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Thursday, October 20, 2011

collections vs. hoarding

I love the TLC show, hoarding.
I often watch it and cannot help but think about
how these people cannot see that it is not healthy to live
that way. When they speak, they explain about their
"collections" and how they can't part with them,
yet they can't seem to find them in their hoarding spaces.
I know, for me, I have way too many collections.
I have been a collector since I was a little girl.
If I like something, I never stop liking it and I seem to take
care of my collections.
For instance, I love journaling and I love collecting journals.
I have some that are not written in and I have many that
are filled to the hilt with my words, my thoughts.
They may never mean anything to anyone but me,
but they are stored in a place of honor in my bedroom.
On a bookshelf, lines a whole row of filled journals.
As Cami-girl explains them, they are my written novels.
Then there is my collection of scrap things.
If I fall in love with something as I have with scrapping,
I have a tendency to need all/most of the things
that go with the hobby.
I have a collection of stamps and a collection of cricut cartridges.
I am proud when people come to my home to "play"
with me in my scrap room.
Many of my people know to call or make a play date with
me if they have a project they want to work on
or just want to feel crafty.
I love not only sharing all my scrap collection with others
but I also get very excited to show others the craft of scrapping.
HOBL does not understand this one.
How when I am in the middle of a project, the scrap room cannot
be cleaned. I don't try and explain it, just tell
him that my scraproom is off limits to his OCD cleaning.
I don't have to explain because in our marriage,
although we joke sarcastically about our ways,
we both know that some things are to be respected
no matter how we feel about it.
He leaves my scrap room alone and I leave his side
of the closet alone.
It helps our marriage so much.
I also have a book collection.
I don't collect all books even though I love all books.
A book that lives in my home is either one I love,
can't live without or it has something about it that
brings me strong, good feelings.
There are others...
I have a cross stitch string collection,
have to have every color,
I have a coffee pot collection,
I own a wonderful miniature/dollhouse stuff collections.
I get so proud when the little kiddies come to my home
and one of the first places they want to go
is in my china cabinet that better than holding my wedding china,
holds most of my miniature collection.
It makes me happy that when they leave,
I have to wipe many lip and fingertip marks
off the glass of my china cabinet.
So what separates me from a hoarder.
I value my collections, I care for them
and each hold a place of honor in our home.
My home is neat and organized and if asked,
I can produce each collection and discuss it in its entirety.
One day, if ever I have a larger home,
I long to have an entire large room, dedicated to my collections.
It will hold a library, a wall full of book shelves to hold my
self-written "novels" as well as every book I have ever
fallen in love with since I was a child.
It will have a comfortable chair with a snuggie over the side of it.
I will have a space for crafting, whether it be scrapping or building
doll houses, It will be able to be messy until the project I am working on
is complete. If that home never comes it is perfectly fine
because in this home I love so much, each collection is perfectly
tucked into their own spaces of honor.

1 comment:

  1. hey sis, you have given me some great ideas of what to do with my collection of rosaries christain collection angles and what to do with all my thoughts of when i was growing up down the bayou. my many information about many sickness i have had the many diets i have been on all the clubs i have joined that promasted to take the weight off of me so many things in my head about hair as i was a hairdresser i could write a noval about the seniors citizens i have known as the manager of three sr, centers i would have to put it on the library shelf under fiction because no one would believwe how funny they can be ahh these cajin eldery folks that is what i will do write a book lot's of lovelol mone

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