Organization is Exhausting

               I have boxes of tax files and insurance policies, receipts, warranties and so forth.  I have memorabilia, started scrapbooks, sooooo many photos.  Lesson outlines and lesson ideas.  And I’ve gotten rid of a lot.  So why does it feel like all the paperwork keep growing?

          I don’t have to save any of it right?  Aside from all the tax detail, insurance policies and so forth, most of this could just be obtained from online, right? So why the heck am I saving it?  As Jaime has never been as sentimental as I am, I am certain that she would not care if I threw out all that I’ve been saving instead of having her go through it and throw it away. 

          And the pictures.  Oh my gosh.  There are so many pictures.  I have scanned all of the pictures – I think.  So why am I hanging onto all of them?  Because I can’t bring myself to throw them away.  Though I have gotten better.  Each time I go through I find I am able to part with more than I did prior.

          I have no sentiment for the tax garbage nor do I want to save it all.  Sure enough as soon as I throw it out the IRS will come audit us for some year that is no longer in my possession.  I haven’t even made a dent.  I am soooo tired.  Still have items to scan.

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

Have I Got a Treat for You!

                 As I have been reading the scriptures I wondered where I had misplaced my personal scripture blessing.  I used to look at it often but realized I probably haven’t looked at it since we have lived in Oregon.  It isn’t where I thought it was.

        I found some “artifacts” and a letter addressed to my posterity about the contents of my pink ammo can.  What possessed me to paint it pink?  I don’t even like pink.  But at the time I didn’t appreciate the drab green although I think I prefer it to the pink that appears to be older than it is. 

        The note was written September 6, 1988.  I claimed that I had left a camera cassette which isn’t there but there is a VHS and the contents are the same as what is descrbed for the Minolta.  I suppose I could include another camera cassette but with different moments . . .

        The VHS tape includes recordings of a ventriloquist act featuring Ron Lucas.  It had been recorded off the Disney Channel.  Next was our family vacation to Yellowstone Park.  We saw more of the park than we usually do.  We returned home less than a week before the fires (here) 

I set the tape aside in hopes that Jenna and Roland will be willing to watch it with me. 

        My letter also indicated that there were two floppy discs.  I found only one – almost the same size as the one Matthew Broderick holds in this clip from the movie “War Games”.  

The caption indicates the contents are of my journal.  Perhaps.  Good luck finding a Brothers Word Processor from that decade or some other device to read it on.  My descriptions don’t even make sense to me.  I’m certain they will mean less to my posterity should they ever have the opportunity to go through it (well, Jenna has seen the contents – or some of them anyway).

          I have disc negatives of probably every picture I ever took with the short lived disc camera.  And a mountain of poems.  No expression magazine but homework/class assignments from 1979 and others I had jotted down.  What a joy that will be to go through. 

There are two collector pins not even mentioned – Clairol and Mary Tyler Moore.  Wow.  How’s that for a finder?

I also made the claim to a set of cassette tapes that contain contents of my mission. They were not in the can but I am 75% certain that I brought them to Oregon with me.  If not, they got pushed back in a closet in West Valley never to be seen again.  Too bad.  If I do come across them, I will include them with the memorabilia. 

I said I had included some kind of camera?  No camera but did find two flash bulbs.  Oh if only American Pickers would stop buy.  Laugh out Loud.  It’s actually quite pathetic.

But I do have poems.  Lots and lots of poems.  And I will share many of them throughout time.  Don’t you feel honored?

 As I didn’t find what I was searching for, I turned to some other ammo cans that kept natural color.  In one I found several photos.  Two had been taken of the sisters serving in Roanoke during September/October 1984 and March 1985.  I also found this picture that Sunny had created for all of her sisters 

and this one of me from my mission when I first arrived in Roanoke

Whatever Happened to My Collections?

        At the time  I was enrolled in seminary, there was a program for students who had the desire to participate in afterschool programs of challenging seminary students from other schools in what came to be known as "The Seminary Bowl"

        Seminary Bowl included a panel of students trained to answer questions relating to that year's gospel topic.  There was also the "scripture chase" on which team could find a certain scripture the quickest.  Each week (or however often we met) our instructors would give us ribbons featuring our school color.  On the ribbon was marked in letters that started each word of different scriptures;  one made up for a certain scripture that we should have memorized that week

        I had saved them all in a scrapbook.  I think it might have been the one that grandpa had given me; one that fell apart, one that I had attempted to recreate. I reminded myself of this as I was planning the lesson I'd be teaching yesterday.  I had planned on doing something similar for my class . . . but that will be for another post perhaps.

        None of my collections seemed to make it with us to Oregon.  I am sad that the ribbons had been left in the shed in West Valley along with my coin collection and a box of dolls that grandpa had given me when he and grandma would fly Western Airlines.  The ribbons themselves may have been in one of six boxes that Kayla had retrieved but eventually threw out, they had been thrown out by one of the boys - probably Randy as Tony seems to be even more of a pack rat then I am.  It doesn't matter now.  It is writing on the wall.

        I do wonder what may have come of my coins that had evolved into something that grandpa had introduced me to.  He had introduced coin collecting my brother, Patrick, and the neighbors across the street as well.  I remember dragging the collection out of the shed when we had introduced our boys to coin collecting.  And later Roland tried it with his two oldest girls.  Did not pan out well, I'm afraid.  Those actually made the move to Oregon, and now it is an activity that Roland and Jenna share.  I wish I could find mine to show to Jenna.  I know some of the coins have more value than others.  It would be interesting for me to know where they ended up.  I am certain that they still exist somewhere within the family - probably tucked away in a box in a closet. 

        I also had a box of identical looking dolls dressed in various costume to represent different countries from around the world.  The clothes couldn't be removed.  Probably not even worth anything except they all came from an airline that was eventually bought out by Delta.  It was more out of sentiment that I hung onto them.  And there was one I had actually designed clothes for.  Don't know what became of them either. 

       I also had some pins: Mary Tyler Moore and Coke Bottle/Olympic memorabilia.  Those I did purchase for the sake of collection believing someday they would be worth a lot more than what I paid.  Lost in the sauce, I'm afraid.

Dang!

New Beginnings: Welcoming Jenna

            I looked online to find sources and give credit to the creator of last night's activity. I found one on pinterest dated March 2011 but there's one on sugardoodle dated 2008 and I would guess even more with early dates.  Though it's gone through many tweaks (as with the young women's, new beginnings, and personal progress themselves) even plausible that it was created before internet access.  Bless those that have shared their ideas through posts and other internet sources.  I commend you, but as I am unable to find the original source, I will not be referring  other sites with this particular post.

            We had to have Jenna at her school by 5:00, though the concert wasn't scheduled to start until 5:30.  Her instructor had advised the class to dress up - girls wear dresses and boys wear ties.  I guess there was some question about why a girl couldn't wear a tie.  He was okay with that and so Jenna chose to wear a tie.  I took her picture before we left the house.

  

              It was a fun a fun concert.  

After it ended, we returned home for Jenna's basketball and went to the church.  She and Roland shot a few hoops before the "New Beginnings" program started.

            Aside from the leaders and their children, we were the first to arrive as they put on the final touches of the decorations and refreshment table.  The theme was:

A "yellow brick road" had been added to the floor that led to the temple

  

            We were each given a program that matched the poster ad

                                                             

            

            Jenna had originally chosen to sit in the back with two of her classmates from primary, but Roland and I moved her to sit with us.  She was moved again just before the meeting started - this time to the very front row where she sat with the young women.

            Our opening song was "I am a Child of God" and then the girls and leaders stood up to do the Young Women's theme  - which was included in the program for those of us who aren't familiar with it

            The young women's president then  stood up to welcome everyone - particularly Jenna, the newest member of the young women.

            We then recited this scripture (while sitting)

            Jenna was then called up by the second counselor who gave an introduction about Jenna.  I have never cried when I've dropped Jenna off at her first day preschool or kindergarten or first grade.  But there were tears in my eyes last night when the first young women took her hand and led her down the yellow brick road and stopped at "faith" to give a message on the value and also gave Jenna a plaque which said:

            Jenna took the sign and continued to walk the path.  Each young women took her by the hand, explained the values of Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice & Accountability, Good Works, Integrity, and Virtue.  Each young woman hugged Jenna before she continued on.

            There are actually more values than young women, and so two of the leaders actually took turn in explaining and hugging.  Jenna looked overwhelmed.

            The personal progress specialist explained a bit more of the program as she presented Jenna with a booklet, and a binder, and the theme, a strength of youth booklet and book for camp and apologized as there was no journal (they had run out), and Jenna's favorite part: a bracelet to build upon - collecting charms and value colors when completing goals and projects. 

bracelet inside the box

  

            Our bishop than got up and touched on the wizard of oz and what each character in the story wants and how it applies to our own life. 

            It really was an awesome meeting.  More than half of us were bawling as we sang:

This is one song that really tugs at my heart strings and I really do
have a hard time singing it (or just hearing it) without getting emotional

            After the closing prayer awards were passed out

 and we had refreshments. 

            Cute names were given to the food like: melted witches brew and Ding Dong(s) the witch is dead (no witches were actually harmed during the making of this treat)  I wish I were able to remember them all.

            Jenna and a few other young women disappeared after the program.  When Roland and I walked out to the car, we found four girls playing basketball against the two young man who had been there for another meeting.  That had  actually the "highlight" of her day.  Silly girl.