Getting Organized

After three years I’m finally beginning to attack the roomful of unpacked boxes I have in my basement media room.

You’ve heard of writer’s block? Well, for the past three years I’ve had a block about unpacking those boxes. It was such an enormous effort just to get twenty six years of accumulated possessions packed from the old house that we sold in Pennsylvania. By the time we finally got down here in Delaware I was exhausted. I only unpacked the necessities. The rest I put off “until later.” Later never came.



Over the past three years Bill has frequently reminded me “When are you going to get rid of that junk?” Well “junk” it is not. Granted, most of the packed items I probably don’t need because I haven’t missed them in the past three years. But I’m one of those people who just can’t part with things. I “may need it” in the future. For instance, empty boxes? I may need them if and when I start selling things on EBay, which will probably never happen in my life time but if I do, I’m ready. I have loads of bubble wrap. I’ll probably “need that” too. You never know.



Most of the other items are “things” from my Previous Life. I just can’t bear to part with them. I’ll put that responsibility on the person who cleans out my belongings when I depart this earth. But for now I’m keeping them. They give me comfort. I even found old issues of my school newspaper “The Blue and Gold.” One of them had a picture of me looking oh so serious of my days on the high school track team. I had forgotten all about that picture. It is yellowed and weathered now but I still remember the anguish of my track and field days. I never came in better than last. Those were the days when I really had low self esteem. Oh the Teenage Years, trial and tribulation.





What started me on this Mission Impossible was searching for my old photo negatives. I recently hooked up a new HP Scanjet which scans slides (which I have found) and negatives. I know I have those negatives (every one since I started taking pictures in the Fifties) somewhere. They are in an old Christmas box. And I know I put them in a “safe place.” But as is so often the case, I put it in such a safe place that even I can’t find them now. But I know I’ve seen them since I’ve been down here. That is what is so frustrating. That box is somewhere in this house. But where could it be?



But oh what treasures I am finding emptying and digging through the contents of all those packing boxes. I have found many pictures which I will share with you the “lucky” readers of this blog. Notice how I’m assuming you would even be interested in these pictures? No matter, my blog is partly a function of providing therapy for my mental well being anyway and it would give me pleasure to share these old pictures of my Previous Life with the world. It’s all part of leaving a legacy of my time on this earth.

Even though I haven’t found those negatives (yet) one good thing has come out of this exercise. I have finally burst through the three year mental block of finally unpacking the remaining boxes of our move of November 2006. I’m on a roll now.

Going to Visit Mom in Pennsylvania

The weather forecast looks safe for the next couple of days so I’m planning on visiting my Mom in Pennsylvania. She is a 2 ½ drive away. Not a bad drive actually, but I don’t like to drive in the rain (“intermittent showers” are forecast – I can handle that) or snow. I didn’t want to visit while snow and ice were still on the ground at her home. This past weekend’s mild temperatures melted whatever was left of the past two month’s winter debris. It looks like clear sailing up Rt. 1 to Pennsylvania tomorrow.

While I’m up in Pennsylvania I’m also going to visit friends (old high school classmates) for dinner tomorrow night. My friend just sent me an e-mail and said she’s cooking roast pork. I love roast pork! After dinner we’re going to the Brickside Grille for Trivia Night. Oh how I miss Trivia Night at the Brickside. That perhaps is one of the few things I missed when I moved to Delaware. I always looked forward to getting together with friends for an evening out at least one night a week. A martini or two (depending on the specials that night), a competitive game of trivia (we even won a couple of times), and camaraderie between good friends. It doesn’t get any better than that. The only downside is that Pennsylvania still permits smoking in its bars and restaurants. I never did get used to eating my Chicken Quesadilla while inhaling second hand smoke. But hey, who said the world was perfect?

I plan on staying at Mom’s for at least two nights. I’m working tonight at the Inn and I don’t have to go back to work until next Monday night. That gives me a couple of days with my Mom. She told me this morning she is planning on moving to South Carolina to live with my brother John and his wife. Their house is better suited for our Mother’s condition now. She has a hard time getting around. My brother Isaac takes care of her now but her house in Pennsylvania has too many stairs and other obstacles that cause her to take falls. Plus, the snow and ice are a constant threat. Sooner or later she’s going to break something then be permanently disabled. It is better that she move now before something happens. She’s worried about her two elderly cats, Molly and Rusty, but I told her that Isaac will take good care of them.

This is another milestone in our lives. There was once a time when Mom took care of me and my brothers. Now it is our turn to take care of our Mom. She deserves no less. We are so fortunate to have her for our Mother. I know everyone says their Mom is the best. Well, I can say it without doubt. We have the best Mom in the world for us. I think of all the people who lost their Mom’s at a young age. My Mother lost her Mother when she wasn’t quite two years old. She grew up only knowing a series of step-moms, who weren’t too nice to her. She never had the good fortune that me and my brothers had by having a Mom who has always looked after us. My Mom said when she first got married she wanted a little girl because she had no Mom. After her first three children were boys, she told my Father "That’s enough! I’m not going to have a dozen sons like your Mother.” My father had 11 brothers, no sisters. She had to make do with us boys. Now she says she is glad she has sons because she didn’t know if a daughter would take care of her like we have. Thanks Mom!