Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Blues

First, thank you for all the "yes, kick that group to the curb!" sentiments. I do hope that I can connect with some other momma's in my area--I just might start handing out flyers at the park:

-----------------


So today I have to share something that is so silly when I say it out loud, but I can't help the way I feel. I am hoping I'm not the only one.

I tend to develop an emotional attachment to "things"...like this chair:




Notice the sweet lab that has made herself at home. She did this quite often. This is only one of the many reasons I am sad that this chair (and it's twin) no longer sit in my den. (she's still wandering around looking for them...)

My parents bought these blue rocking chairs in 1988...they moved from house to house, got placed in storage, turned upside down in a moving van, and endured lots of people rocking and swiveling.

So, we recently crossed off a major honey-do item on our list--painting the interior of our house--and of course that meant I needed to redecorate the living room a tad. Which led to me finding new chairs (I love craigs list!) that match our couch, living room decor, etc. Apparently when you are a grown up, it's nice to have furniture that matches. Who knew!

But oh no. That meant the blue chairs had no where to go. I tried thinking of ways to rearrange the rooms, push things way back in a closet, or make room in the garage. Sadly, there just wasn't room to store them this time.

I made the last ditch effort to see if anyone else in my family wanted to claim them...I don't think they had quite the attachment I did. So I regretfully placed them on our driveway when we had a garage sale a few weeks ago. I thought for sure someone would buy them right away. But there they sat at the end of the sale. Then they got posted on craigs list--"Great chairs!", but still no takers. On Sunday, I gave them one last look as Mook drove them away to Goodwill...then I got the phone call that Goodwill wouldn't take them because they were "too-worn-out".

"Maybe this is a sign," I thought! I could draw up plans to add an addition on to the house--we could knock down a wall in our bedroom and have a place for the blue chairs! 

Can you just for a second imagine the look Mook gave me?

I couldn't even watch when the garbage trucks came the other day...I seriously got teary when I heard them come down the street.

What is it about certain material things in our life that hold such a strong emotional attachment? Those chairs had no feelings, they didn't realize they were being tossed to the curb. But I knew and it made me think of my old house, or using one of the chairs as my closet in my first apartment when I had no closet.

May you rest in peace in rocking-chair heaven, blue chairs. You were so comfortable and soft--I raise my virtual wine glass to you. Today, take a moment to remember some thing that meant a lot to you--and enjoy a glass of Biltmore Winery's fantastic Riesling for today's Virtual Wine Club:

Cheers!


This classic Riesling is crisp and semi-sweet with
delicate fruit flavors, an aromatic nose and a hint of spice.

17 comments:

  1. My condolences on the loss of your chairs - when you find a comfy chair, it's really hard to let it go. I have several pieces of furniture to which I have an unreasonable attachment, including an entire set of wicker furniture. My husband is dying to get rid of it.

    I like your flyer...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I too get very attached to inanimate objects. And I blame this on the story of "The Velveteen Rabit" which someone read to me when I was very young. That poor stuffed bunny got left behind and it really hurt his feelings!!! After hearing that story I couldn't pick just one stuffed animal to sleep with because I thought it would hurt the other's feelings so my bed ended up full of stuffies!!!

    I still carry those feelings with me and have a hard time getting rid of certain things.

    I'm sure your blue chairs are in a better place now and smiling down on you from rocking-chair heaven.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't think you are alone in this one. I have hung on to far too many things over the years that should have been thrown away simply because they held memories. for me. I think I am worse with homes. I still fondly thing of my first little apartment of my own and how much I grew there and while there were times when I loathed certain aspects of Jess and I's first place together, I still drive by it and sigh at all the good times we had. It is nice to be sentimental at times.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow. You are not going to believe this, but I swear I have that exact blue chair. It was a freebie we found at the side of the road about 5 years ago. There was a twin to it, but it was fairly worn so we only took the one. When we were finally successful with a live baby, I used it as my nursing chair and it became the chair I used to rock TK to sleep for his naps and nighttime until he no longer needed to be rocked to sleep. It is still in TK's room and it hardly gets used anymore but I don't think I will ever have the heart to get rid of it.

    And if you had posted those chairs on CL in my town and I saw it...I sooo would have bought them from you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. We had this great old couch that my mom made us get rid of years ago. She bought us a nice new couch but I still miss the old one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can relate to this in so many ways. I've had many "things" that I've formed an emotional attachment to. Some of those have been completely unexplainable. I could tell stories that would have you laughing for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My sister and my BIL had these super awesome comfy couches that eventually outgrew their 'style' and home, when they went a little fancier. We "inherited" them after maybe 6 years.. my BIL would come over and nap on them b/c he missed them so much. Lol.. We got rid of them last year, and it was really sad to see them go.

    As for other things that hold a sentimental value... I tend to get that way w/ a bunch of stuff.. it just happens.

    Your ad is awesome, btw. I tend to have a hard time w/ my multiples group sometimes too.. I'm hoping that I start the ART conceived babies trend there.. or something like that.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I just threw away my favorite pair of black pants a few weeks ago. The kind that make you feel awesome when you put on. The ones that were iridescent from over wear. I STILL can not throw away my favorite black flats... that have holes in the soles, the ones where the patent leather is chipped and torn. They are in terrible, terrible shape, but they are my faaaavorite.

    Also, Tarable! I did the SAME thing with my stuffed animals. I slept in about 2 square feet of space so my dozens of animals would not get their feelings hurt by having to sleep on the floor.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Henry and I want to be in your play group! We would be the perfect fit ;)

    You made me laugh so hard when you thought it was a sign when goodwill wouldn't take them. We are so alike :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bye bye blue chairs. We had a chair growing up that sat in the corner of the basement. It used to be the chair my Nana (my great grandma) sat in a lot. We couldn't part with it after she passed so it sat in the basement. The dog ended up taking over that chair.

    Finally we had to take it to the dump. It was a sad, sad day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am so glad you posted this because I do it too. Some of my attachments to things over the years have bordered on absurd.

    BTW, I love your playgroup flyer!

    ReplyDelete
  12. oh your chairs...I really liked them, they were a perfect shade of blue.
    I'm so sorry.

    I have certain things I refuse to part with too...

    love reading your words, but very sad about those chairs. :(
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love your advertisement for a play group, perfect!

    I don't get attached to furniture, but clothes I do. I have a hard time tossing out old clothing. I always remember why I bought it, especially if there was a special occasion connected to the purchase.

    I hope your chairs are enjoying the afterlife. I wish them an afterlife-time of being rocked and swiveled.
    *HUGS*

    ReplyDelete
  14. I really don't attach to big things, rather, small things - like picture frames that don't match anything but hold an awesome picture and clothes that hold memories.

    ReplyDelete
  15. My parents' 1984 Lazy boy rocker recliner is in my basement, along with some other mismatched furniture. If you're ever in the DC metro (follow Mook on some trips), come meet my playgroup b/c we don't gossip, we yell at our kids when they're out of line, and some of them still wear bibs...at almost 3. I'm Amy G from high school and Amy L. in an occasionally infertile adulthood, and I won't brag on conception, or even complain about it. You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm sorry about your chairs...It is rather funny though, you're attachment to them.

    Biltmore has some great wines :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am so sorry about your chairs. As someone who forms strong sentimental attachments to inanimate objects, I can totally empathize. I'm going to be a basket case when I have to get a new car.

    Yes - kick that mommy group to the curb! It's a shame our little blogosphere isn't within driving distance. I've had the same experience with mommy groups.

    ReplyDelete

There is nothing like a good pair of jeans; they shape us, support us and make us look our best. I'd love for you to share your jeans with me!