Collecting, we all do it to some degree. Sometimes we collect because it's the trendy thing to do, remember those Beanie Babies that was going to send your kid to college? Sometimes we collect things because we can't let go. Maybe it's a tangible object that connects us to someone we love, a cherished memory. And then there is the junk. I wouldn't exactly call it collecting because the junk very rarely brings joy. My sweet Gamer is a collector of junk (love you honey) but he is. He has two categories of things he collects, I can understand one over the other. The first one drives me INSANE!!!!!!!!!! We have boxes and boxes of cables and techie stuff. To me, because of the sheer volume it counts as a collection. It's not a collection that brings joy, to me it brings anxiety. We have so many boxes of old PC games, manuals, cords, gaming console doo-hickies, VHS tapes, models, and books. The second things he collects are things that invoke memories of his youth. Now that I can work with! Can't say I've embraced it all but I understand it. Not long after we met, his Gramms passed away. It was sudden and devastated him. He was very close to his grandparents and they were very solid in his upbringing so the loss was heart wrenching for him. Not long after she was gone his dad called and said that they had a lot of Grammy's possessions. The family in Colorado had gone through a lot of it but there were a lot of things left. Gamer said he wanted ALL OF IT!!!! Now I never met Gramms but from the stories I've heard I'm sure I would've loved her. However, I can't say I loved all her stuff though. She was a grandma and had a lot of grandma things! Soooooooo, that was a tough one when Gamer in all his enthusiasm exclaimed that a truck load of Grammy's things would be arriving at our home!! The one thing I couldn't relent on was the dining table set, it was rocking the 70"s. It was well cared for but the wicker backing just wasn't going to work! So he sat at it, remembered how he sat there and ate peaches and cottage cheese with grammy and was able to let it go. Phew!! However we kept a lot of things too. At first I wasn't fond of them because they didn't match my style but more and more as I heard about Gramms I got attached to them too!!! There was a framed picture of hers that Gamer wanted to hang. I wasn't a fan of it. It was a lot of gold and bold colors. But we hung it. When we moved last year into our new house I thought it was time to let it go. I think he pretty much agreed, I think I could've persuaded him because it really wasn't our style. But NOOOOOO, now I'm the one attached to it and we will have to hang it! There you go Gramms, I've been hooked!! We talked about reframing it because it has a water stain on it but I think it needs to stay just the way it is! There is also another special item in Gramms collection that I had to keep. It's a Hoot! Not the cutest Hoot but a wise Hoot and it was Grammys. I like to think it's her getting to peek into our lives as she sits perched on our mantle. She has a pretty sweet spot in the house, it's the heart of where we spend our time as a family.
So you're probably still wondering what is up with this Hoot obsession. First off, let me share my collection for Hoot. It's loot for my little Hoot!
And there is more!!! I have a box from the move I haven't found yet. Darn those boxes of cables that are obscuring my box of Hooty things!
Imagine my excitement when I found this book in a little shop in Leavenworth, WA
I can't wait to pinch her little hootie patootie!
Back to my Hoot and why I started collecting owls for her. I started collecting even before I knew who she was or that I would even have a daughter. When I was in Norway I was shopping with my mom and aunt. We went into this store and EVERYTHING in there was either white, gray, black, or a combination of those colors. That was it, no other colors at all. Right away this white and gray owl caught my attention (it's in the above picture, the one to the left). I picked it up, felt all the different textures on it and started thinking of my Hoot. I didn't know who she was or if she would ever be but this made me feel so close to her. So I bought my first owl. Now I'm not some crazy owl lady, I don't go out of my way looking and scouring for owls!! In fact, I don't buy every owl I see, that WOULD make me a crazy lady! However, when I see one, and I feel her, I get it! Now I wonder what you'll think of all this My Little Hoot!! This does not give you license to call your mom the crazy owl lady!
Today in the mail Hoot received her first Hoot gift from a friend. Makes me so happy that people are now seeing owls and thinking of our little Hoot!
She's a HOOT!
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