Jul. 12, 2003 ~ Looking at old photos
College Boy is quite good with computers and such, and yesterday he started looking at old photos and scanning them into the computer. He is enhancing them, correcting flaws, restoring color to ones that have faded. He's doing an excellent job. Last weekend I started cleaning out my closet, and there were several boxes of photos and old letters. Do you know how hard it is to throw a photograph away? Some of these are blurry or faded or not at all flattering of the photo's subject. Some I reluctantly keep, out of guilt, most likely. Others I throw in the trash. But it's hard. These are photos of loved ones now, not strangers. We do have many, many photos of all the loved ones, so we are not in danger of running out. There are even photos in our safe deposit boxes in the bank. Insurance. Friends who've lost their homes to fire tell me that the photos and sentimental items are what they miss the most. So we have plenty of pictures. Why, then, is it so hard to throw away the surplus?
Someday -- many years from now, I hope -- I will be gone, and someone will have the task of sorting through my things. Having done this several times now... I know that it's a difficult job. Whatever clutter I can clear out now, will be less for others to deal with. I have friends who feel the same way. After they've had to sort through a loved one's things, they've gone home and looked at their own keepsakes and clutter with a critical eye.
These old boxes of things are dusty and musty, not so great for allergic people. The new AC does seem to help me breathe easier. The breathing should be even better when these boxes are cleared out. Susan is a bit of a packrat, and I want to give her first crack at the giveaway boxes. Then I'll cart them off somewhere, and hope the things find good homes or are of some use to someone. I'd like to give away some books, too. I can hear you gasping out there! But I have lots of books that I don't like, books that belonged to other people, or that I picked up at the library's sale, and they need to find new homes. They are just taking up space and collecting dust here.
The AC man was here yesterday and he bent some lines, moved them over, measured (and I watched him measure), and NOW we should be able to remove the water heater from the closet when the time is right. He didn't really see why I was concerned, and suggested that I not worry about it until there was actually a problem. Let me see... then it would involve a charge for a service call, or at the very least, a lengthy wait for the serviceman to show up. Better to deal with it now. And when you are paying for a new system, it's reasonable to expect it to be "just right," not "almost right."
We are having visitors today, and I'm trying to stay calm. Thinking peaceful thoughts. The children are a bit "wild," and I'm not used to wild. In the past, the wild ones have terrified the cats and caused them great distress. We are all hoping for the best. Especially the cats.
Did I mention that SOLDIER BOY IS COMING HOME? Yes, I was yelling just then, but I am allowed to yell, just this once!
All rights reserved
_______________________________