I have had this in the get-rid-of pile for a long time now, but don't think I've ever posted it. There have been so many items over the past year and a bit. Sometimes I get rid of something without taking a photo or writing about it. I did a quick search through the archives, but didn't find it -- heaven forbid I should repeat an item. But you should see the various piles/boxes. Some to try and sell. Some to take to the thrift store. Some to try and consign at various places (depends what type of stuff they take) and some to take to recycling. Some to post on usedvictoria.com and give away. Eventually things do leave. I collect clear pressed glass. This is a pretty little candy dish. Make way for another piece that's been stacked in a cupboard.

Tags: glass, March 2010, household

I have had this for years. Not my favourite colour, but I loved the shape and the glaze. It's quite large, about 16 inches long. I looked at it a lot, but I think I only ever used it once. A long time ago I used to have small parties and have friends over. It's one of my goals to eventually do that again, or find a book club — when it's mine turn to host I can use something like this for refreshments. However, I no longer want this particular party dish. I took it to the consignment store, but they said it wouldn't sell. I thought this sort of stuff was coming back in style. Oh well, I will find a new home for it one way or another.

Tags: household, retro, March 2010

I have had the asparagus steamer (Oct 26) kicking around in the trunk of the car, waiting for me to (finally) take it to a household consignment store. I didn't want to take just one item — it has taken this long to get a box of stuff together. But the store only took 3 of my discards. The asparagus pot, a Denby covered casserole that I forgot to take a photo of, and this signed enamel decorative teacup and saucer. Part of the Charlotte de Vita collection. It's about two inches high, with cat motifs on every side. Quite sweet, but given to me by someone who is no longer a friend, so I'm not interested in looking at it anymore. Which means that in general, the things I surround myself evoke an emotional response as well as having an aesthetic or tactile quality that gives me pleasure. If I no longer like the person who gave me something, the question becomes: Does the aesthetic value outweigh the feeling or lack of feeling I have for the person? Sometimes I can divorce myself from the origin of a thing and enjoy it regardless of its provenance. But not for this little teacup.

Tags: miscellaneous, decoration, March 2010

I finally dragged some books over to the mystery store — but there are too many Giles Blunt titles in stock. I could only get rid of the Sharyn McCrumb. I can try again with the Blunts in a few months. The rest will go to a couple of book swap shelves I know about. Sometimes I take one and leave two. This time I will just leave a bunch. Ever since we got new moss green stoneware, I haven't liked how these red mugs pop out at me on the shelves. I'm all for certain reds and greens together, just not the combo I'm seeing. I'll use the mugs at a workshop I'm coordinating this weekend, then I will put them in the donation box.

Tags: books, March 2010, kitchen

Take a look at the date of birth on the bottom right of this card. It's a health card for the BC medical services plan. A gold card for seniors. It belonged to a friend of the family, a woman who lived to be 105 years old. The date of birth is 10/93 -- as in 1893. I helped to clear out her house when she moved, several years before she died. She had lived there practically her whole life, with her sisters. All of them spinsters. After the relatives took away the really good stuff and we had five yard sales, there was still lots of stuff for me to take away. There are reminders of her everywhere I look around my house. Old letters, knick knacks, books -- many lovely things. I have kept this card in a drawer since 1998. I don't need to keep it anymore.

Tags: miscellaneous, March 2010

What to do with two touch lamps that don't work anymore? When there are three cats on the bed, it's pitch black in the room, and one of the humans wakes up because one of the cats is commencing to vomit, it sure is handy to reach over and touch a lampshade to shed some fast light and assess the situation. Is there time to move the urping cat onto the floor away from the rug? Musn't move too quickly or the two cats who hate each other might be pushed towards each other, take it as a sign of agression from the other and lash out with teeth and claws. It's a long way to the light switch -- both of these lamps stopped working last summer. We haven't been able to find replacements that we can stand to look at. Most of the ones we see look like the bottom example. Yuk. I don't know if I can recycle any parts of the lamps yet. That's why they are still taking up space in the shed. Took two boxes of dishes to the Sally Ann today. That felt good.

Tags: household, lamp, March 2010

Even though I haven't worn this thing in years and it has been carefully folded in a drawer, away from heat and light, the elastic has completely deteriorated and doesn't do what it's supposed to anymore. Not to mention that this no longer fits me. I no longer even own a strapless dress -- it's been at least 20 years since I've bared my shoulders in one of those (the bra is at least 20 years old too). Unfortunately this has to go in the garbage. The fabric is stretchy and synthetic -- can't even compost it or use it as a rag to shine my shoes.

Tags: clothing, March 2010

I LOVED this book when I was little. I read it over and over again. Gregory Clark wrote touching, funny stories. For me they were little glimpses into adult life -- not the scary things, but the amusing and heartwarming ones. Technically, I suppose the book belongs to my parents, since I they bought it. I merely appropriated it when I moved out. So when my Mom was here awhile ago and saw it in the pile of books I was going to send to my nephews she decided she wanted to re-read it and took it back. I made her promise to pass it on to the boys once she finished. I think they'll enjoy the old fashioned stories too.

Tags: books, March 2010

Not much to look at or write about, but two more things gone is two things gone. I kept the cat food tin because it has such a nice painting of cats on it. Oh well. I have beautiful living cats to look at whenever I want to. And the hair bunnies all over the floor to prove it.
The bowl was hidden away at the back of a kitchen cupboard. Completely forgot that I even had it.

Tags: kitchen, March 2010