mixed media textile art


Love all things old and new, fiber, fabric, beads, metallic, you name it!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Had a little present from my daughter today, actually both of my daughters!

My precious Laurel received boxes and boxes of memorabilia from my children's lives several weeks ago from her dad.  She spent time sorting everything and when I was at her house this past weekend, we finished sorting a little more.  It was extremely emotional for me (surprise surprise! ha!) so I tried not to really look at anything but just sort into boxes.  When I got home yesterday I brought all of the boxes into the house and left them on the back porch.  Today, I took them downstairs to their permanent home in my basement and decided it was the inspiration I needed to consolidate boxes and sort the yuuuuchy basement a little bit.  In the process, I opened the boxes I already had stored with love and momentoes of all of my kids lives.  You can only walk down memory lane once in while and for not too long a time...too emotional.

I managed to consolidate many tubs together and pitch some cardboard boxes and miscellaneous stuff from the shelves.  After several hours of this task I decided I had had enough and went outside to enjoy the lovely day on the patio.  A little sit down with the birds singing and the sun shining and I felt renewed.  Back to the basement and I began pulling my precious Jenny's tubs from their long held spot.  I decided it was time to take all of the clothes and fabric-type stuff from the boxes rather than let it sit in the damp basement any further.  Emotional.

After I accomplished this task I decided that the same applied to the rest of the kids boxes.  I hit Laurel's boxes and Will's.  I went to Russ's and low and behold...no boxes!  He had already taken his personal memories to his own grown up home several years ago.

I sorted the items and sent them to the washer and dryer...years of basement in them!

I am not sure what my plans are from here but I am so very glad to have reclaimed these wonderful memories from the basement.  In the process I uncovered a journal that Jenny had written in...I didn't even know she had a journal.  I took this up to my studio to read another day. 

Later today I decided I was already a bit emotional from all of the sorting and memories so decided to open the journal.  It was like Jen was right here talking to me for a while.  What a gift.  Those of you who know our family know that Jenny died 11 years ago this coming April 26.

 I will go through the rest of ALL of the boxes another day to see if there are any other journal-type things that I need to bring out of the basement.  I think I have had enough emotion for one day!

Thank you, my kids, for the gift of your patience and love with your emotional mother.