Thursday, June 11, 2015

11th June





Rosa Mundi I think a 'sport'
11th June: Possessions.

Do not own them was my first thought this morning, they drag heavily on your soul! I am packing books, and though they have been sorted once, they are going through another culling.  Even if, at this late stage, the sale falls through, I shall be grateful that this job was done.  Careful though because I can be too enthusiastic, there are four boxes for these bookshelves, the rest will go..  I came up with the bright plan, (LS doesn't seem to think it is,) that I could pack some of the china in my baskets of patchworks and wools, giving them a soft ride in the van.

LS has a massive job, all my efforts as to getting rid of some of his books to no avail, some will eventually go to the British Museum, so he says according to his will.  Quite a lot of the studio stuff has been taken by others, especially the work bench and drying boards which were very long.

It makes you think, owning stuff, you eventually leave this earth, leaving  your children to 'tidy' up after you, do they get a skip in or do they take your furniture in out of  a somewhat nostalgic link with the past.  Or do they sell it and make a profit;)

Well it is no use writing or procrastinating, downstairs, make up those wretched boxes into squares and then fill them!!

8 comments:

  1. Moving is so stressful isn't it Thelma? Until everything is signed and sealed it is all up in the air. I do agree about all the 'stuff' though. I have so many 'treasures' bought abroad, left to me, or bought by me because I just couldn't resist them and yet I know that when I have gone they will be fairly meaningless to those following and will probably end up in a charity shop or the auction house depending upon their value. Hope everything goes alright though.

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    1. There is a certain degree of satisfaction when you start to tackle the 'stuff' though.i never haunt charity shops because I don't want to keep adding things. My daughter runs two charity shops, one at Todmorden the other at Egden Bridge....

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  2. Yes good luck with your move. I did some greatly needed tidying at the weekend and found I'd been hanging onto the most bizarre stuff. It was cathartic to get rid of it. I've got too many books as well and they just sit there 99.9% of the time. It's tempting to me to throw out EVERYTHING as I think it might make some space in my brain as well as the house. But what about that box of paints and paper... I might need them... what about the box of material... might need it... it's so difficult. Michael Landy threw out everything, he minced it in a shredder. i thought that was brilliant until it was obvious he was just reaccumulating immediately. But you almost have to. Sometimes (often) I think I'd be better off living in a tent in the woods. Such are the contradictions of modern life. Anyway - good luck!!

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    1. Tents are not good in the winter Rhiannon, must admit have the same problem as to when to stop throwing stuff out. Will I ever use my table loom again is the question at the moment, already got rid of a big floor one in Bath, recycled to someone who lived out in the countryside.

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  3. I have been known to pack breakables into nests of fabric or small linens--then I must be the one responsible for their transportation--husbands and their ilk can become very careless along the last bit of a moving venture.

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  4. That is what I said Sharon, I become responsible for breakages, it seems logical wrapping things in soft cloth instead of wrapping paper which has to be thrown away at the end of the day.

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  5. This is a subject I could write at length on, having just helped to clear my friend Annie's house - and believe me, she had a tendency to hoard, as she had family possessions from several houses including a hotel! She got emotionally attached to "stuff". . .

    We have told our kids to take what they want and put the rest in auction - it will fetch what it fetches.

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  6. Getting emotionally attached is not good though, I still hanker after furniture and books I had to leave behind in the old Bath house. Must have been a sad business going through your friend's stuff, I think we should make a promise to our children to sort stuff before we 'kick the bucket'!

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