Wednesday Hodgepodge: Collected Thoughts

Notes from our Hodgepodge Hostess:  "Here we go again...answer on your own blog then jump back here tomorrow to add your link to the mix. See you there!"

1. Pokemon Go...your thoughts? Are you playing? Do you even know what it is?

No, but I heard the Premier of Ontario was playing it.

2. What was something you collected as a child? Do you still have that collection? If you're a parent what's something your own children collected? Have you ever camped out, stood in a crazy long queue, or paid a ridiculous sum for a 'collectible'?

I'm married to someone who specializes in restoring collectibles. I think one of our first dates was to go yard saling.  We live with a lot of vintage things, but most of them are just what we use every day.

Childhood collections: postage stamps, dolls (earned me my Collector's Badge), dollhouse miniatures, recipes, souvenir spoons, lace hankies, pop bottle caps, postcards, hockey cards, pin-on buttons, and a large number of random things and space-taker-uppers. Old books too, although I never so much collected those as just wanted to read them. I still have the box of stamps (they're old but not worth much, dealers don't want them), family dolls, and a few other odd things. I have a small collection of vintage china kitchen knick-knacks. The only things I really add to are the books and, occasionally, the china if I see something I like. Or I bring home a few more pink pebbles from the beach, if you call those a collection.

The nicest story I have about collecting is that when I was five and got chicken pox on the first day of kindergarten, the older kids in the neighbourhood went around and gathered up a whole bagful of pop bottle caps as a get-well present.

Our girls grew up with their own collections, mostly different kinds of dolls and stuffed things. Plastic trolls, for awhile. Our adult daughters both have turntables and small LP collections.

More recently I've found a way to collect my own nostalgia, for free and without having to store or dust anything. I have a Pinterest board full of the '60's and '70's: candy bars, hair ties, paper dolls, playground slides, my Snoopy toothbrush; and another board just for picture books I read when I was little. I don't need to have the actual things (not sure where I'd put a playground slide anyway): the pictures are enough.

3. "Collect moments, not things"...tell us about a moment you've added to your collection this summer.

Our wedding anniversary dinner at an Italian restaurant.

4.  What's something collecting dust in your home right now? Any plans to do something about it?

Dust as in not getting used, or as in I just forgot to dust it? There's probably some of each. The dining table gathers dust both ways, because we mostly eat in the kitchen, and our way of remedying that is usually to have a party.

5. A favorite song relating to time?



6. What's been your most frightening or your most interesting encounter with wildlife?

Definitely the time I had to chase a baby squirrel around the house,

7.  On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the moon. If you could travel to the moon would you go? Why or why not?

No, I'll stay an earth-bound-homebody.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's interesting that the theme this week is collections, because I've already been posting this week about collections and "stuff." I keep coming back to the idea of enjoying but not obsessing, either in acquiring or in holding onto things. Even Mr. Fixit sticks to reasonable limits (he doesn't "camp out" for things).

Linked from The Hodgepodge Collection at From This Side of the Pond.

Making the most of Treehouse collections: dolls and more

We are Squirrels, and don't forget it.  We may not be parts-stashers, but we do like to collect things.

These are Red Rose Tea Figurines. Some of them were Mr. Fixit's grandma's. Some were Mama Squirrel's. The shelf had hung in a corner of our rec room for a long time, kind of hidden and dusty. We decided to move it up to the kitchen.

Dollygirl's TY Teenie Beanie Boppers. (Also here.) She has been collecting these at yard sales and thrift shops for several years; I think only one was bought new.  Mr. Fixit helped her spray paint and frame a piece of pegboard, so now the Boppers can all hang out together.

Mr. Fixit's restorations are part of our living room decor--they come and go, and we make room for them while they're in the Treehouse.  The glass-fronted cabinet was the grandparents', and it holds a group of dolls handed down from both sides of our family.

All photos by Mr. Fixit, copyright Dewey's Treehouse, 2012.