about it. A twenty year irish american shun happened (but the kids, my cousins and I all decided to never stop communicating...)

So when I tried to sequence the letters - not easy since the only date was "Wednesday" or "Sunday", I read them each many times, not worth it in the main. I almost finished, I have a thick notebook of my typed renditions of the letters, with only two or three not placed in time. And then I stopped and no money on earth would get me to reread and try to place those letters.

Contrary to expectations, there wasn't much historical stuff (I have some of that too, but not in these letters). Just years of sunny "Carl is doing better" and various complaints.
I made copies of this and gave them to cousins. I haven't inquired, maybe the cousins tossed it, but I doubt it. So now there are three copies of my transcript of the letters, plus the letters...

I have lots of stuff and am going to have to gird the lion loin or tweak the bunnynose one of these days and hop to it. Among my things are a picture of my mother and some friends rollerskating - I think it was when they worked as secretaries at RKO, or at least my mother did. Among the women was Gladys Baker, Marilyn Monroe's mother. I have no proof of course, just that my mother pointed her out, decades ago, and I didn't forget. A photo of Maureen O'Sullivan (Jane...) and her husband taken by my father.
No, I don't want to sell them. Wouldn't that be icky? Perhaps give them to their families. And how would I do that? Picture me trying to contact Mia Farrow. Not to mention MM's family.

And then, never mind my parents' stuff, we have my stuff.
And my stuff is not uninteresting, if I do say so myself. Sigh.

Jo, bring your stuff to San Francisco next week. I'll bet everyone there would love to see your 'stuff.'

There's a thought. Just those few things. (No, not the binder of letters, noooooooo.) Good idea, Diane, if a little weird. Heh.

I am just back from another first Saturday night opening, hungry but too tired to cook. Too many glasses of bad merlot and one fortune cookie, (It was a chinese brush painting show.)

Basicly thats what dynastys are; family recycled.

and today its the cd/dvd which is the 'real' thing, untill crystal technology is up and running.

In spite of the fact that i seem to be constantly @ lil' lately - quite unintentional, and without malice -

i think living in the past "is an atrocity"!

New idea; must find common ground.

Roberta; do you have any access to the graves of your ancestors?
If so, i would suggest make, or have made a 'time capsule' box; place the documents in it (having taken virtual copies) and arrange to have it burried, beside the most suitable of them. Gone, but available, for ever. (Not sure of the regulatory aspects of this but it makes sense to me.)

No, not for me.

Not in this instance.

To each his own.

Hmm joe; i didn't realizing i was permitting a 'choice'!

Ah. It's like that is it?

Yeh........er..........like...........sorta.............