A trip down to the basement…Detoured to Memory Lane

As my neighbor would call it, it was a “me” day.   It was Thursday, and I had the day all to myself.   No special jobs to go to, no emergency “you have to come over and help me out” call,  just a day for me to decide whatever I wanted to do.

The day was rainy and somewhat depressing but I felt pretty motivated.   I wanted to sew.  I can’t remember the last time I felt motivated to use the sewing machine.   I knew exactly what I wanted to do.   A long time ago I purchased a fabric panel to make a soft Christmas book.  (I had emptied a bag of stuff out and saw some quilt batting and thought it would be a small perfect project that could easy get completed)

Before I started I wanted to get some banking done and get some lunch.  On my way home,   My “smart” car….. starts talking to me .....bing ...bing ...binging….. I look down at the smart lights and  it tells me,  Your Engine is excessively hot…I know some consider it a  "hot" but ugly car,  but REALLY ? Do you have to announce it?… I look at the temp gauge and it is buried in the HOT RED ZONE…… OH SHOOT…… It is raining, I am about 2 miles from home…. What am I going to do?.. Do I even have an umbrella with me ?..... So I did what anyone would do…. SHUT OFF THE CAR AND SIT THERE, searching the memory banks, I contemplate what to do next, so much for my "me" day…….A few minutes pass…… I pop the hood…… I check the anti-freeze overflow tank, it is filled with anti-freeze….. I hear a fan running …. Huh…. My smart car is trying to be "cool" and bring the engine temp down…WHO KNEW?….I turn the key, and the temp is going down…. BING.....I then remember if you turn on the heat, it should dissipate some of the heat, maybe it will go down enough so I can at least get home…In notice the a/c button is lit and the temp setting is on hot, WHY ?, maybe that is why it ran hot? WHO IS PUSHING MY BUTTONS?  …. Who knows ….. the temp is back down to normal and I FINALLY get home …WHEWWW….. I will definitely have to get this checked out..... but not today.

So back to my sewing project,  I know exactly where that panel book material is…. At least I thought I did.   I go over to the sewing machine that is located in the basement and  OH NO ! !…… there were piles of boxes all over.    When Hurricane Irene was coming around a few weeks ago, many items were picked up off the floor and just PILED everywhere and anywhere.  GREAT ….. so I start my search…….

The adventure to find the Christmas fabric is ready to begin but I hit a detour, I am sent down Memory Lane instead…..

I find a box,

a few gas credit card receipts …. Huh, look at that… gas was $1.33 a gallon.   It only cost $13-14 to fill the tank…. Unlike the $50+ it takes today, I find an old pay stub.....wow, I was really socking the bucks away back then, a letter from my best friend in  high school … she is commenting that she is now as old as our old Steno teacher was when we were back in High School -we would even write letters in steno to each other so no one could read them - including me now;  a plastic alpha bead bracelet that spells out the word “MEEP”…..(strange how I have heard my daughter using that word not long ago, I thought we made it up…..)A pattern of an afghan I made for my brother to match his new Cavalier, (I think that was before he got married and he has been married 27 years now... ); my orange t-sheet from our Girl Scout survival camping trip at Camp Hoover when the girls learned about Hug-a-Tree and how to make a shelter out of a black, plastic bag and don't forget to bring a bright piece of clothing when you go camping.  There are things from past Halloweens , (that homemade, big stuffed pink character my daughter insisted she had to have as a costume prop, all the McDonald potato toys so lovingly collected by my dad and given to his granddaughter, a homemade mini-mouse costume for a 3 year old, mini holiday books picked out at the school book sale brochure- did they count for the Pizza Hut Book-It program ?  )   

There were photos, old newspaper clippings of special events, all those magazines and books on choosing, getting into and paying for college, tons of old computer magazine (remember Windows 95 ? ),  a box of record albums that run on 78 speed (can you even get a turn table that will run that speed anymore and who are these artists?), 8-track tapes,  Magnovox and Mattel video games and to many tapes too mention -(remember Donkey Kong and what about that Burger game-one of my favorites ?),   and lets not forget all those stuffed animals - beanie babies, The "mom I have to have it" Owl, rewards for selling enough Girl Scout cookies, the menagerie is endless.

SO MUCH STUFF…….. EVEN MORE RECIPES ! ! ! !   UGHHHHH.

I look at  the Puffalumps and consider putting them in one of those vacuum storage bags to gain some space,  but don’t think I can bring myself to “suck the life” out of them.  

So many memories…….how does one begin to part with these things…. I read somewhere to take pictures and put them in a book,   but how do you touch or hug a picture?   Do the memories come back as strong?.   I do manage to discard some things and other things will be put away.  

At last, I finally locate the item I originally started out looking for.   It will have to be put to the side and done another time.   The day is almost over, it has been a long journey.  I decide I will need to visit this place again.  

I will consider making up a Memory book of pictures for when I get old and forgetful to help remind me of all the wonderful events and chapters of my life. (I have already forgotten the name of that Burger game that  I loved playing so much)…

As I shut off the lights and make my way upstairs, my eyes catch sight of a favorite t-shirt,   On the front is Calvin of Calvin & Hobbes (who didn't love reading them ) ……   The shirt expresses my sentiments  PERFECTLY! ! !  Maybe some day I will be able to fit into it again.   Oh.... such memories ! ! !