Item 31: A ceramic bowl

This is a bowl I made at one of those paint your own ceramic places.  A group of ladies and I from my old work went together one night quite a few years ago.  We had a pizza party and each worked on a ceramic project.

Disclaimer:  I am not an artist.  I can't draw a stick figure and am not good with paints.  I 'see' things in my mind but they don't usually translate into reality.

I like the inside of this bowl.  I like the color blue and I like the starfish.  I like the bubbles the fish is blowing on the outside of the bowl.  These bubbles were accomplished using special paint they had.  The special properties in the paint are activated when in the kiln and create this texture.  That's pretty cool.   I picked the colors, the fish, the starfish, the bubble paint for the 3D effect. I like all of that but I don't like the piece as a whole.  It's because I'm very hard on myself and want things to turn out as I 'see' them not as my (lack of) artistic talent allows.

The ceramic project/pizza party took place at least six years ago.  I have never used this bowl.  I've never been able to think of a use for it.  Maybe someone else has an idea.

My dilemma

As I've sorted through my things, I've been forced to contemplate how important each of my belongings is to me. Here is something I found that has me stumped.

It's a quilt kit. Now before you think 'oh brother here's another project she didn't finish' (haha!) let me provide a bit of history for this item.

I bought this kit approximately 32 years ago. I was seriously involved with my boyfriend at the time. I bought this kit thinking I would make this quilt and perhaps someday, if we got married, we could use it on our bed. I was in college at the time. I lived at home and commuted over an hour (one way) to school where I took classes on a full time basis. When done with classes I worked part time at a local grocery store (where I earned enough money to buy a car, pay for my car insurance, pay my tuition, pay room and board to my parents and still have enough left over to have a social life). I'm sharing this information because between traveling to and from school, completing my schoolwork and also working part time, I didn't have a lot of free time to work on this quilt.

Life happens. Over the next decade, that boyfriend and I got engaged, married, bought a house, had a child, moved to another state and got divorced. I don't mean to minimize the importance of all of those events by summarizing a decade in just one sentence. I could write a book about each event. They're what made me who I am today. But this blog is about sorting through material goods and this post provides an explanation of the thought process related to an unfinished project.

This quilt was worked on in fits and starts over the years. As you can see the cross stitching is nearly done. Hence my dilemma. It's nearly done. It's very personal. My dreams, hopes and energy are sewn into it. How can I get rid of it?

I just read what I wrote and realized that writing it helped me decide what to do. I can't get rid of this. The young woman who I was is sewn into it. I'll keep it and someday finish it. It's blue; Meghan's favorite color. Maybe someday she would like it. It's related to her too.

Item 30: A candle mug

I don't burn candles for a number of reasons.  I'm very sensitive to scents; they trigger migraine headaches for me. I've also worked in the insurance industry for 30 years so I'm cognizant of the things that can go wrong when fire is involved.  I'd rather avoid those things.  We burn candles on birthday cakes.  We burn candles that are part of a center piece for a holiday table.  We have candles in our fireplace and occasionally burn them instead of lighting a fire in the fireplace.

I won this candle mug as a door prize this past summer at an orientation event held for ladies who had volunteered to mentor local high school juniors.  Unfortunatley the mentor program hasn't gone well for me and my student.  She has been ill, has been out of school and is being home schooled.  As a result she hasn't been able to attend the mentor events and we haven't been able to establish a relationship.

Back to the candle mug.  It's a nice solid mug.  It has a pretty blue candle in it.  It's brand new and never been used.  Certainly someone in Lancaster County will want this item!

Item 29: A flip flop wall hanging

I bought this at the Lititz Craft Show.  The annual show that takes place the second Saturday in August.  The one that used to be a nice show to attend that took place in Lititz Springs Park.  The one that was attended by a few thousand people.  Now it's in the park, on Broad Street, on Main Street and attended by (if the newspaper articles are to be believed) 30,000 people many of whom are bused into town.  

Take my word for it:  bigger is not always better.  The show is a zoo.  Packed with so many people you can barely walk around let alone get near a vendor's booth.  It's good for the local economy so I shouldn't complain.  But I stay away from town on craft show day.  It's like the shore on the 4th of July.  Just not worth it.    

At one of the last shows I attended a few years ago I found this wall hanging.  

Item 28: A candy tin

Isn't this pretty?  It belonged to my mother-in-law.  She passed away last summer. When we were sorting through her things, I found this and liked it.  So I kept it.  

It's ironic that I kept this because as we sorted through her apartment, if we said it once to each other we said it a hundred times:  why did she keep this?  I suppose for the same reason I kept it!  

To a certain degree we're all pack rats.  We like shiny, interesting things.  We think we can use them for something.  But what?  I suppose I could use it for paper clips but I already have a paper clip holder.  I could use it to hold bobby pins but I don't have any bobby pins.  I could use it for straight pins but I already have a container for straight pins.  I give up!  

Item 27: A boom box

This box belonged to my daughter.  I think it was a gift for her 8th or 9th birthday. This item was quite the hit with her.  She loved it.  She's a June baby.  The year she received this boom box, she used to take it out to the front yard and play music while she danced and did gymnastics on our front lawn.  Dave and I would sit on the front porch reading while she danced around.  Dance like no one is watching: she took that to heart!

Isn't it amazing how far technology has come in such a short period of time? Meghan is now 26. In the years since this box was given to her we've bought Walkman players, various versions of the iPod, an iPhone, iBooks, MacBooks and iPads all of which allow you to take your music with you.  The iPod Meghan uses now is smaller than the "sports' logo on this box.  I'm typing this on my MacBook as I sit in the family room using our wireless network.  

What will they think of next?  
(They being those guys who used to be in the AV Club. Love you Dave!)  

An update on Item 13

Item 13 found a new home. One of my co-workers wanted it. I sold it to her yesterday for $100! That's right, $100 for an item that has been in a box in our basement for at least 6 years. I think I paid $35 for it so that's a nice return on my investment!

Item 26: Easter Eggs

Dave's cousin Patsy sends flower arrangements to us a few times a year.  All of these eggs are from Easter arrangements from years past.  

I poke fun at my husband for saving all sorts of things (string, wire, cardboard etc) but I have to be honest and admit I save some strange things too.  I suppose it's because we're frugal and don't like to waste things. These eggs are pretty and it seemed a waste to throw them out with the dead flowers.  We don't entertain much.  We don't have a big Easter gathering.  I have no idea what I would do with these eggs.  They've been in the basement for a year or two now.  Need I say more? 

Item 25: Various articles of clothing.

Here's a little slideshow of clothing I no longer wear or like.  I will donate these items (and the shoes from an earlier post) to a local, non-profit, consignment shop.   big THANK YOU to Nicole for helping me solve my problem of trying to embed this show into my post. After three attempts at it myself I contacted Nicole for her advice.  One email later I got the show into the post.  Hooray!

PS:  You can control the speed of the slideshow by clicking on it and operating it manually if you need more time to read the comments.

PPS:  I took the comments out because there seemed to be a problem with them while the show was running.  Here's the short version:  I've had someof these items for 20 years.  Others I've had for only a few years.  I don't wear any of them because I don't like them or they don't fit so that's it. They're gone.


PPPS: This is very disappointing to me. The slideshow isn't in the post for God's sake. WTH? I give up. I have way too much time invested in this post already.

Item 24: An old beach chair

This chair is 15 to 20 years old.  At one time it belonged to one of my brothers.  He purchased a new chair and was planning to throw this one in the trash.  At the time, it wasn't broken.  It was actually in very good shape.  So I took it from him and used it for quite awhile.  But alas, I stopped using it for the same reasons he did:  it has a low back and doesn't recline.  In addition to those two reasons it needed to be re-worked with new strips of whatever they call the fabric used on these chairs.

Approximately 10 years ago I bought a new beach chair which I still use.  It has a high back, reclines and it has a very pretty blue fabric with a tropical fish pattern on it. This old chair was relegated to the basement where it would be repaired by Dave and then put it back into service.  Approximately 5 years ago I bought Dave a beach chair for his birthday.  Now we have two beach chairs that recline and have a high back.  This one was still in the basement waiting for repair.

The time has come to move it out.  Dave put it out with the trash last week.  It was there with the trash when I left for the pool at 5:15 AM.  It was there when I returned from the pool at approximatley 6:45 AM. Sometime between 6:45 and 7:20 AM someone took the chair!

I love that about people around here.  If they see something out at the curb and they like it, they take it!  I'm guilty of it myself.  I've brought home terra cotta pots and plants and a few other items.  One time when I was out for my Saturday morning walk, I found a baby stroller out at the curb. It was a cast-off from a garage sale.  It was dirty but otherwise it looked to be in good shape.  As I was checking it out the lady who owned it came out of the house.  She told me sheused to push her dogs around in it;  what a hoot!  That explained the dirt.  Other than being dirty, it had one wobbly wheel.  I decided to take it and pushed it the rest of the way home (about a mile and a half) to finish out my walk.  I'm sure I was quite the site.  Later that day Dave washed it up and greased the wheels and voila, we have a nearly brand new baby stroller.  We've used it a few times when Ben has been over to visit.  Since it was free we don't care that it doesn't get used much.

Back to the beach chair:  hopefully whoever took it will repair and use the chair because it's a nice chair and in very good shape other than the torn strips.

Item 23: Jingle bells

These bells were hanging on the closet doorknob in my office.  They hung there all year.  I have no explanation for the fact I had jingle bells hanging in my office all year.

I know where I got two of them:  they were a welcome gift from the wife of the CEO of the company I used to work for.  She gave them to guests when they arrived at their home for the annual Management Christmas party.  I attended twice.  I think the third bell belongs to my daughter.  She left it here long ago.  It's now mine.  And I'm getting rid of it!

PS:  did you notice the quilting on the bedcover beneath these bells?  Sand dollars.  Yep, more of the beach decor.  The problem with getting rid of the beach decor is it means I must buy a new bedcover.  It took me YEARS to find this one.  Alas by the time I found this quilt my interest in the beach decor was waning.  Don't tell my husband.  Or my brother-in-law (haha...more opportunity cost).  I need to spend money to buy a new quilt.  The good news:  I'll use the money I raise from the garage sale this spring to buy what I 'need'.  Haha!

Item 22: A teeny, tiny boat tote

Isn't this item just adorable?  It's a tiny version of the Lands' End boat tote.   It was the cutest package for a Lands' End gift card.   The only problem:  what to do with it once you take the gift card out.  It appears the folks at Lands' End thought it could be used as a key ring.  Not my cup of tea.  

Item 21: The Rosetta Stone French CD

J'adore francais, la plus belle langue...but I haven't used this CD in a very long time.  I recently joined a  group that meets twice a month.  We meet at a local restaurant for a meal and to speak to each other in french (as much as possible).  I use podcasts now instead of CDs.

If you're interested in learning French, Italian or Spanish check out Radio Lingua's website.  There are free podcasts available.  I've been using the Coffee Break French podcasts.  The lessons are 15-20 minutes long and are quite enjoyable.  I've even learned two songs!

Item 20: Soap making supplies

You will see a pattern over time.  I have a tendency to buy supplies for various projects but the projects aren't started let alone completed.  This is one of them.

Here are the supplies for making soap.  Where did I get the idea to make soap? From our local newspaper which has a craft column.  I'm not sure how often it appears.  I think it's a couple of times a month.  Last year there was a column about making soap so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  The whirl hasn't happened.

Oh my gosh...I just noticed the section of the newspaper with the column in it is in the photo.  Perhaps it will be helpful to whoever takes these supplies.  I'm proud to be so organized that I have the newspaper article but too bad I'm not proud of the soap I made.  Haha!

Just now I thought about my brother-in-law.  He's a CPA.  A bean counter.  A really good manager of money.  He probably thinks I'm nuts.  Oh the opportunity cost of the money I spent on this collection of craft supplies.  Imagine the opportunity cost of a lot of my belongings.  Oh well.  Live and learn.  I truly have gotten better the past couple of years.  I haven't bought much.  I'm finally getting wise.  I hope!

Item 19: An Apple iBook

This is my old computer.  It's an Apple iBook.  It works but it's a bit slow.  I put up with the slowness for a couple of years but I lost my patience and bought a MacBook almost two years ago.  This iBook computer has been in my office closet since I bought the MacBook.  Unless someone out there in the blogosphere has a better idea, I plan to donate it to a local charity.  Maybe Mom's House or Milagro House or a similar organization that helps women and children.  There's a good chance the Mom's or kids could use a computer.

Item 18: Another sign

In my mind I'm going to Carolina.
Can't you see the sunshine.
Can't you just feel the moonshine.
Ain't it just like a friend of mine it hit me from behind,
Yes I'm going to Carolina in my mind.
( Love, love, love Sweet Baby James.)

Item 18 is a sign from the time I had it in my mind I needed a reminder of going to the beach.  A sign from the collection of beach decor.

In my mind I'm going to the beach.
I can see the sunshine.
I can feel the moonshine.
It's just like a friend of mine but I don't need a sign.
Yes I've gone to the beach in my mind.

Item 17: Misc note cards

I had all of these cards in my desk drawer. Most are store bought but some are cards I made using my photos and the Kodak website.  There are also some gift tags for wine bottles.  I have no idea where I got them.  I have a vague memory of buying them but can't remember where and since they were buried in with my note cards I obviously forgot about them and never used them. 

After sorting through everything I wrapped the cards in ribbon to organize them.  They now look nice but I don't send many hand written notes these days.  I've kept a small supply for myself but don't think I'll ever use all of these.   

The definition of insanity

Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome.

That's what I've been doing for at least an hour.  I created a slideshow using Picasa Web and I've been trying to embed the slideshow in a post that I'll be using later this week or early next week.  IT'S NOT WORKING!

I'm giving up for now.  I'll try again another day.

Item 16: Hair dryer accessories

Oh my gosh.  Why do I keep these accessories that come with my hairdryer?  They're big.  They take up room in our vanity.  I never use them.  Does anyone use them?  Maybe they could save some oil and not produce them to accompany every hair dryer.  Maybe they could think about selling a hair dryer without a bunch of accessories.  You know, a bare bones model.  Just the basic dryer.  I would like that.  

An update on my search

Today, while going through a drawer of stuff in our bedroom, I stumbled upon a long forgotten plastic bag.  When I opened it I realized it was a bag of items from my childhood.  Report cards from nearly every grade in school, booklets from graduations and even a bag of congratulatory cards that were sent to my parents when I was born.  Wow!

Mixed in with my things were some items that belong to my other siblings that must have gotten mixed up with my things when Mom sorted through them.  There's a newspaper article about a road race my older sister ran.  A copy of my younger sister's report card.  Newspaper clippings from when the oldest of my three brothers was sworn in as a police officer.  Reports cards and newspaper clippings about another brother.

And this is what I love the most:  the plans and pattern for a cradle that my youngest brother made for my daughter when he was in wood shop in high school.  He was a junior in high school the year Meghan was born.  He made her a cradle.  I love that about him.  His children used the cradle too and I hope he still has it.  Because some day when Meghan has a baby, I would love her child to use it.  There are other things from his childhood as well.  This is news that I know will mean a lot to him because as the youngest of six there's not much history from his childhood.  I suppose when you're in your 40's, and on child number six, you lose interest in documenting the days.  I understand that as a parent but I always felt bad for Bill because of that.  Well Bill, I have some things for you.  It's not much but it's something.  Next time we see each other, I'll bring them along.  :-)  

Item 15: A Christmas cookie dish

Years ago my siblings and I used to pick names for a gift exchange.  This cookie dish was a gift from my brother and his wife.  I like it but I don't think I've used it more than a couple of times.  This is a Pfaltzgraf dish.  I have a set of Christmas Spode and this doesn't match that set. Not that is has to match; heaven knows I'm not Martha Stewart.  But I don't tend to entertain much and don't entertain at Christmas other than for immediate family.  When I entertain I don't put out trays of cookies.  Maybe there's someone else who could use this dish.

Item 14: another fish net float

Although similar to item 13, this one is larger (24"radius compared to the 18" radius of item 13) so therefore much more valuable.  My parents found and bought it in Florida for me.  They drove it up from Florida one summer.  They used to drive north each year for a visit but the trip is hard on them at their age (79 & 80) so they no longer make the trek north.  We now head south to visit them.  

Unfortunately I was negligent in my care of it so it's damaged and its value is likely diminished.  The damage is a hairline crack.  We used to hang it on our front porch in the summer.  Time got away from us and the cold weather did a job on this float: the cold caused it to crack.  But I still think it's still an attractive item and if properly cared for, has a long life left to live.

I'm no longer collecting these floats but I'm still fascinated by them.  Have you heard of the huge trash pile that is floating in the Pacific between Hawaii and California?  It's an enormous trash heap that has  possibly thousands of these floats in it.  I would love to see that heap and would love to see the floats that are caught up in it.  That floating trash is like a treasure chest.  That's ocean pollution I would like to see!

Item 13: A fish net float

This is a fish net float.  More than likely it's from Japan or one of many other Pacific islands where the indigenous people made their living fishing.  

My previous husband and his family spent ten years living on Kwajalein Island, an island in the Marshall Islands.  The Marshall Islands are an atoll in the Pacific.  My father-in-law, a graduate of the Naval Academy, worked for RCA (out of Moorestown, NJ) after he left the service.  He was assigned to a post on Kwaj and worked on missile systems while there.  My former in-laws had a collection of fish net floats that they collected while living on Kwaj.  I always found these floats to be quite fascinating.  Imagine the stories a float could tell if it was able to talk.  Over the years I looked for floats and purchased them when I found them in their original condition (with the original roping in place).  

My previous husband and I divorced over twenty years ago.  Both of his parents passed away about six years ago.  My daughter brought some floats back to me after spending some time at the home of her grandparents when her Dad and his siblings were divvying up the belongings of their parents.  Those floats are small.    

This one (and another to follow) were purchased by me.  I've had them packed away in boxes in the basement so it's time for them to move to a new location.  I'm not sure there will be a strong market for them in south central PA but there are more transplanted New Jerseyans out this way now so we'll see.    

Item 12: an inspirational print

For nearly eight years, I worked at a young, growing company.  We hired many recent college graduates for our entry level positions.  Many of these grads seemed to think they would be 'given' all opportunities and would be kings of the universe in a matter of a year or two.   I was the Education Coordinator in addition to being a member of management and was responsible for the professional development of these young folks.  It was exciting for a time but when the hiring/training door is a revolving door it gets a little old.  I left the company nearly three years ago and haven't looked back.  I still work with the company but from the outside.  And that door is still revolving so my decision was definitely a good one.  

Ok, here's the story of the inspirational photo/print.  One summer, my daughter and I took a trip to Charlestown, SC.  Heed these words:  DO NOT go to Charlestown, SC in the summer!  My God it's hot and humid there during the summer.  Along the waterfront, there was a house that had this sculpture perched on the roof.  It caught my fancy and I took many shots of it.  At a later date, I stumbled on the saying:  Don't wait for your ship to come in.  Swim out to meet it.  I thought of photos of the sculpture and decided to try to put the two together.

My daughter was in college at the time.  Lucky for me she is an artist and had access to the technology to marry the photo and slogan into one.  The frame is an off the shelf item.  Not great but it looked nautical to me and was the correct size so I bought it.  I hung this print on the wall outside of my office.  I have no idea if any of my young charges ever looked at it and thought about it but I'd like to think it had an impact on someone.

Item 11: two bags of sand

Not just any sand.  Sand from the Hawaiian islands!  Oahu and Kauai to be exact.  We visited Hawaii in September, 2007.  I had been President of my local CPCU chapter (a professional insurance organization) the prior year.  The Chapter pays $1,000 towards the President's trip to the annual convention.  Lucky me: the convention was in Hawaii my year!

So Dave and I went to Hawaii.  We stayed at the Honolulu Hilton for about a week.  While there I attended two insurance convention sessions (I know I'm a geek but I felt guilty not attending any since the Chapter paid part of my freight).  We left Oahu for several days on Kauai.  The last leg of our trip took us to Seattle for a few days before heading home.

Back to the sand.  I took a bag of sand from a beach on Oahu and one from a beach on Kauai.  I think Dave gave me a hard time about taking it.  Something along the lines of the Gods will be unhappy if you take the sand away from here.  I'm not a fan of flying and don't need any additional reasons to worry about my flights.  But I had in my head that I'd start a collection of sand (really) from the various beached I've visited. Tthis is one of those ideas that seem good at the time but never translate into reality.  I took the sand and even though we hurtled through space at 500 miles per hour in a metal vehicle, we made it home safely.  I presume the sand Gods were ok with me taking this sand.

Since my "Sand Collection" hasn't materialized, Dave plans to use this sand in our vegetable garden.  To aerate the ground or some other such purpose.  I hope the Hawaiian sand Gods like our vegetable garden and help it grow.

Item 10: A nearly 20 year old Canon Sure Shot Camera

You're going to love this.  I have the receipt for this item so I know exactly what date I bought it and where. Here's the receipt (and the owner's manual):

Full disclosure:  I didn't save the receipt and manual.  My husband did.  When he learned I was adding this to my list of 100 items, he pulled these documents out of his magic filing cabinet.  :-)  

Look closely and you'll see this camera was purchased in St. Maarten.  It's from a store on the Dutch side. Dave and I visited the island in April, 1991.  We stayed on the Dutch side at the time share unit owned by my parents .  

This was back in the days before debit cards were in full swing so we actually used cash for most of our purchases.  We arrived on the island on a Saturday and by Tuesday we were concerned we'd run out of cash!  We weren't married at the time (scandalous I know!) so we each pulled out our cash and figured out how to ration it for the rest of the week.  I think of this trip as our honeymoon even though we didn't get married until October of that year.  Heck at the time we were on this trip we hadn't even talked about getting married.  

One evening later in the week, we had a spectacular dinner at a lovely restaurant on the French side of the island.  Le Tastevin.  Heaven on earth.  Our table was on the water.  Trees grew through the roof of the restaurant.  In true French fashion, the wait staff was available but not smothering.  The food was magnifique!  I don't remember what my entree was but I know I had chocolate mousse for dessert.  It was a work of art; an absolutely beautiful presentation and delicious too.  I remember I wanted a second dessert but honestly when you're at a divine, French restaurant you just don't eat two desserts so I savored that one and still savor the memory of that meal.  

Here's a photo of the camera:

Doh; the photo is out of focus!  Obviously photography isn't my strong suit.  This photo was taken not with my Canon Sure Shot but with my Nikon Coolpix digital camera.  Thank goodness for digital cameras.  Now I don't have to spend a fortune developing my photos only to find 80% of them are out of focus!   

Item 9: shoes

Four pairs of shoes.  Size 6.  In nearly new condition.  I haven't worn these for years and I'm tired of looking at them.  

This first pair I've had for about two years.  They just don't fit right.  And honestly, the style is stupid.  They're not functional at all.  They don't look right with socks but they're not comfortable without socks. 

Ok.  This is a pair of dress up shoes.  I think they're at least ten years old and I've worn them perhaps 5 times.  They're ok but they're boring.  They're also a bit uncomfortable.  The heels are too tight.  Which is ridiculous considering the fact I have very narrow heels and most shoes fall off my feet.  I have other dress up shoes.  I don't want these anymore.

I've had these for three or four years.  I like them but for some reason I never wear them.  I have another pair of shoes that are my fall back on, everyday, "play" shoes.  I don't see myself wearing these anytime soon so maybe someone else can use them.

I bought these about five years ago.  I wore them on our trip to the Italian Riviera.  They're comfortable walking shoes but let's be honest:  they're old lady shoes (although they don't have velcro they actually do have a buckle)!

I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought them (certainly not fashion!).  I think I bought them when I was in the throes of menopause.  I'm serious.  There was a period of approximately two years during which I didn't give much of a hoot whatsoever about style.  Hell when you're breaking out in night sweats and having multiple hot flashes each day, all you want is comfort.

Reaching menopause is liberating but if you're not careful you could become old before your time.  Thankfully I came to my senses and haven't worn these other than for the two weeks we were in a foreign country.  I probably won't see those people again so I'm safe!

Item 8: a baby swing

What is this doing in our garage?  We bought it two years ago at a garage sale.  I think we paid $2 or $3 for it.  As you can see it has never been used.  We bought it from our neighbor down the street.  Apparently someone bought it for them (or maybe they bought it themselves but I hope not because they don't have any trees in their yard) but they couldn't use it because they don't have any trees in their yard.  :-)

We bought it for our grandson.  We gave it to him for his (I think) first birthday or sometime around his first birthday.  But it ended up back at our house.  I thought they could hang it from their porch but since we have it I suppose they didn't think that was a good idea.  

So for two years this swing has been in our garage.  Each time Ben visits, he asks to use it.  We have trees but they're 'junk' trees and we're concerned they may not be strong enough to support a child in a swing.  

I think two years of collecting dust in the garage is long enough.  The swing will be sold at our garage sale this spring.  I hope the third time is a charm and the person who buys it from us actually uses it for its intended purpose.    

Item 7: Fabric and a pattern

Every now and then I see myself as being quite crafty.  I envision myself making something and being so proud of it.

I took Home Economics in high school.  That last sentence tells you how old I am.  They don't call it Home Ec anymore.  Last I heard it was referred to as Consumer Economics but for all I know they don't even offer it as a subject anymore.

Anyway, as part of Home Ec we learned to sew.  I own a sewing machine and have made various items over the years.  A simple pair of curtains.  Some place mats.  Repairs to items of clothing.  Last year I bought old, wool sweaters, felted the wool, cut it and made several pairs of wool mittens lined with fleece.  I've seen similar mittens in retail stores priced at $35 or more.  I probably made them for $5 a pair.

While I was making these mittens my sewing machine went on the fritz.  I live in Amish/Mennonite Country so lots of ladies sew and there are many sewing machine stores and repair shops.  I took my simple, 30 year old, portable Brother sewing machine to a local shop.  The lady there was mean to me.  She was annoyed that I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my machine.  I suppose she was also  annoyed I wasn't interested in buying one of her fancy, new fangled, computer operated machines.  I don't sew that often and wanted this machine to work when I needed it.  She fixed it very quickly and didn't charge me for it so for that I am thankful.  But she could have been nicer about it.  Again a digression but it gives you an idea of how often and what I sew and what I know about my machine.

Back to Item 7.  There's a receipt in the bag with item 7.  I bought this pattern and fabric on sale in September, 2003.  At the time I thought I would make a Halloween costume so that I would have one available the time every ten years or so I go to a costume party.  It has been seven years and nothing has been done with it.  (That costume party is right around the corner...I only have three years to get ready!)

Why do I think I will make a costume and actually wear it out in public?  Here you go:  some black fabric and a pattern for a witch or sorcerer or fairy princess-like costume.  (The fabric is black but for some reason it looks brown in this photo.)

Item 6: A cat. Just kidding!

This is our grandcat.  He's living with us for awhile.  He was watching me take photos and generally getting in the way as I worked.

Item 6:  A sepia print of the old Jenkinson's Pavillion in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ (PPBNJ) is where I used to live.  It was a great little town.  They say you can never go home again and and it's true.  This is a nice town but it's not like it used to be.  It was a small town on the beach.  Now it's a resort.  It was always crowded from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  Now it's packed from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  And it's more crowded all year round.  Not as bad as in the summer but more than it used to be.  (In the good ole days.  God I'm old.)

We loved the summer and the beach but couldn't wait for Labor Day to say good bye to all of the summer folks; lovingly referred to as bennies. (There's a great explanation of bennies on Wikipedia.)  But now I am a benny.  I have been one for 30 years.  I don't act like one but I am one.  This print has been hanging in my office as part of the beach decor.  You can't go home again.  My home is in my memory bank.  In my mind I can smell the salt air and hear the waves crash and the buoy bell clang.  If I want to see a picture of what we referred to as 'Jenks', I will call it up from my memory bank.

Item 5: a popcorn container and paper stuffing for it

Our local movie theater shows old movies on Monday nights each spring and fall.  It's a great opportunity to see classic films on the big screen.  We've seen Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Home Alone, Breakfast at Tiffany's and many others.

Prior to showing each film, the theater owner comes into the theater and runs a trivia contest about that evening's movie.  The people who answer a question correctly win an item such as this popcorn container which I won one night.  It had a pack of microwave popcorn and some candy in it and was very nicely shrink-wrapped.  The popcorn and candy are gone.  This container is still here.  In my house.  Taking up space.  I'll never use it again.  I hate seeing it each time I go down in the basement.  It's time for it to go. Bye bye!

Item 4: red lipstick

How long do other women keep a tube of lipstick they don't like?  I've had this one for at least two years. I'm not a red lipstick kind of girl.  Pink and brown are more my style.  You know:  understated not flashy.  For some reason one day while shopping for makeup I decided I'd try to be a red lipstick kind of girl (not the first time but hopefully the last).  Several times in the last two years I've put it on and promptly wiped it off.  And yet I put the tube back in my makeup basket.  It doesn't take up a lot of room physically but mentally it's a bit of a burden.  At some point can I be a red lipstick kind of girl?  If I keep trying someday will I like it?  Nope; it's not who I am.  I'm getting rid of it.  Right now.

Item 3: a garment bag

Those of you who entered the workforce within the last 5-10 years may never have a need for a bag such as this.  But back in the dark ages when we traveled for work, we had to wear suits, blouses, pantyhose and nice shoes etc.  This type of bag, known as a garment bag, was used to transport our business attire and keep it (mostly) wrinkle-free.  This is a lovely blue bag from the Lands End Lighthouse collection.  It has only been used a dozen times at most.  While I still visit customers, my trips are local and my customers are informal so I no longer need to wear suits and no longer need to take along clothing when I visit them.   Anyone need a garment bag?

PS:  check out all of the stuff in the background of photo number one.  There's an exercise ball that may find it's way onto this list by the end of 100 days.  There's also a glimpse of our gift wrapping center (behind the two baby gates...another story).  The wrapping center is an old dresser full of ribbon, bows, tissue paper, wrapping paper and boxes.  As an aside:  while we occasionally buy wrapping paper, we tend to carefully unwrap gifts and keep the paper to be used multiple times.  We have some paper that is 20 years old.  We can prove it by going back through old Christmas photos to locate the year the paper first appeared.  I know:  we're odd.  But hey someone has to save the world.  Haha! 

I continue to digress here but I understand they now include "wrapping rooms" in houses (according to a recent Wall Street Journal article that Dave mentioned to me).  Two questions:  how much wrapping paper etc do people own and how many gifts are they buying if they feel a need to dedicate a room to the undertaking?  Good grief.  Or maybe I should say thank you.  Thank you for buying into the consumer mentality.  I'm doing the reverse.  Hence the 100 in 100 idea.

Item 2: a paper box

I love this box.  I bought it at Kate's Papierie in NYC a year or two ago.  It was a gift I bought for my daughter.  A pretty, little box that could be used for who knows what.

Earlier this year she said she didn't want it so I took it.  I love it but I have no idea what I'll use it for and can't bear the thought of it hanging around in a drawer somewhere when perhaps someone else might use it.  So, as difficult as it is to part with it, I will.

The paper box:

I hope it finds a good home.

Item 1: a sign

Happy New Year!  Bonne Annee!

Here it is:  Item 1 is the beach sign.

I don't remember where I bought it or when.  I think I found it at a little shop at the beach a few years ago.  What beach you ask?  Point Pleasant Beach.  NJ.  08742.  Ocean County.  South of Asbury Park.  North of Seaside Park.    

I used to live in PPBNJ but that was a long time ago.  I'm talking over 30 years ago.  I still love the beach but I live over 150 miles inland now.

For quite a few years I've had a beach theme for the decor in my office/the extra bedroom.  I have quite a collection of beach-related items that I've grown tired of and am now ready to discard.

I never thought I'd say this but I don't miss the beach anymore.  It took nearly 30 years but it happened.  It's not that I don't enjoy the beach or the ocean; I do.  But it's no longer in my bones.  I think it's because I see the beach as a place of solitude.  The smell of the salt air, the sound of the waves, even looking at the gray, winter sky helped me through many a difficult time in my life.  But because I no longer live there, it's difficult to find the time to visit the beach alone.  It's too crowded there in the summer so I don't visit much then.  And over the course of the last several years, I've visited fewer times in the off season.

C'est la vie I suppose.  Things change.  Places change.  People and their interests change.  So here it is:  item 1.  A sign.  Literally and figuratively.