Does Food Count?

It's not that we haven't been getting rid of stuff, it's just that spring has arrived and with it the garden needed planting. Now that the lettuce, radishes, carrots, and friends are in, we are ready to resume our uncollecting. I also figured that the nearly 5 lbs of harvested radishes surely count as things both brought into our house and things removed. Ok, maybe uncollecting through eating is a bit of a stretch.

In addition to gardening, I've been a bit distracted by the manic desire to make a cake that actually looks like the picture in the cookbook. Yes, I know they use Photoshop but on some irrational level my mind won't accept that explanation. After several attempts (and I'm grateful to my neighbors for eating some real ugly ducklings) I finally finished a cake that set me free ( at least temporarily) from this manic baking stint.

And finally, I've been waiting for my camera attachment for the iPad to arrive. Once the iPad entered crossed the threshold, we somehow could no longer blog from that dinosaur of a desktop. Although though the photo app is ok, I miss the beauty of images prepped in Photoshop.

-uncollecting Mom

At Last, Spring

At last, the clouds have parted and there is a big orange fireball in the sky. We call it the sun and at least for now, it continues to warm the air.

As such, it is time to clean out the winter in our closets and that is what I'll be doing this whole month of April. These sweaters are just the tip of the ice berg. I can proudly say these were actually worn quite a lot. No purchase regrets here. Instead, it is simply time for them to move on. They saw very little skin time during the winter this year.

These are easy to let go with the exception of a camel color one that is an Izod brand from the 1980s. Yes, a vintage. It is a button up cardigan that my dad wore to work before there were casual Fridays. I've carted it around for 20+ years with the idea of wearing it but can't remember ever putting it on. It has plenty of life left and I know it will find good use next winter with someone who has no dad-sweater-baggage.

Like a Hampster

I purchased this inventive little compact stepper at the Mall of America. It was handy, but the elastic bands for the upper-body exercises seemed to wear out quickly. Being a beefy-manly-man, I used dumbells anyway, so I didn't miss them.

It was handy (or footy) for sure... I enjoyed watching TV while stepping.

But in the big picture of things - it was time to recycle. I hadn't used it for a couple of years, so I passed it along to a neighbor to find new life.

I wish someone could let me give new life to one of those Chuck Norris Total Gym thingys. I feel like a jerk on the freecycle board asking for that. Kind of like asking if anyone has a nice Cadillac they could give away.

Oh well.

~un-collecting dad

A Clock With Purpose

I didn't know this crafty clock existed until about 6 months ago. Although it was made by my mother, it was created and gifted long before I existed. With a room full of "stuff" to still sort I found myself wondering why I agreed to meet an old friend of my mom's, at a gas station on the highway, no less, to receive the clock.

The friend had called and explained she was down sizing (aren't we all) and snow birding to Texas and would I like to have this clock that my mom made for her back in the 50s? Said she kept it in her kitchen all these years. Really enjoyed it, she did. Well, of course I wanted the clock.
No, no I don't want the clock. What I wanted was the connection with this friend of hers. This living person who knew as much, perhaps more, about my mom than I did. I wanted her to say, "gosh she was a great gal," and "boy we had a lot of good times."

Let's just say I was not disappointed in the parking lot that day. It was good. It was a good connected feeling. I sent her a card of thanks with some secret hope we might become pen pals.

Now it is time for the clock to move on to someone else's kitchen. It has served a purpose twice, perhaps more, and I wish it well as it enters the thrift store journey. As for my mom's friend, well, I haven't heard from her as I had hoped. Perhaps I'll send her another card. Or maybe I'll just let her go.
-un-collecting Mom

Show Me The Money

Little Un has experienced his first taste of capitalism. While the Thomas books did not net him the $49 needed for the Wii game, he did make $25 and promptly put up another auction. This time he is selling off his Thomas the Tank Engine blue track and chugga chugga battery operated engines. So far he has had quite a few page views and lots of watchers. The excitement is growing and I feel certain he will make enough for the game on this auction.

Speaking of the Wii game, Little Un is learning about credit while getting rid of stuff, too. Yes, I broke down and extended him the additional $25 needed for Sonic and Mario at the Winter Olympics. He seems to understand that $25 of the next auction belongs to me (no, no interest yet... I'll save that lesson for later).

Finally, all this sell, sell, sell frenzy has left me with a few sentimental tears. First, I'm inexplicably happy and sad at the same time as I watch my son so easily give up toys that at one time were so precious. His level of detachment is admirable to say the least.

Next, I'm happy and sad that he's no longer a little boy and is now a medium size kid. Happy sad happy sad happy sad... (ok, I did keep one Thomas engine and have it safely tucked away in my dresser drawer where I'm sure it will bring a smile to his face someday way way way off in the future).
-un-collecting Mom

Coffee

It's difficult to believe we are at mid-March already. My photos of stuff "to go" are out pacing my posts. You'll have to take my word for it that plenty of stuff continues to leave the Un-Collecting family.

This week is a post of coffee mugs. Coffee mugs seem to be a lot like souvenir t-shirts in our family. Actually, worse. If given a choice I'd buy the Disneyland coffee mug over the Mickey Mouse t-shirt any day of the week.

The day I started selectively putting mugs in the dishwasher based on how many clean ones were on the shelf (if all of them were clean at one time they did not fit in the cabinet) I knew it was time for some of them to go.

Coffee in our family is a sacred beverage. I think we would easily give up T.V. before coffee. We have our favorite mugs. I like a lighter color mug so as to see what might be at the bottom of my coffee (too many years of bad coffee makers) and the Un-daddy likes a darker mug (for heat, I think, or maybe he doesn't want to know what's at the bottom). At any rate, it wasn't too difficult to pick out the mugs that had migrated to the back of the cabinet.

We decided a donation to the local thrift store was the best place for these fine mugs. I'm not sure what's up next this month but we've photographed a whole season of stuff. The little Un will have his second post this month....did he get the $49?

-un-collecting Mom

Be Careful What You Wish For

As is our routine, the first post of each month goes to the littlest UN. Up to this point, little UN has been a bit lack luster in his participation... often needing prodding and then not really putting much thought into the notion of "letting go."

That all changed this month when he realized that money could be made. As we went through the ritual of gathering our picks and making the to-be-photographed pile, little UN announced that all things Thomas the Tank Engine must be removed from his room and sold on Ebay. Further we were informed that he needed exactly $49 for these items. I have since learned the cost of Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games for wii is ...here's a shocker, $49.

After some quick negotiations, I purchased (for the second time) a few Thomas books that I have read far too many times to part with. The remainder will hit Ebay. We followed this conversation of commodities up with a discussion of charity and that is the post today. This is a partial stack of Thomas magazines. Little UN has been a loyal subscriber to Thomas and Friends the Magazine for a good many years. And true to form in the uncollecting family...he had all of the back issues. Those went to the library this week for the magazine exchange program.

Stay tuned, the little UN has a second post this month. Yes, the books. And will he make enough for that wii game?

-un-collecting Mom