Skip to main content

A time to cast away stones. . .

Anyone raised by depression-era parents learned to be frugal, to save, because you might need it someday.  My mom saved used aluminum foil, every grocery bag, and old clothing that someone might could wear.  She saved mayonnaise jars and empty plastic containers after the butter was gone.  She saved old magazines, including the ones that people with a strange and misunderstood religions left for her in hope of mass conversions.


Attending estate auctions is something I have done for several years, and sometimes, I find treasures.  There is usually a stack of boxes that are sold as one lot, because they contain things that were valuable to the deceased but can't get a $1 bid from strangers.  It always makes me sad, thinking about those people saving these items that no one wanted.  These carefully hoarded items had become a burden that the survivors had to get rid of.

There comes a time to get rid of, to cast away, material things that we no longer need; things that hold us back.  I know one couple who won't attend social events together; one of them has to stay home to guard their "stuff".  How sad is that?  Let it go!  Some of my friends have told me that it is very freeing, getting rid of stuff that ties you down.


One of my heroes changed careers about fourteen years ago, moving to another state to start over.  When she was ready to leave, she was able to move all her possessions in the back seat of her car.  She has made it just fine without the things she left behind.  I'm working on it, but it would still take a moving van for me.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee.  It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures.  We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything.  Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

100 miles or less: Rattlesnake Saloon

The Rattlesnake Saloon was opened on Labor Day, 2009.  Dining there is an unique experience. It is way out in the boonies in Colbert County, Alabama.  It is hard to get to, even for locals, but they have had visitors from all over the United States and many countries throughout the world. Sitting comfortably under the huge rock overhang, I couldn't help but think about the people who have sought shelter there from storms or heat.  I can imagine the Native Americans using this place for a meeting area or a dry place to camp for a while.  Not so many years ago, it was used as a pig pen. They have good food and live music and a hitching post if you want to ride your horse there.  Most of us were picked up in a pickup, called the "Saloon Taxi", that runs from the parking lot to the restaurant continuously while they are open. The Rattlesnake Saloon is aptly named.  During construction, workers unearthed a mother rattler with twelve babie...

Out of the Dirt: Bragg-ing

Like every reader, I have my favorite writers. There have been so many that have stirred my emotions and made me a part of their world, and I'm thankful for that. The one is love the best, the one I cherish , is Rick Bragg. Yesterday, Rick was in our area. We were privileged to see a newly released documentary about his life called Out of the Dirt . Afterwards, he talked to us about family and roots. His first book, All over but the Shoutin' , was recommended to me years ago. Very early in the book, I was thinking, "Who is this? He is writing about me, about my family." I have never actually met anyone in the book, but they are all my neighbors and kinfolks. His other books are just as well-written. In his book, Writing for the Soul , Christian author Jerry Jenkins had this to say about Rick Bragg: I read other writers and strive to be like them. I read others, like Rick Bragg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, and simply surrender, knowing I will ...