December 21, 2021

OTHER PEOPLE'S THINGS

I remember once, or twice, in my twenties longing to own new furniture.  Now I am 80 and living with a house filled with other people’s furniture.  As an example, my mattress is new, but the bed frame was Harriett’s.  That’s one item.  But there are so many more…Just look at that picture.

The picture on the wall was mine, but the white bookcase below it was Grandma Maudies.  The camel chests were George’s mom and dads.  The lamp was my mother’s father, Gimpa.  The Morris chair in front of it was Gimpa’s too.   Though the sofa is new Ikea, my favorite chair was once Bobbies…and much closer to the floor.  George gave it new legs.

I guess that over the years I have grown into acceptance that all this stuff is me.   George’s family lived with rooms of things bought in Pakistan.  My family lived with Gimpa’s things.  Even blue chairs sometimes feel they are living a split life. 

My poor kids will have to live with the generational confusions.   


  • <A HREF=http://geeeee-zer.blogspot.com/>Himself:</A>   Taking the week off.  What fun.
  • Myself:   Cleaning up the wreckage of my present.
  • Reading:   “The Only Way to Cross.”
  • Watching:  Antiques Roadshow and Jay Leno’s Garage.
  • Photo:  Both mine.
  • Gratitude’s:   That I got to sleep in this morning.

9 comments:

  1. We are a part of all those who’ve gone before you. You have the physical items to go with the genetic.

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  2. I think it is neat having all those people still a part of your life.

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  3. Over the years, I've noticed that it's easier to dispose of pieces of furniture than of clothes, books, documents, which are more personal items.

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  4. You have memories of those gone before you and now you enjoy their furniture. Furniture with stories, how nice !

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  5. My furniture is mysterious in origin, either antique or found at the dumpster. One piece, a library table, was made by a local craftsman. I guess they have stories. I just don't know them! I could invent a pedigree for the old stuff. That could be fun.

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  6. We have a few hand-me-down pieces and some very old pieces of our own. I don't mind.

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  7. I have a couple pieces of my grandmother's; one of my mother's but these were acquired after I was wed. A few pieces my husband had but I had none when we married. We bought some items when we purchased our first house and kept guest bedroom furniture the previous owners sold to us. I'm not certain what will become of what I have now when I'm gone since children live across the continent.

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  8. I have my grandmother's marble top table and glass globe lamp and corner whatnot, and tea cart, my grandfather's morris chair, bookcases that came out of the small town library where my aunt lived and a desk that belonged to her husband's family, a rocker and footstool that's been in the family for generations. The rest is antiques from one store or another or in one case an individual getting rid of his worldly goods. There's maybe 5 things in this house we bought new in a store. I love all these old things. So much of previous generations represented.

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