moving stuff and memories
Last night was the 2nd in a row I didn't sleep more than a few hours, so I decided to take a sick day today. I did finally take all of Leslie's (and my) blankets, comforters, etc. to the laundromat and got those cleaned. Then I went by my storage unit and started emptying that out.
This time around I took mostly Christmas stuff. I don't want to know about Christmas this year. Last year Leslie, Cliff and I had so much fun with Christmas. This year it's just me. My son and DIL will have everyone over Christmas Eve. Christmas Day I think I just want to hide.
Jason and Michelle usually alternate who they spend Thanksgiving with. This should be my year, but the holiday falls on Michelle's dad's birthday, and with everything I have going on I've been invited to spend the holiday with Michelle's family (Jason's in-laws). That's fine. I don't think I could handle it this year.
Right now the storage unit contains 3 bags of Leslie's clothing and 2 more boxes of Christmas stuff. Take that to Goodwill tomorrow. I took my beach chairs and a few things of Leslie's I was keeping--a ceramic gargoyle she made in high school, her garden gnome, (I cannot for the life of me remember his name), some family pictures she had. For now I'll put them in the new storage unit (near my new apt.). Eventually the stuff from Leslie's apartment that Buck doesn't want to keep will go in there too, until someone is strong enough to go through it.
I still have to get over to Les' apartment. There are a few more things I know I want, and there was a painting Leslie did that one of her friends specifically asked if she could have. I'll mail that to her. I know her record collection is there, and her jewelry making stuff---a few boxes that contain who knows what. Her favorite "good" clothes are hanging in the hall closet. The dress she's wearing in my avatar is there. That was taken the day Les and I threw a bridal shower for Michelle, back in 2012. She loved that dress. Still had it. And the "alligator twin set". She found that one day when we were thrift store shopping. Leslie is one of the few people who could wear a twin set with alligators embroidered on it and get away with it. I should probably gather up her shoes. Leslie was 5' 2" and had size 10 feet. She always referred to them as her "clown feet". I know she has one good pair of cowboy boots I bought her for her birthday last year.
Her birthday is next Saturday. She would have been 37.
It's thundering. Hey girl. Miss you, too.
Replies
You are doing what you can and this IS huge as there is no "right or wrong" way. The one thing that I did not know about and wish I had was several of the women here took favorite T shirts, shirts etc., and had them made into a quilt. I was on "auto pilot" as we had to clear Douglas' apartment and had many of his belongings in his former bedroom at home. I had his sister, her husband, friends take what they wanted and then donated the rest. I did not even know about making a quilt from clothing he had so I always try to share that with our mom's just in case it resonates?
I am thinking of you, Sue, as you approaches Leslie's birthday and will listen here too for some thunder and as I was sorting books in the library where I volunteer at my Little's school I saw two books on bats and send hello to your daughter.
It's okay to not know how you will be feeling about the holidays so allow lots of wiggle room. Each year things are a bit different for us and traditions basically came to a halt a decade ago. You will know what you are needing as the time approaches. I learned that many times I might say, "Yes," and have to circle back with a "No" and vice versa.
Gentle care as you take on these "Herculean" tasks which they are. A move does create a situation where you do really have to rethink things and I could not part with my son's hockey gear until we made a move. I kept those items of his in the basement in his hockey bag and as crazy as it sounds I used to get on him for "stinking up the house" with his gear and that bag that I would moan about became the closest scent of him that I had for years. Who would have ever thought?? Deepest of sighs...
Hope you can get some rest tonight.
(((Hugs))) of care,
XO Joanie