112/365: S is for ... the Sunflower Vase
So far this year my decluttering efforts have been focused on the things I want to get rid of. All very necessary as there is so much that needs to go, but this month I'm having a bit of a change and will be looking at the special items I want to keep.
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Back in 2002 I was moving house and we were busy clearing out and packing to get ready for moving day. The garage had become a dumping ground for Ced's stuff and also some of Julie and Trev's stuff so we set aside a weekend to get it cleared. We loaded the cars and Trev and Ced set off to the recycling centre to get rid of it. That was the mistake, letting them go to the recycling centre unsupervised!
When they got back they came bearing gifts - a set of vinyl LPs to teach yourself German, one of the ugliest paintings I ever seen and this sunflower vase. Apparently a lady was getting rid of them but Ced thought they were too good to throw away so he brought them home for me. Why? The painting never made it out of the car boot, and once I pointed out that, a) I didn't have a record player so couldn't play the LPs and, b) I had no real desire to learn German anyway, the language course quickly founds its way back into the car boot as well. I did like the sunflower vase and agreed to keep it, not very graciously I admit because we were supposed to be getting rid of stuff, but he did look a bit hurt that I didn't appreciate his gifts! When I told my sister about it she thought it was very funny, and typical of Ced.
A few weeks later I was the proud owner of my new home and my sister brought my Mum around to see the new place. The doorbell rang and I opened the door to be greeted by my sister holding a massive bunch of sunflowers ... she thought they'd look good in my new sunflower vase! I have to agree that they did! I think the thing I remember most about that afternoon is Mum and my sister sniggering every time they looked at the sunflowers so beautifully displayed in the sunflower vase.
That's also how sunflowers became our flower!
That's also how sunflowers became our flower!
That is a lovely vase and a great story too. It's a bit like having a table at a table top sale and buying from others more than you sell.....
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet story! I like how the sunflowers became your flowers :) They are certainly colorful ones!
ReplyDeletebetty
What a nice memory! I like how you're focusing on what to keep vs what to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteYvonne
How does your re-cycling centre work? Do staff there sort what can be recycled and what can't as I am sure paintings, L.P.s & vases would just be "black bin" fodder at our council tip? I always think someone's trash is someone else's treasure :)
ReplyDeleteYou sort your own stuff and place it in the appropriate skip. There is an area where you can leave stuff that is in good enough condition to be sold for charity, usually just furniture though. Painting would go in the general waste, vases in the one where the pottery & hardcore goes, LPs would be rigid plastics and LP covers in the cardboard skip.
DeleteThe three things he bought back should really, in my opinion, have been given to a charity shop as they were in too good a condition to just be thrown away.
Such beautiful memories and stories attached to the items we choose to keep! I am really enjoying reading these, Eileen. Thank you so much for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying reading them again as you comment, so thank you as well.
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