It's Amazing How Much Of Other People's Stuff Was In Our House...

 I'm the first to admit that I am a hoarder...not an extreme hoarder, but the matter of degree is open to interpretation. I guess it makes sense that my daughter has a lot of things currently in our house. That won't be the case soon, for all that boxed-up stuff will go from our house, to her house.

It's moving day for her.

Crazy, just how much stuff we accumulate. 

Growing up, my mom and dad had a lot of stuff. My mom told me that one of my dad's mottos was: "If one is good, two is better." As soon as I was old enough to understand my father's history, I understood completely why he felt this way. Both my parents grew up in the Great Depression. Almost no one in America today can understand what this means. We are so used to just getting everything we need. In fact, we're upset when we have to wait even a few days for things we want.

The more I learned about the Great Depression, the more I understood my parents and why they did what they did. I know part of that feeling of "needing" things just in case, I obtained from my parents. 

I should say that much of what belongs to my daughter is from their wedding and they had no place to put their things until now. They've lived in a small space until they were able to get an apartment or a house. They've been so patient and selfless...it's quite remarkable. Now, they're finally able to have their stuff in their own home.

Another thing I should say is heaven help us if we had to move. All my daughter's and her husband's stuff can fit in one large(ish...) truck. All our stuff would take many many more.

I'm excited for them. It's a lot of work to move--it's because home is one of the most important places on earth.

The Mystery Of...I Believe In You

 This summer my wife and I have spent many weekend mornings in the search of yard sale finds. It's our second summer here--last year we were working like dogs to get in our yard. Now, with things mostly in, we have time to go on treasure hunts.

I think our quests have been mostly successful. There are fewer people here so there's fewer yard sales. Still, the ones we've found have been good. We've found things for inside the house, outside the house, clothes for the kids and even a $220 pair of shoes I picked up for free (sweet...). Last month we found a nice sale a bit north of us. We found some shelves, and a table we thought would work well for when we had get-togethers outside in the next couple of months.

Last night we pulled out the table and used it for the first time. When the gathering was over, I put the table back in its place. That's when I saw the sticker.

Then, my brain formulated a question...

How did it get there?

Then another question...

Who put it there?

I recalled the home where we picked up the table. You could tell by the house and yard and what they were selling, a family lived there. The kids did not appear to be either too young or too old. The table we bought was obviously a craft table--don't know if it was stored inside or out. Things were built on it, created. It was used without consideration of keeping it pristine...the table was used.

So, who put on the sticker, a simple smiley face with, "I BELIEVE IN YOU" written above. Was it a child, an adult? Was it meant as a joke by a teenager, or by a dad who picked up the sticker after getting a cash withdrawal to buy a birthday present for his daughter, and after putting the sticker in his coat pocket and finding it a month or a year after, stuck it on the table instead of throwing it away?

I have no idea, though it was a fun exercise for me. I'm also sure I'll most likely never find out. If they were important questions, I could find the family and ask, perhaps someone would remember. Since it's not important, it will remain a mystery, a small but mentally engaging mystery.