I put my game face on this morning, walked into the garage and picked a big box. I was determined to be productive today.
Kitchen Stuff
This was stuff that had been in the kitchen before we packed everything up for the renovations. So, some stuff came out of the box and got put away. Like the basket with Tylenol. (I pulled out anything that had expired over the summer first.)
A pair of tongs, grill spatula and pasta strainer got put in the dishwasher as these are things I’ve been missing. Well, not the grill spatula, but I’ll leave that for Stephen to make a decision about.
I got hammered in a previous post about being overzealous with the elimination of kitchen items, etc. because of Stephen’s celiac disease. But, I continue to be overzealous and make no apologies for it. The rolling pin and spices that were likely used with a measuring spoon that had been used in wheat flour (in other words, were very likely to have been cross-contaminated back when we didn’t realize it was an issue) got set side. I listed them on Freecycle and am waiting for some nice person to pick them up. If she flakes, two more are in line.
After that was done, I was left with these:
These are what I’ve learned are referred to as sentimental clutter. Courtney Carver has a great post about her sentimental clutter and questions to ask yourself when faced with what to do about it.
Stephen and I struggle with this. You know about sentimental clutter, right? It’s all that stuff that someone gave to you as a gift, or you bought when you were 23 on that cool trip, or your box of journals from high school. But that you don’t use or really need.
We have an inordinate amount of sentimental clutter. Boxes and shelves and closets full. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about all of this stuff.
From My Great Grandmother
The tea cups were part of a set of dishes that my great grandmother gave us for our wedding. My great grandmother rocked. She was an awesome quilter (she made every single one of her grandchildren and great grandchildren a quilt by hand). She was a badass.
Despite the fact that she was deaf, she read lips and, if she didn’t catch something, she’d hand you a pad of paper and pen and demand for you to write down what you said or what was so funny. I guess, by her example, I learned to make sure I was heard.
When Stephen and I were newly married and lived halfway cross the country from her, I’d write her letters. One time she wrote back to “Kandi and Jim.” I figured since she was getting so old and had so many great grandchildren, she’d just gotten confused. So I wrote her back a letter and signed it “Kandi and Stephen.” She again wrote back to “Kandi and Jim.” So I started calling Stephen Jim. Then he started calling me Jim. So now, our nicknames for each other include Jim, which makes absolutely no sense to anyone else. But I love it. Because I loved her.
She is no longer alive, but when I see the china I’m reminded of her. Which makes this harder. Because we don’t use the tea cups and saucers. We don’t serve tea in delicate cups. I don’t think they’ve been used, save a time or two, in the last 18 years. But, I do regularly use the bowls that came from the set. And I think that’s enough.
Just because we don’t have the dishes in our house doesn’t mean I won’t remember her. Or her generosity. Or her tenacity. And as long as Jim lives on, she lives on.
sentimental clutter is my downfall. I just added to my collection of ‘stuffs’ last night, and now have to do some fancy rearranging to make it all fit into my hutch. (where the collection of such that are considered ‘pretties’ is housed)
Do you have a relative who would love a momento of your grandmother? I asked family first before donating or selling anything sentimental when I did my big purge.
Sorry, meant to add, you could keep one and use it to hold a candle, or make a bird feeder out of it, I’ve seen some on Pinterest with a teacup and they are so cute.
I have this problem too. I try to remember what I heard once – that the object is not Grandma. I try not to give away anything that the younger generation might want or that might be valuable. Otherwise I take a deep breath and let go. This is an ongoing process, as you all know!
You could turn the cups into candles! 🙂
I limited my sentimental clutter to one tote container. But I’m going to go through it again anyway and get rid of more stuff. I’m just not using it. I do not need every newspaper from the year I wrote for the paper in college. I just don’t.
I have a few things that have been handed down to me that, for my extended family, is important but for me they don’t mean anything. I have a huge set of china from a great grandmother I never knew-5 or 6 boxes of it-that we don’t use and never will. There’s a dining room set that was my other great grandmother’s that everyone thinks we should love. The fact is, we got rid of a set we really did like to make room for this one just so there wouldn’t be family drama.
A lot of my sentimental clutter (several large totes full of it actually) being stored in a building at my parents’ place burned a couple of years ago. While it was heartbreaking to lose some of the things (my boys’ baby books and my college diploma), it was kind of a blessing.
I take pictures of things I have a hard time parting with because of the memories they hold (aka sentimental clutter). That way I can still look at them from time to time, but the only space they take is virtual. It’s a compromise. (This comes in super handy with kids artwork).
Sentimental clutter is hard. Sounds like you’re making progress.
It kills me that you’re getting hammered about items in YOUR kitchen. Um, it’s your kitchen. Get rid of whatever you want. (Plus Celiac isn’t really something to mess around with. I have IBS and “just a little” is enough to make me want to die. I will do anything not to go through that. I imagine Stephen would, too.)
My house is full and I’m sure 80% of it is sentimental clutter, if you don’t count my books. But than some of them are sentimental too. A hard part for me if getting sentimental clutter from my Mom . . . it just adds to what I already have!
I totally agree about the getting hammered part – cross contamination is no joke and only you and Stephen can make that kind of decision.
I like the idea of keeping one but am wondering about putting together a display of pictures, teacups and quilt, maybe letters and taking a picture to keep.
and yes, it really is too late but maybe someone else is reading everything behind me and could use the idea.