I just wanted to mention that today marks my 800th post since I moved to WordPress in January of 2012. Of course, I did many hundreds more posts on Caringbridge and on Blogger in the pre-Wordpress years but this is still a fun anniversary to celebrate. Those 800 posts have produced 18,365 comments; that includes your comments and my replies. I love the conversations we have here!
It amazes me that I still have readers who have followed our family’s story since I started blogging in 2003. You guys are the best!
Before getting into today’s post, I thought you might enjoy the video I put together of our recent Cowboy Cookout Sunday at church. One of my favorite things to do is create videos and this one was extra fun.
here are a few photos of our visiting collegiate dignitary.
Sarah had a little more luggage than normal because she was bringing summer clothes home to change out for winter. And for those of you who are wondering if she brought her laundry home, she actually did it at college the day before she left!
I took this yesterday morning as she and her cohort, Mr. Charles, folded the bulletins. He runs sound and she runs projection, so they have worked together on many Sundays throughout the years. They were so delighted to see each other again.
While she is home, she is going to work a couple of days at her old job at Food Lion and earn some extra cash. We’re thankful she has the kind of job that will plug her into the schedule whenever she is on a break.
And speaking of jobs, she was recently hired as a waitress/cashier at a Pizza Hut near the college. She will start as soon as she gets back.
I’ll take more pictures as the week progresses.
A couple of weeks ago . . .
Steve and I decided to clean out his half of the closet. In the process, I was reminded once again of how attached men get to their clothes–especially their work clothes.
If I even suggested getting rid of any of those well-worn garments, Steve would get a mildly panic-stricken look on his face and sputter indignantly, “Well, honey, I need these clothes to work in the yard and on the car!”
My dad bought this sweatshirt for him at Goodwill over twenty years ago and he has worn it for many a manly man job in the years since. Don’t even think about asking him to get rid of it.
And these shorts? They were featured in this post four years ago titled, “A Preacher’s Southern Exposure.”
If you suggest getting rid of them, he will bow up and get ready to fight.
I hadn’t even realized until we were cleaning the closet that these shorts had a story behind them.
Steve told me he bought them shortly after Sarah was diagnosed with cancer. Actually, he ended up buying two pair at the same time because they were comfortable and because they had several built-in pockets so that when he was at the hospital, he would have a place to put his phone and miscellaneous living-at-the-hospital supplies.
Both pair of shorts have served him long and well.
Our closet perusal uncovered yet another pair of his beloved work shorts which I was surprised to see had a button missing. Who knows how many years he has been keeping them closed with a safety pin. But hey, whatever works, right?
Here is the closet project in progress.
Summer’s favorite thing to do is to lie on our bed wrapped in a blanket so we patiently tolerated her and she patiently tolerated us.
I’m sure she was thinking, “When will they ever be done?”
In the end, it was all worth it.
We got rid of a bunch of things and then hung all of Steve’s t-shirts, polo shirts, long-sleeved casual and dressy shirts, and suit coats together. We also got all his pants and shorts organized and designated a bin for work clothes. I am happy to report that he even agreed to throw out a couple of items that were beyond hope–even by his rather broad definition.
All in all, it was a fun morning’s work together. Organizing spaces is one of my favorite things to do and I was thankful Steve was willing to jump in there with me. He has said a couple of times since then how much easier it is to get dressed now that he can put his hands on items immediately, rather than having to search through a lot of disorganized things. Good times!
And speaking of closets, today’s post reminded me of an extra poignant closet post that still makes me tear up when I read it.
What about you? Do you think men hold on to their clothes longer than women? Why is that true? If you share a closet, is it clean or messy? Is there a designated place for ratty work clothes? What is the oldest piece of clothing he (or you) owns?
I can’t think of a single interesting thing to say about my closet other than hidden far in the back is an embarrassingly shiny, glittery gaudy silver dress made completely of sequins. For some reason many years ago I thought it was the perfect dress to wear to my grade 12 graduation !! A few times when my daughter was younger I put it on for Halloween, along with a big black wig and crazy glasses and paraded around the neighborhood as a glammed up rockstar.
Congratulations on 800 posts. I think you’ve connected with a lot of people and touched lives through your blog, mine included.
Jenna,
Well, an embarrassingly shiny, glittery, gaudy silver dress made completely of sequins is a pretty good place to start in the interesting department! 🙂 I love that you used it to become a rockstar. I’m sure your family got some good snickers out of that!
Thanks for your words of encouragement about my writing; so glad to know it has touched lives, even in a small way.
I shared this post with my husband, hoping it would inspire him to let me help him clean. He has crates of clothes/shoes as we’ve moved around over the years. I am sure there are a few items from his high school years (35+ years ago) in those crates! I’ve learned over our 30 years of being married to not nag him about getting rid of the stuff. One of these days!!! When we’ve moved, they have been corporate moves, so the company pays the movers. I hope if we ever need to pack and move on our own dime, he’ll contemplate lightening our load!
I am much different from my husband. I have very few clothes, just 2 boxes/or drawers. I guess we balance each other!
Congrats on the 800th post! I don’t comment a lot, but have been around since the Caringbridge days. Becky, I think I commented a long time ago that you are like Steve, but your ministry is through your writing, rather than from the pulpit. You have built quite the community of followers, as you encourage folks to comment! I am so grateful for your thoughtful words over the years. Can’t believe I’ve been following for 13 years!!!
Ann,
Thirteen years. Isn’t that absolutely incredible? Thank you a hundred times over for honoring our family with your followership through all these years.
And I loved that you reminded me of your earlier comment that my ministry is through my writing, just like Steve’s is through the pulpit. That is really an encouragement to me.
I must say I admire you for having such a streamlined wardrobe; you and your husband are definitely good examples of the “opposites attract” principle! Like you said, someday when you move and it’s not a corporate move, he may find it a good time to get rid of some excess. 🙂
In our case, I hold on to clothes much longer than my husband. He has no problem getting rid of stuff. His closet is FULL and very neatly organized too. I think that’s something he learned in the Marine Corps. My closet doesn’t have much in it for hang-up clothing, so I tend to keep stuff longer. There is no good place in our town to shop so I just don’t have much. Oh, our coat closet is packed full too….and guess who has the most coats in it?? HIM! (I have 4 in there. The rest are his!) I keep telling him to weed it out but no luck so far. 😉
I have a pair of very dressy heels that belonged to my mom. They are just gorgeous and I actually wore them with a ball gown back in 1988 or so, while she was still alive. After she passed and my brother and I were going through her things, I brought them home. It’s been 20 years and I haven’t worn them but I do have them and always will. They are just so HER and make me smile every time I look at them. 🙂
LeeAnne,
Dressy heels belonging to your mom are definitely treasures worth keeping. I’m so glad you got a chance to wear and enjoy them while she was still alive and that you can add those memories to the ones you have of her wearing them. Isn’t it amazing how packed-with-sentiment some items of clothing can be?
Yes, I imagine the Marine Corps would be a very good place to learn organizional skills. Sounds like your husband has learned well!
It’s taken me a full day to be able to write about this. My late husband was in the army in Okinawa; I met him just after he finished his service. He had bought a ski jacket at the PX, black with a bright blue lining. He loved that jacked. It got tattered and torn; he loved it and kept it. He raised homing pigeons; he told me all the elite pigeon racers in Belgium had “loft coats,” and this was his loft coat. And he loved that jacket.
After he died, it took me 6 months to be able to discard it.
Jan,
I am so glad you decided to write, even though it was hard. Thank you.
I so enjoy hearing memories like this–the little snippets of people’s lives that are so poignant and full of feeling. And I love that your husband turned a ski jacket from the PX into a loft coat, wearing it over and over as he did what he loved to do.
I can read between all of your words just how much you loved him.
I imagine i’ve read those 800!!!
your cowboy day looks like it was a huge success!
Why did those cowboys have bunnies and goats?
Mrs. Pam,
I imagine you HAVE read them all!
I guess the cowboys must have had a petting zoo on their ranch. 🙂
Ugh, closet cleaning is not a fun task! I worked on my stuff a bit today, getting ready for winter even though today was 81 Degrees.
No way would I go through my husband’s clothes as things like t-shirts are more or less wadded up and stuffed in drawers! I was looking for something a few weeks ago in his closet and found a bunch of empty shoeboxes just taking up space.
My problem is, I don’t get rid of enough clothes. An example is an Icelandic wool coat from the 80’s! Probably the oldest item I have is a cashmere sweater that was my Mom’s when she was in her early 20’s (1952).
The video was great! Hope you’re enjoying your time with Sarah!
Kari,
A cashmere sweater from the 50’s would be a real treasure; definitely something I would hold on to, too!
And I agree. It is definitely hard to switch over to winter clothes when it’s still hot outside. But of course we know that any day it’s going to turn cold and we want to be ready for it! 🙂
Well I don’t live with anyone but I can still that I do cling to my clothes. I love them very much and I have memories connected to them. 99% of my clothes are from 2012 ish (oldest) and then bought over the years. It was only when I moved out and to the capital that I got a style because now there were shops to shop in and I am happy to say I ´finally have a wardrobe I enjoy wearing.
However I have one blouse I got from a family’friend’sfriend (yes) when I was 12. It was large so well it was quite large for me at age 12, and now I am 26 and I still love it. I do not have any memories about this one expect that it has stayed for me this long 🙂
Katrina,
I think now that you have kept that article of clothing for fourteen years, it is worth hanging on to for the indefinite future! Like you said, even though it doesn’t have particular memories attached, it is still cool to still own something you had when you were twelve!
And I’m happy to hear any woman say that she finally has a wardrobe she enjoys wearing. Good for you!
Well, since we share the same closet, it is basically in order. We both have shirts and pants that we keep just for painting and/or cleaning purposes. He doesn’t have a lot of shirts and/or pants because he doesn’t want a lot of “stuff.” He loves cowboy type shirts (which would have gone well with your western theme), so when I go to thrift stores, I have to make sure my boots for walking don’t walk to the men’s shirt department. He did finally throw out a shirt I got him years ago and the collar was very scared (frayed), so I took it upon myself to replace it. Looks like a good time was had by all in your video. Sarah looks wonderful and I’m sure it’s good to have her home again for a short time.
Sharyn,
Yes, he would have fit right in with our Cowboy Day and so would you, with your boots made for walking! 🙂
I admire your husband for not wanting a lot of “stuff.” Sure makes life simpler.
I have many Relay for Life t shirts that I have not parted with due to memories. I did give some away but much more cleaning out needed. My oldest clothing is a 3/4 coat and long skirt belonging to my great paternal grandmother who passed away in the 1950s. She was 92. I wore it one year for a Halloween spook house as both are black. I was told that I was her favorite great grandchild. I was about 6 or 8 when she died.
Ann,
What a sweet memory of her grand grandmother to be told you were her favorite. And how special to own a few article of her clothing. True treasures!
The oldest piece of clothing that I own is my husbands bathrobe and it hasn’t been worn since he died June 3, 2000 – it is nothing special except in my heart and every time I think I will part with it – nope it goes back in the closet. I have clothes that are 10 years old and like Steve’s shorts – I don’t think it is the clothes but the memory that the clothes bring forth. I am trying very hard to not hold on to items like that. So good to see the Sarah pix – she is so special
Becky,
Oh my. If Steve passed away and I had his bathrobe, I would keep it forever. I know every time you see it or touch it, the memories fill your heart. What a special, special piece of clothing.
I’m still grieving the loss of the two pair of shorts!
Steve,
Yep, it was a tragic loss.