Memory hoarders

dress & shoes: Francesca's | belt: estate sale

Last weekend, Chris and I went to an estate sale - my first one in a long time, since they always seem to be scheduled during working hours. This sale was a little bit unusual. It was not an estate sale for someone who has passed away, but rather someone who was still alive...in this case, a hoarder. A literal hoarder, as in Hoarders, like you would see on TV. Her children had finally convinced her to get rid of her stuff, on the one condition (her condition) that she wouldn't have to be there while it was taken away. 

I've never seen so much stuff jammed into a small space in all my life: rooms of clothing, more dishes than you can imagine, random trinkets and eyeglasses...a one-person antique shop, really. It was spread throughout all the rooms, the garage, the basement, and even an extra tent to make room for it all. I walked away with this belt (25 cents), three vintage wool skirts ($1.50 each), and a wooden box with a Gibson-girl-esque design (a splurge at $10). As we walked away, I couldn't help imagining what it must be like to live that way. How do you let it get that far?

And yet, in a way, I understand. I've only started to break out of my packrat tendencies in the last year or so. I've gotten rid of enormous bags of junk, and it feels wonderful. But there are still things I can't part with: books, shoes, and the huge wooden box under my desk table - the one that holds all of my scrapbooks and photographs. And you know what? If it turns out that I can never part with that box full of mementos, then so be it. I don't mind being a hoarder of memories. 

These are the memories I'd like to hoard right here. Autumn, this year. (It's honestly the most colorful one I can remember.) Going to see the outdoor ArtPrize entries with Chris, in the rain, on a cool October night when hardly anybody else was out and about. Learning to make black bean soup and then eating it for just about every meal except breakfast. Taking walks in Grand River Park and having my breath taken away by the stillness and beauty.

I wish autumn lasted longer, but I'm grateful for the wonderful memories I am blessed enough to have time to create.

You know, I'm glad I have this blog. It makes it easier to hoard memories without them taking up physical space! I'm planning to get an iPod touch (I'm still too cheap for an iPhone) so I can take photographs more easily. More hoarding. Is that a bad thing? I tend to think not, in this case.

What about you? Have you been known to hoard anything?

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