Category: Dear Blogary

A blog-version of a diary, minus the lock and key.

Collecting or Hoarding?

~ Lenore Diane ~ 1 Comment

Dear Blogary,

When does collecting become hoarding? I’ve spent my morning going through a trunk-load of treasures, created by my boys over the past 4 years. I’ve also gone through storage bins and crates full of creations.

Blogary, how many drawings and created treasures done by one’s kids does one keep? I’ve managed to put many of the drawings in the recycling bin, using a ‘no name is on it’ kind of approach. Still, I have two bins (one for each kid) full of items that made the ‘save’ pile.

Joe starts Kindergarten in August, and he will come home with even more creations, drawings, writings, etc. Blogary, how do I determine what to keep? And, why keep it? Is this where the collecting/hoarding habit begins? I know I have at least three bins in the basement full of things I’ve collected over the years. I’m ready to throw all the stuff away, too. I’m just not ready to pull it all out of the closet downstairs.

Blogary, earlier this week I changed the boys’ bed sheets. Putting the sheets on Joe’s bed is a bit challenging. When the bed is made and the pillows are ‘perfectly’ placed, Joe’s bed looks normal. However, if you move the pillows, you will see his menagerie of treasures. And, every night before he goes to bed, he checks his collection, adjusting it as needed.

Much of Joe’s collection consists of stuffed animals, though if you looked through it you’d find a towel, a wooden snake, a note or two, etc. I suspect as he gets older, he won’t be as drawn to the stuffed animals as he is now. But, will he replace the stuffed animals with something else? That remains to be seen. And, Blogary, do I encourage the collecting or discourage the collecting? How much is too much? I suppose I had better check myself, and see what I keep in piles here and there.

Going through the trunk, bins and crates felt good. I collected quite a large quantity of paper for our recycling bin, too. Perhaps next week, I’ll tackle the closet downstairs. Blogary, let’s see if I am all talk, or if I am prepared to let go of what will certainly be memorable treasures.

Love,
Me

Home again, home again, jigitty jog.

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

Dear Blogary,

I believe my first post within the past 7 days should be made to you, my most intimate keeper of my most not-so-secret thoughts.

Blogary, I returned late yesterday from a family trip to Coppell, TX. We visited my sister and her family, celebrating the high school graduation of her youngest son, as well as the college graduation of her oldest daughter. Fun was had by all.

Today, as I step into my first day back to work after vacation, I find I am drinking from the fire hose. Though I typically long to find distractions and diversions of the edible nature during ‘rushed’ times like these, I am actually enjoying the gushing work load and deadlines. [Blogary, please note, I am still finding ways to procrastinate and avoid the tasks at hand, but I am doing so without the help of food.]

We drove from Woodstock, GA to Coppell, TX in a rented mini-van, with my Mum as our guest passenger. We made the drive in two days, stopping in Minden, LA going to Texas, and stopping in Tuscaloosa, AL coming back from Texas. The drive was uneventful, which is a wonderful thing. Plus, I am thrilled to say the boys were fantastic in the car. And Blogary, as an added bonus, my Mum was fantastic in the car, too!

Some of my siblings also made the journey from Georgia to Texas, though they chose to travel by plane. [Whimps] Overall, our family trip could not have been better. The journey to and fro was easy and enjoyable. And, the time spent with family and friends was fantastically fun and enormously enjoyable.

Joe, Carson and Charlie. Note the black cups containing bugs.

Blogary, if you asked Joseph, our 5 yr old, I am fairly certain he’d say his favorite part of the trip was finding bugs in Texas. Please keep that in mind, as I review my trip with you.

We headed out West in a Chrysler not a Lexus.
“Mommy, do they have clover flowers in Texas?”

We stopped in Minden, LA for the night.
“Mommy, do these little black bugs bite?”

We arrived at my sister’s house Friday afternoon.
“Look, Mommy! I found a caterpillar cocoon!”

The boys spent many hours swimming in the pool.
“Mommy, I think the best bugs can be found at that school.”

Family and friends gathered enjoying food, laughter and hugs.
“Mommy, do you think Jack will help me look for more bugs?”

At night we lingered, holding off our good-byes.
“Mommy, can we stay longer and catch fireflies?”

Bribing for camera shots, oh how we did wheedle.
“Hey Mommy, come see this HUGE big, black beetle!”

The Family that Gathers Together ... (This is just a sampling of my family. Some folks could not make it to Texas.)

Come Monday it was time to travel eastward by car.
“Mommy, can I take these bugs home in a jar?”

We stopped in Tuscaloosa, and there we did sleep.
“Oh Mommy, did you see that cricket just leap?”

Tuesday afternoon we made it back home with glee.
“Mommy, I’m going outside to try and catch a bee.”

Blogary, though I had a great time with family and friends, I also had a blast watching Joe’s never ending quest for finding bugs.

.:::.

Pit-stop in Minden, LA

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

Dear Blogary,

I have headed West. We are en route to Coppell, TX to celebrate the graduation of my niece (from college) and nephew (from high school). We left this morning around 8:45 ET, and we arrived in Minden, LA close to 6pm CT.

Blogary, the weather was perfect for driving – overcast but not raining. The boys did great, too. Yep. A safe and uneventful trip thus far.

Blogary, I am tired and I want to go to bed. I’m on ET, and though that is only different by one hour, I feel that hour. Still, I unpacked my laptop, checked out Facebook, Twitter, NOAA and CNN.com. An hour later, I am still sitting here with my laptop. Charlie is asleep with Rob, one bed over – and Joe is asleep in my Mom’s room, next door. I get my own bed tonight. SCORE!

We crossed the mighty Mississippi river today. I love the Mississippi river. And, I sang the Doobie Brothers’ ‘Black Water’, while driving across the bridge. Traveling through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana today, I can’t help but think about the oil spill. And, as I mentioned earlier, I accessed CNN.com, which has pictures of birds covered in oil. It’s awful. Awful.

Because the spill occurred in such deep water, the full extent of the ecological impact this spill has caused remains to be seen. It is frightening to think how much is going to surface within the next several days. And, I mean ‘surface’ figuratively and literally.

Blogary, I am not sure this post is post worthy, from the entertainment/humor perspective. Still, because I am sleeping in Louisiana tonight, the people of Louisiana and Mississippi are heavily on my mind. These areas are still recovering from Katrina. The economy is in the tank. And now, fishermen and other people making a living off the Gulf Shore water are facing even greater challenges. Plus the animals. The animals and our environment are taking such a huge hit. What can we do? How can we stop it? The inability to fix it and make it better is maddening. Helplessness never felt so – helpless.

Tonight, as I lay my head down in this Minden, LA hotel, I will say a prayer for the people of the Gulf Coast region and up and down the Mississippi river. And, I will say a prayer for the marine and aquatic life suffering. My God have mercy on our souls, as we continue to destroy the Earth He gave us.

Goodnight, Blogary.

Love,
Me