Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Old Things are Done Away

Last week I was watching the Today Show (my most referenced show when I bring up random information). They had this chef who said something about replacing all your spices and seasonings once a year. Uh...what? I thought spices kept for years and years. I don't know why I thought that...nobody told me that. I think I just thought that because I have spices that I've kept and used for years and years.

For example: This curry powder. Not only have I had this for years, I swiped it from my parents' house who have had it for years. I'm a little afraid to ask, but I'm pretty sure my mom got this as a wedding gift along with other expensive spices. That's 34 years ago. I'm not even kidding. There's no reason for me to have kept this for so long; a more current curry bottle sits in the cupboard.

This got me to thinking about other things I've held on to for much longer than I should have. I am NOT a pack rat. I like space and organization. I like to throw things away. In fact, I have a rule that if I have more clothes in my closet than hangers, something has to go (that's a loose rule, but it works pretty well).

But for some reason, after 7 years I still have these shoes. Owning shoes for 7 years isn't that strange, but owning THESE shoes for that long is. It's not like they're made from quality material -- they're not even cute. They cost me like $13 at Payless, but they've held up remarkably well. Except for the sole on the inside of the right shoe...I have to straighten it out every time I put it on, or else it bunches up. Why do I keep these? I have other shoes. Maybe I keep them because they're trashy and I don't care what happens to them. I should get rid of them.

Next we have these glasses of mine. Are they out of style? I don't even know anymore. I have two pairs of glasses: the newer ones I got about 3 years ago back when I paid for a vision plan. I probably wear those more often than these because the prescription is more accurate -- I guess, I can only assume so because I've had these black ones for about 6 years and one's prescription changes. I wear contact lenses about 75% of the time. A lot of my friends have joined the 21st century and gotten their eyes lasered. I've heard that pregnancy can change your vision and so I've been told to hold off until after I have kids. So I'm going to use that excuse instead of the real one which is that voluntarily having my eye cut open freaks me out.

Ah, the perfume. I don't even know how old this is. But Lisa probably does, because its hers. When she moved out of Mom and Dad's house (4 years ago?) she left this and so I adopted it into my possession. I've probably used it twice in the past 2 years. I'm not a big perfume wearer. I don't think perfume (in this form) is as popular as it used to be now that most girls slather themselves with smelly lotions. I also have Chanel Chance and Stila something or other. I remember a conversation with a couple guys last fall about perfume and how it smells different on different people. Maybe I should try it all on and have people smell me and let me know which ones I should get rid of. Of course, it's a matter of preference on the other end as well. Lis, if you want this perfume, its yours. Because it is. Yours.

OK, so this is a small blank book which I have no intention of getting rid of. I just can't believe I haven't filled it up yet. The first page is dated March 21, 2004 and I'm only about 30% through it. The reason I can't believe it's not used up is because I'm a big writer. I write a lot. Every day in fact. I started a daily journal when I was 21 and I would fill up a whole book in 3-4 months. I think I lapsed somewhere between 2005 and most of 2007 where I hardly wrote in my journal for reasons I'm not sure of. But I started again in November, and beginning in January I have been writing 3 lines every day in this 10-year journal I have. And then my blog keeps me writing about twice a week. But this book is different. I designated it as more of a church journal where I bring it to my Sunday meetings, institute, etc. and write down notes, impressions, etc. I guess I haven't been very good at that.

So those are some of my things that I just can't seem to get rid of. I'm giving Carri the curry canister because she wants to keep coins in it. Maybe I'll trash the shoes tonight. I'm going to keep the glasses because it would be stupid to throw them away. It's always a good idea to have a spare pair in case I lose or break the other ones. I have no reason to hold on to that perfume but I will. And I am committing myself to bring this little blank book to church every week and write something in it.

11 comments:

Ilene said...

Keep the glasses- unless you donate them to some charitable cause. I still have the glasses you chose for me 8 years ago. They are my night and morning glasses so I don't muss my "good" ones. I'm never lasering my eyes. Scary and I like the option of wearing glasses to mix life up.

Get rid of the shoes Laura...

This comes from a girl who finally got rid of those Kenneth Cole mary-jane like shoes I bought my junior (or sophomore?) year of BYU. I haven't wore them for awhile but I held onto them "just in case." I am beginning to embrace the fact that I married someone 10 inches taller than me so I can wear heels.

TUG said...

There must be a reason that you haven't gotten rid of the shoes. They must hold a special place in your heart. You should pause and think about what has happened in your life since you bought them.

They may hold some undefined meaning.

Laura Lee said...

Ilene,

I remember your Kenneth Coles. TJ Maxx, right? They were cute. I still have those Naturalizer Shoes I bought at Meier and Frank in Portland. Those were my "walking around town" shoes since I didn't have a car. I don't wear them though. They're in my closet at my parent's house.

Thom,

I don't know if I have time to pause and think about everything that has happened in the past 7 years :)

I'm pretty sure I've kept these because they're comfortable shoes (I say "these" because I'm wearing them today one last time before they hit the trash can). And they have a convenient two-inch heel that keeps my pants from dragging on the ground.

Hilda said...

I'm right there with you, I'm not a pack rat and yet I have too many things that I probably should have gotten rid of a long time ago. I don't know, is it because we forget, or because we have a hard time letting go?

Lisa Marie Trent said...

Dude, those shoes. We all got them when I was living in Hawaii in 2000 to wear with our skanky atholic school uniforms we all wore for Halloween. That's right- I used them for costume purposes.

Seriously.

Anonymous said...

I must comment on the shoes as well... Laura, those shoes are soo 199-5! They were cute during grung rock. But they are still cute, but I'm sure you have better stuff now. I vote to chuck. I bet you kept them cuz they were such a good buy that your are so impressed it would be a shame to throw away.

Next on my comment is that perfume, Lisa if you don't want it back I will take it. They discontinued my fav sent and I'm "shopping" for a new smell. Plus it's BR, can't complain.

What a good rule about the hangers in the closet. There is SO MUCH I don't wear anymore, but have such a hard time throwing it away. My new rule is, if it has holes or stains, throw it away.

How ghetto am I? I have clothes with holes!!

TUG said...

Did you take your note book to church and the fireside?

Laura Lee said...

I did bring my journal to church, however I didn't write anything in it...

Anonymous said...

Great post, as usual. I can't believe you didn't know that about spices. I thought everone knew that.

BTW: I loved the title to this post.

TUG said...

Did you throw away the shoes?

Laura Lee said...

No...