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Monday, June 22, 2015

A Falling Star...


I have a rule in my house. For my birthday, Mother’s Day, Christmas or even one of those “I love you because you are you,” days, the present has to meet the prerequisite requirements to come through the front door.

The rule is that if I can’t eat it up, use it up or wear it out in one year, then shop some more. I made the rule a few years ago after I spent twelve hours dusting all the gee-gaws in the living room.

How could I throw away that porcelain hummingbird Great Aunt Molly bought at her neighbor’s garage sale? Or the picture frame with hot pink roses and bull frog green leaves that she came hauling in once when she found a ninety percent off sale at Hobby Lobby? Then there was the glow in the dark floral arrangements and the two candy dishes. They all had to be on display or else she’d throw a pure old southern hissy.

And they had to be dust free because Aunt Molly has a hot line straight to heaven and believe me, there will be no open gates for unappreciative or lazy women who do not keep things dusted.

Then Aunt Molly went to live with her granddaughter in Canada, bless that woman’s heart. I loaded up all those priceless things and took them to the donation center that helps provide care for dogs and cats. They took one look at the items and ushered me right back out the door with the boxes still full. Evidently that place called all the other donation places because I got a strong smell of garlic in one place when I walked inside the door and the other man met me and made the sign of a cross with his arms.

Finally, I carefully wrapped it all in half a dozen black garbage bags and took it to the dump.

And the rule went into effect right then and there and it worked.

Then a few weeks later my daughter found this cute little pewter candle snuffer. It’s shaped like a swoosh with a star landing on a cloud. She told me she realized she was breaking the rules but it was so small and it reminded her of one of my older books, A Falling Star. It was a tiny little thing that none of the other relatives would even notice up there on the shelf in the living room.

But that little tiny falling star chunk of pewter created a big problem. I’d moved a picture to place it there and there was a smudge on the wall behind the picture. So that meant repainting the whole living room. That job made the dining room and kitchen look horrible so they had to be painted, also.

With fresh new walls in the great room, now the bathrooms looked like 1970 rejects from a condemned tenement. So I commenced to checking out the price of new tile, paint and oh, my, those counter tops were so dated, they’d have to be replaced.

When that was done, I shut the door to the guest room, my office and my bedroom. I refused to think about paint or even dumping the trash cans in those rooms for a whole week until the remodeling fever left me.

And it all happened because I did not stick to my rule. A little thing, no bigger than a thimble, had caused a major remodeling job. So we’re back to if I can’t eat it up, wear it out or use it up in one year…don’t buy it. Besides I have a book on the shelf titled All The Way From Texas.

What could happen as a result of that title is down right scary!

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16 comments:

  1. Two of my aunts were school teachers for 30 + years. So at retirement they decided to gift my daughter with all their accumulated classroom decorations for that 30 year...each. My daughter was about 4 at the time. Filled up one room. Just for a while, I had a trash hauling . But one aunt still asks if I have certain items. Nope. Lisa Fox Weekley, Bennington, Oklahoma.

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    1. Oh, no! I would have carted it all to the dump, too! So what if your daughter wanted to be a rocket scientist or dig ditches...can you image what all that would have looked like after 20 years in storage. OMGoodness, gives me the hives thinking about it.

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  2. I like this rule of yours. I sure don't need anything else to dust. I tell my family that I want Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Southwest gift cards for those special occasions. Those never last more than a year. More like a couple of days for the e-books.

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    1. Wonderful gifts!!! And you don't have to worry about an ugly fluorescent swan gathering dust!

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  3. I love that Rule!! My mother is a collector. I dread the day I have to wade through that house. I'm the same I moved to be near my folks I went from a house to a 1 bedroom apartment and purged a LOT before the move. I kbnow longer have the space tho my Book Case and Desk area with all my reading "stuff" does not count ;)

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  4. I know where your coming from. I still have those bottles of peppers my son bought at Walmart on my counters collecting dust. I can't make myself get rid of them afraid I'll hurt his feelings. They've been there for about 10 years. I guess they'll be there till I die. I would love to have a yard sale but I'm afraid I'll do what I did the time I tried to sale a horse a a sale. Is start balling and holler "No Sale" before the auctioner even got started good. My hubby was pissed for a week, but I kept my horse!

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  5. I like that rule and often buy as gifts bottles of wine or fancy beer or lovely chocolates. Or gift cards. Those are wonderful. Whoever thought they were impersonal was crazy!

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  6. Love your rules! I have a rule like that, mine is...if I can't eat it or read it, then you picked the wrong gift. I'm seriously not hard to buy for and if you buy me something that's not a book or something I can't eat, it will end up on ebay.

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  7. I need to adopt your rule!! I was just telling my husband we need to get rid of some stuff that has started to clutter.

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  8. I am in the process of getting rid of all the clutter in my home. I think this idea is a good one.

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  9. After I lost everything in the tornado here in 2011 I vowed not to accumulate stuff and so far I've stuck to it. For Mother's Day my one of my daughters got me a Starbucks gift card. If I ever get to quit dieting I might be able to use it.

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  10. I love this rule. We started the "event" gift for our kids last year. Instead of more things to pile up in their rooms, they're receiving things like museum admissions, concert tickets, putt putt golf or bowling tickets, etc. We're military, so the struggle to keep our household "weight" down is an important one. I'm hoping we can get more of our family to understand this. I'd love for it to be the solution for all gift giving situations!

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  11. I like your idea. Although one of my friends has a similar one- she keeps an online registry of what she needs and wants. It must be the EXACT thing, brand and all- otherwise don't walk, run. Certain personal items- like handmade soaps or quilts will be considered, but unless asked for, there is no guarantee. Food, gift cards, and "experiences" (concerts, events, or even petsitting offers) are always welcome. Hmm, I wonder if I should combine the two to make life easier on those family members "offline."

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  12. I collected Dolls, my Dad started me it for me and has brought me one for almost every Birthday and Christmas until the Alzheimer took over. I decided to go through and really look at each and everyone of them and if it doesn't make me feel anything other then she cute or pretty, I put it aside and then I look at my list of family and friends that are expecting girl babies or have a girl and I try to match one of the dolls up with one of the babies or girls. I send a little note along with the doll telling them her name, what she likes and dislikes and just a little bit about her. I know...Crazy! But the older girls seem to enjoy it. Over time I have less to dust, so one week I dust around everything and the next week I take everything out and dust all the glass and wood and put everyone back in to the cabinet, or shelf or what have you. I think it is awesome that you are doing all this, especially the hour long visit in New York! Wow that is an experience of a lifetime! Good luck everyone and to whoever win, I hope you have an awesome time and come back and tell us all about it

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  13. Thank all y'all for your comments today. I've enjoyed reading through them so much!! Millie, what a lovely, lovely idea!

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