“Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff ?...” (from Genesis 31:37)
Today I’m off from my answering service job and am in the process of going through “stuff”- cleaning and sorting through stuff that has accumulated at our Framingham home over a twenty-four year period. On this Valentine’s Day morning, I found an old, deteriorating scrapbook filled with mostly greeting cards. It was a scrapbook my mother had made of the “new baby” cards that had come upon the occasion of my birth. I was the oldest. Whether there were similar scrapbooks for my brother and sister, I don’t know. The scrapbook covered not only the “new baby” cards, but birthday cards up to the 3rd birthday. These cards are all from the ‘50s and definitely have that “antique/collectible” look about them. The scrapbook included a pamphlet about “Your Baby’s Formula” given by St. Margaret’s Hospital where I was born. Listen, in the 1950s a woman did NOT breast feed! I got kind of a chuckle out of that one.
I was surprised to find a Valentine card in the book. My mother had labeled it “Feb. 14, 1958”. I wondered WHO would be sending me a Valentine card in 1958? I opened the card and it was signed “Grandpa”. My father’s Dad died about eight years before I was born so this had been from my maternal grandfather. He died less than two years after that. I remember that he was tall, thin, wore glasses, and was always smoking a pipe. I was kind of touched to open that card today!
I also found one of my favorite books from childhood. As a little kid, I had some hardcover books. Do they even MAKE hardcover books for LITTLE kids anymore? I don’t know. This one was “Benny’s Flag”. It’s the true story of Benny, the Native American boy who won a contest back in the 1920s to design the flag of the Alaska territory. Benny loved to look up at the sky, especially the Big Dipper constellation. You may know that the Big Dipper design IS Alaska’s flag to this day. I decided I’m going to send that book to Amy for her my unborn grandson and any subsequent children of hers to enjoy.
It’s only 10 in the morning, but I’ve already found this stuff!
EMMYS 1966: The Dick Van Dyke Show (season 5)
4 years ago
5 comments:
Please remember that there are collectors and historical societies who will cherish this stuff if you no longer can care for it.
In addition to Craig's list and ebay where you can sell it. There is freecycle where you can give it to a new home.
yes, they still make hardcover books for kids. Some books only come out in paperback, mostly the disposable picture books of Dora the Explorer and such. But Dr. Seuss, Little Golden Books, and other such things do still exist. Actually, at the library we have a hard time now fitting all the hardcover picture books onto the shelves. Some series are paperback only, but they've not done away with hardbound yet.
As to clotrip's comment, I had been pushing for a proper cleaning, sorting, and such of the stuff in the house for YEARS. I'm the first to say, "don't throw that out, someone might want it." But I was mostly ignored, and nothing was done until a gun was put to our heads. Now there's not nearly as much time to do this properly.
As jon says it is hard to really recycle and he knows I have not done it well but I am much better at doing it for someone else if you need help with recycling disposal.
"Listen, in the 1950s a woman did NOT breast feed! "
Huh??? Women didn't breastfeed in the 50's? All mothers used formula back then?
Bill, in "civilized" societies in the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s women did NOT breast feed! It was believed that man's "formulas" would be much healthier for the babies. Believe it or not, some STILL believe that!
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