Always with us…

It's one of my side bar titles with a picture of Nana. The picture above is one Papa took many years ago in their cotton field. I love it. It's sometimes really hard to live here where she was. Even though things are changed up and look different in some areas, it's still so very much her home. I know I have mentioned several times the need to clean out closets and rooms downstairs and get rid of stuff. Every time I thought about it and even actually started to do it, I just couldn't get through it. My thanks to Tracy, Lacy and Chelsey for coming over to help me do that. They really made some headway downstairs and made it not so sad. Those spaces hold such memories for me, especially the sewing room. It was full of boxes with all the things Nana loved to shop for. Funny little things that caught her eye for the many special things she did. Quilts, quiet books, wedding drapes, tablecloths, lace curtains for the house, folk art painting, craft projects and on and on. We spent lots of hours down there while she helped me with wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, formals for my girls and some of my nieces. Tracy has come over and made many things and helped me with stuff too. I know it's just a room, and the things in it are just things. Somehow it doesn't make it any easier to throw it out, put it in a garage sale, or take it to Goodwill. Second only to the kitchen, the sewing room is full of wonderful memories of Nana, most of the girls and Tracy. There were some treasures that of course are keepers and it is fun to see what the girls want to keep. It all goes out on tables in the atrium where her grandkids can come over and choose to keep whatever they want. The rest will go to the garage sale in November and whatever is left from that will go to Goodwill. We made a dent in the downstairs project, and maybe the rest won't be so hard. I freely admit what a baby I am about it and I will try to remember Chelsey's phrase…

“I feel so empowered!” Cleaning and purging are good things. I just need to remember that and know that nothing can take away the memories of so many, many hours of doing things together. Now on to the pantry, drape and fabric closet and the room with all the Christmas in it. I don't think the tears are over just yet.