Today Shirley was up in the attic for some reason and came back down the ladder with three cuddly toys that were loved by our son Ian when he was little. He will be thirty eight years old next Saturday.
Why the hell did we hang on to his Superted, his yellow bear and his albino gorilla? We must be mad.
They had become rather grubby after thirty five years in the attic so earlier today Shirley washed them. Hand wash in the sink first then fifteen minutes in the washing machine before they ended up hanging from the rotary washing line.
I looked out of the kitchen window and saw them hanging there in the sunshine. Time to take photographs.
I am sure that I could have made a story up about how three cuddly toys ended up hanging from a washing line. Instead I am just sharing their photos with a reminder to be more minimalist and more ruthless. We cannot hang on to everything. We must let things go.
I guess that Ian's cuddly toys will end up with Phoebe who already has plenty of her own. And so the cycle continues. Stuff.
Well, what if Ian has children? Just give the stuffed animals to him and he can either keep them or toss them, according to his desire. Humans just hang on to stuff. It's our way.
ReplyDeleteIan and Frances are very adept at leaving stuff with us to keep their own places stuff-free.
DeleteEvery time I read one of your posts on down sizing I say I have to get to work and get rid of my treasures. I don't need much more than a pair of pants these days.
ReplyDeletePants? In Yorkshire that means underpants! I imagine yours are silk.
DeleteMy brother is 65 yrs of age. He had the same little monkey as a tot!
ReplyDeleteThere was probably a huge army of those creatures - sent out all over the world.
DeleteI'm ashamed to say that I'm the king of clutter. My studio/workshop is now totally unusable, and we have nowhere to put all those clothes and shoes we never wear. I would never throw away the children's Bears. Every time they see them it makes them smile.
ReplyDeleteIt makes them smile but they never say, "I'll take mine to reduce your clutter Daddy Cro!"
DeleteThe "stuff" is never ending. I tend to get rid of things as they are outgrown or otherwise not needed but I still have lots of things I struggle to let go of or else don't quite know what I want to do with.
ReplyDeleteSoft toys are one of my pet hates so I always found a way to rehome those
Maybe you and I should get stuff counselling.
DeleteStuff... yes, something we as a species have always been craving, it seems. And for a long time, it made sense from an evolutionary point of view. Having enough and maybe even a little surplus could make the difference between survival of your family, your clan, your tribe. But when this changed, our brains did not, and we still crave things - objects that mean something to us (and, most of the time, only to us), objects we want to show to others, objects that are indeed useful or make our little bubble of the world nicer.
ReplyDeleteYou could really write a children's book about the three toys on the washing line. A Christmas gift for Phoebe?
I do want to write a book for Phoebe.... Maybe all about a grandfather who lived in a house of stuff. In contrast your residence seems quite minimalist and tidy.
DeleteI hate stuff!! The older I get the more I want to clear things out and not bring anything else into our home that's not absolutely necessary.
ReplyDeleteMy husband finds it very difficult to let things go so there has to be compromise.
I once put a pair of worn out shoes in the wheelie bin on the morning it was due to be emptied. Husband came home from walking the dog and opened the bin. I was stood at the bedroom window. He removed the shoes, looked up at me and jokingly shook his fist....
Are you sure it was "jokingly"? I have heard that there are a lot of wife beaters over in Lancashire. Take care. Best not to inflame his temper.
DeleteYou can't say that!! It's not politically correct! 😂😂
DeleteI love them! And Phoebe will too, I am sure. I still have a few stuffed toys around. They need washing too, but they will have to wait for summer.
ReplyDeleteAre there River stuffed toys on the market? I would buy one.
DeleteI bet Pheobe will love her Uncle's cuddly toys.
ReplyDeleteShe will and then they will bloody well stay here with all the rest!
DeleteI bet they complained when you put them in the washing machine and hung them up by their ears, but they'll feel better for it.
ReplyDeletePS - don't do it this Phoebe, no matter how messy she gets.
Grammatically your PS makes no sense. Drinking whisky at 9.38am on a Sunday morning is not advisable Taz!
DeleteMaybe Ian might like to have them...Dad filling his place up with stuffs.
ReplyDeleteWe try really hard to get rid of stuffs. I did the Swedish Death Cleaning for a while but there is more to do.
Is that monkey undergoing some torture in the last photo? It looks like it.
How would you feel if you were suspended from the ground by a dirty great clothes peg affixed to your upper arm?
DeleteI imagine the neighbors got a kick out of the clothesline zoo!
ReplyDeleteBetter than seeing a human hanging there.
DeleteWell, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who's hanging on to useless "stuff"! With a view to house downsizing sometime soon, I've promised myself a huge declutter - two or three extra-large skips should make a dent. I start with good intentions but always get side-tracked, or find I'll have to de-clutter somewhere else before I can carry on with the intended job!
ReplyDeleteThose toys are cute and I'm sure Phoebe will love them - maybe she'll keep them for her grandchildren!
Actually, it is good to recycle toys. So much plastic stuff is bought for children - mountains of it.
DeleteMy husband likes his electronic stuff. The garage has a shelf completely filled with useless electronic stuff that he may use one day. Of course he won't ever use it but it's way he tells me and himself.
ReplyDeleteI try to get rid of stuff on a regular basis and I am far too ruthless sometimes but we won't be taking any of this with us when we die. It's only stuff.
As long as no one is hurt, a house fire would be a good way of getting rid of stuff. Then there's no decision making to do.
DeleteI store everyone's crap at my home. My basement is full with things my kids might want someday but can't fit into their homes right now.
ReplyDeleteWe have a shelf of old stuffed animals in what is still called "the baby's room" and my grandkids always have to run up and grab some of those to play with when they come over. Phoebe will enjoy playing with those!
I hate to think what 'stuff' I have in my part with some of Kay's toys or school reports or drawings from primary school, not to mention all my German books or notes from university days, endless amounts of material and cottons, zips etc. When my mum died five years ago I inherited valuable stuff of hers too. The house is groaning.
ReplyDeleteJoin the club ADDY. Imagine Kay having to sort through all your stuff! She would need a fortnight off work!
DeleteIn our 80's and facing a move next month, we are trying to be ruthless while sorting ou "stuff" right now. It's not easy but easier if one thinks about the future. Good luck, Mr. Pudding.
ReplyDeleteI think passing them on to Phoebe makes sense. THAT's why you've been storing them all these years!
ReplyDelete