Back to the Present

Since i have been at Dad's house, i've been traveling back in time. All i have to do, is go up in the attic and start digging through boxes....and i am transported to childhood days.

Most people who know me know that i love a bargain, dig garage sales and i am a packrat. If you didn't know that, you probably haven't been to my house, classroom or studio.

I already realized that i collected similar things as my mom (jewelry, purses,books,art supplies,anything on sale,etc) A few years back, i helped clean/pack up my grandparents house they lived in for 30+ years and noted their tendencies to save things....and could relate. I also remember my grandma on my dad's side being a "collector"/hoarder. I mean, i've long since recognized my behavior is deeply ingrained from my family...

So i shouldn't be surprised when my dad hands me an envelope with all my baby teeth and/or notes for the Tooth Fairy...or when i find an envelope labeled "Newspaper from Kristen's 16th birthday". There were also boxes which contained costumes from recitals at "Mrs. Pat's School of Dance" in the 70's. How about these fun Fisher Price toys?

When you open the barn door, you hear a "moooo" sound. My little 'un was as excited as i remember being over that. Dad had saved the animals, the silo, the cars, garage, circus tent....all these toys i used to love, but have been long since forgotten.

I had also forgotten about this doll, which i used to think was the most beautiful doll in the world. I don't remember who gave it to me, but i think its from Japan (?). I do remember the 8 ball.

Also in this box are posters made for my mom after a surgery in the 80's, a Raggedy Andy doll and an E.T costume my mom made for my sister one Halloween.

Here is a project i made for the Houston Livestock & Rodeo show in 1989.

i remember working on this the night before it was due. My dad made the base for me at the last minute...i won a blue ribbon.

That night, I laid awake in bed for hours thinking about this whole packrattery business. Some of these boxes had things wrapped in newspaper from 1981, which means they had been moved from Arkansas to Houston to Delaware without ever being unpacked. I actually found a suitcase i'd made a "Time Capsule" of sorts from Middle School~ (notes about "Do you like me? Check yes or no ") Why did i feel compelled to save that stuff? Why did my dad want to save all our stuff?

I whittled it down to sentimentality. By the time I had made my Time Capsule suitcase, we were on our 2nd big move in my short lifetime...i think i wanted to cling to familiarity as i approached the unknown new territory.

Now that i have a lil'un, I understand the interest in saving the kid's stuff. It isn't the actual scratched/ faded plastic Fisher Price toy that you pack away in a box and tuck up in the attic. It is the memory that you are hoping to preserve as you tape it up tight; the giggles, the smiles and the moo-sounds.

After years of absence, these objects can stimulate memories that are long-forgotten. If you have the attic-space, what's the harm in hanging on to something for a time? The hours i spent with my dad time-traveling and reminiscing were worth all the years of lugging these things around.

Reminds me of this needlepoint my mimi had: