Treasures

 

       There have been multiple posts in which I have referred to treasures of the past.  I had six boxes of memorabilia which I had left behind in West Valley.  I really thought that we would have returned to Utah long before we did.  I thought we would return in a large rental car and I’d be able to retrieve my boxes.  I wasn’t thinking logically.

       Meanwhile my sister had gone to the West Valley house to retrieve my six boxes – which she kept in her house for at least a couple of years.  When we finally returned to Utah it was for Jen’s funeral.  We had reserved a rental car, but it wasn’t available when we went in to pick it up.  Five other customers were also waiting.  I didn’t even know what position we were in.  We ended up driving back in the Saturn.  We barely had room for a luggage – no room for boxes or souvenirs.

       When Shelly and Todd came to visit the following year they brought what Shelly said was the largest box.  There were a lot of photos, a couple of old hymn books, I don’t remember what else.  Over the years she reminded me of the boxes taking up room in her house.  I couldn’t even remember what was in them, but had asked her to go through and pull out what might be important – though her idea of important is not the same as mine.  Steven and I have always been pack-rats while Shelly and Keith have been more practical and far from sentimental attachment.  Shelly ended up throwing out four of the six boxes - at least that is my understanding.

       Anyway, during our trip to Utah, Shelly said she had one last box for me to pick up and brought it to me at Su Casa.  Steven also had a much smaller box filled with items retrieved from Aunt Eloise’s house after she had died.  My cousin gave him three items to bring out to Oregon during one of his annual drives – but the pandemic got in the way and so he’s had these three items at his house ever since:

 The madam Alexander doll is supposed to be Gretel from Sound of Music.  My cousin and I adored Sound of Music and she thought I would like the doll as a reminder.  Aunt Eloise had a coveted black baby doll that most all of the girls wanted - but then nobody ended up claiming it.  I would have liked to have one of the Russian doll nesting sets, but heard those had both been claimed.  Really.  It didn't matter.  I have pictures to remind me and don't need the tangible items.  Isaiah said I did right picking out the rag doll (which I decided would have been more practical than the larger and heavier baby).  My cousin picked the cat out for Jaime (who still has Hi-Five - and we also have the Madam Alexander bears.  So we are good on memories. 

       Steven and Isaiah’s house already looks like a museum overflow.  And this is only the entry way: 

       As I mentioned on Day 8 post Isaiah had given Jaime some gifts – trying to declutter his own accumulation and gave her the following:

                                     

Brooch that Isaias made (he does a lot of 

art for day of the dead and Halloween)

fungal pops

David Bowie shoes may be collector items

but she is currently wearing them on her feet

       As for the items I had saved . . . well . . . about half was a rediscovery and some items I had recently been thinking about.  No Expression Magazines – but there is the legal sized record book with the 16 temples at the time.

 

Ugliest cabbage patch doll – I saved thinking perhaps it might be valuable someday.  I used a picture from the internet in this post.   Here is the actual doll I ended up taking home. 

I had purchased some coca-cola pins when I had worked at Swire expecting that I could sell them one day also. But they are missing from my collections.  And no pictures to show either. 

I had purchased two sets - one to wear
and one still in bag - now lost forever! 

Made things with hands – a wreath and Christmas tree card.  Spider made in pre-school (it’s missing an eye) a hat from her first birthday (which she actually wore in honor of her 18^th) her first placemat and Mickey mouse platter from first time we went to Disneyland.  Pictures would have worked fine.  I saved them all before knowing that Jai is even less sentimental than is Patrick or Shelly so will get thrown away probably.  (Currently it is in the back room along with other memorabilia waiting to go into the shed)

There are cards I had saved from a time before I was born.  Kept the old fashion sentiment along with a poetry book in the shape of a girl that comes with six cut-outs. 

 

There were four or five journals plus a couple of yearbooks that both Jai and Richard seemed to enjoy.  Stamp collection and watercolors I think my grandma had created. 

And then there’s the clothing.  Our dinosaur shirts,

 

Other items I purchased just because:

 

Kevin had given Jai four safety posters which she hung on her wall

not to mention all the arcade treasures she acquired