I went out to "Ross's shed" today (this story was written a couple years ago). This is a shed out at the farm that used to belong to the neighbors, the Ross family, and now belongs to Jeff's family. Thus, the name "Ross's shed". Jeff has had the use of this shed for a number of years. So, as we have moved twice in the last 4 1/2 years, we have had a rotating set of boxes out there. It's great storage space, and we keep our Christmas stuff out there, our high school memorabilia, summer kids' toys. . . you name it, if we ever owned it, and it's not in our current home, it's in Ross's shed. There are a couple things I've been missing for the last couple years. Occasionally I've asked Jeff to look for them, but he's had no luck finding them. I happened to be out at the farm tonight with a few minutes to spare, so I drove over to the shed, left the heat on in the van for the kids, and ran inside to the mountain of boxes, bags and spiders. After climbing over a patio chair, scraping my hand on a ping-pong table (or it might have been the window blinds), and shooing away a few spiders, I found one of the boxes I was after - buried away at the back of the shed, behind the electric piano, under Mom's old wedding doll, and to the right of the nice bedding in black bags. It's that nice bedding in black bags that birthed this story.
As I was searching for my box of African pillows, quilts and wall hangings, I saw a pile of black garbage bags. Thinking maybe my treasure had been packed in a garbage bag instead of in a box, I decided to check out the bags. One had wet suits. Two or three had pillows and a down comforter, and a final bag was a mystery. It was taped shut and I didn't want to rip into it and then have to reseal it. I lifted it - it was heavy. I looked at it - it gave me no clues. And then I saw the large, clear plastic tape that sealed it. I remembered in our last move that I had used a permanent marker to write the contents of the bags on the tape. So, leaning over in the fading light and straining to see - I read these words, "Dirty Laundry." Dirty Laundry?!!!! What do you mean dirty laundry? I tore into the bag to see what could possibly be inside - and do you know what I found? Dirty Laundry!!! :)
I'm still laughing at us! The last time we moved it was January of 2006. It was just after Christmas and life was a blur. We were packing all of our stuff and then going on vacation for a week (because we didn't know where we were moving to yet - that's another long story). I must have had some clothes that didn't get finished - and instead of packing them in a suitcase, I put them in a black plastic bag labeled "dirty laundry", that got unloaded with the nice bedding in the far corner of the shed.
The funny thing is that we NEVER missed it. As I sorted it tonight - we solved a few mysteries. One has been the lack of sleepwear for Jeff. He used to have so many T-shirts, and for a year or so he has had so few. I couldn't figure out if he made some rags, or made them work shirts, or what? They were in the dirty laundry for two years. The other bummer was that there were a bunch of Christmas clothes - nice pants for the boys, pajamas, shirts. . . so new that we didn't even remember to look for them!! The good news is, all Josiah's new stuff will still fit Titus! :)
So tomorrow I'm doing laundry - and I'd like to encourage all of you to keep track of your dirty laundry and not leave it in the shed for years!
With love and laughter - Jen :)
As I was searching for my box of African pillows, quilts and wall hangings, I saw a pile of black garbage bags. Thinking maybe my treasure had been packed in a garbage bag instead of in a box, I decided to check out the bags. One had wet suits. Two or three had pillows and a down comforter, and a final bag was a mystery. It was taped shut and I didn't want to rip into it and then have to reseal it. I lifted it - it was heavy. I looked at it - it gave me no clues. And then I saw the large, clear plastic tape that sealed it. I remembered in our last move that I had used a permanent marker to write the contents of the bags on the tape. So, leaning over in the fading light and straining to see - I read these words, "Dirty Laundry." Dirty Laundry?!!!! What do you mean dirty laundry? I tore into the bag to see what could possibly be inside - and do you know what I found? Dirty Laundry!!! :)
I'm still laughing at us! The last time we moved it was January of 2006. It was just after Christmas and life was a blur. We were packing all of our stuff and then going on vacation for a week (because we didn't know where we were moving to yet - that's another long story). I must have had some clothes that didn't get finished - and instead of packing them in a suitcase, I put them in a black plastic bag labeled "dirty laundry", that got unloaded with the nice bedding in the far corner of the shed.
The funny thing is that we NEVER missed it. As I sorted it tonight - we solved a few mysteries. One has been the lack of sleepwear for Jeff. He used to have so many T-shirts, and for a year or so he has had so few. I couldn't figure out if he made some rags, or made them work shirts, or what? They were in the dirty laundry for two years. The other bummer was that there were a bunch of Christmas clothes - nice pants for the boys, pajamas, shirts. . . so new that we didn't even remember to look for them!! The good news is, all Josiah's new stuff will still fit Titus! :)
So tomorrow I'm doing laundry - and I'd like to encourage all of you to keep track of your dirty laundry and not leave it in the shed for years!
With love and laughter - Jen :)
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