Cleaning out the closet
When I was five years old my parents
purchased their first house. I am sure that it must have been a disgrace to the
neighborhood. But with time my father completely renovated the house and
created a very comfortable place for us to
live.
We remained there until I was in the ninth grade. We then were somewhat like the family in The Jeffersons, the old television sitcom, because with the sale of their first house we were "movin' on up."
The next house looked great from the outside and was very well built. But it had been unoccupied for several years and was much in need of TLC. Due to circumstances we had to move before all of the interior work could be completed. When school was out in May, I found myself with a full time job!
My father taught me how to remove wallpaper. I spend most of the summer removing all of the wall coverings in the three upstairs bedrooms.
When I grew tired of that hot job, I would work on cleaning out the closets. The auctioneers who had sold the furnishings of the house prior to our purchase, close to leave all of the items in the closets. My room alone had four closets.
In addition to closets in each bedroom, the house boasted of a large attic closet. According to the architect's plans which I discovered in one of my closets, the attic closet was intended to have been completed as a fourth upstairs bedroom or sitting room.
My father told me to take items to throw away to an east window in one of the bedrooms. Just throw everything our the window, he said. When I thought the pile looked large enough, I was to go out in the yard and then carry everything to the large barbecue and place things that would burn in it. That barbecue was fantastic. It had a stove top upon which you could cook with six different pots, pans, and skillets, while at the same time baking in a double oven. It held lots of trash, and firewood!
When I finally reached the attic closet I found treasures. Stored there were hundreds of magazines which dated back to the early 1930's. My work slowed considerable, almost to a halt. There were so many to look at. I found it difficult to throw them away. I would love to see them today. From a cultural point of view, I know they would be of value.
But cleaning out the closet was my job. I fulfilled it. Every now and then we all have that task. Diana and I do that continually. Diana has a requirement of me. if I don't sue it, wear it, or need it-it goes!
There is one exception to that however. I have hundreds of paintings and drawings. There is not enough wall space to hang all of them. Therefore we have many of them stored in a large closet. Once in a while we trade out some that are stored for some which are on display.
While at The Star I followed the development of the John D. Smith Library. The Friends of the Library requested donations of cash or items which might be of use in the library. This request coincided with our trading our of art. I contacted the Friends and asked if they might be interested in any art work.
I told the individual that I had found some paintings in "the closet" which I thought would be appropriate for their consideration. I had one painting which I did desire to donate, but I would allow them to see the others as well.
She asked that I bring the art work by for the committee to see. She called later to tell me that the committee was excited by the paintings of El Dorado Springs' historic buildings and that they wanted all of them. I was humbled and honored by their request.
The one that had particular significance to me is entitled Early Morning at the Picnic. It is hung in honor of my father-in-law. As the Picnic rides began to arrive in town during the last summer that he was alive, Diana and i would tell him each day about them. By Wednesday a huge ride had been set up in front of the United Methodist Church. I knew he would like it. We felt that he might like to "sneak out" to see it. So we waited until Diana's mother went to the beauty shop and then we went to the house. Diana went in and asked him if he would like to drive through the Picnic with me, he immediately reached for his shoes. I drove him down to the Picnic.
I was taking him back home when I turned a corner and we met my mother-in-law. Whoops! We got caught! He and I looked at each other and his dark eyes glistened; we both waved at her! What else was there to do?
Though the Picnic painting had been in a closet for a while, to me it is a treasure, for the gift of that painting is my weak attempt to honor my father-in-law and the joy he felt that Picnic afternoon. Our time together, however, is my greatest treasure.
We remained there until I was in the ninth grade. We then were somewhat like the family in The Jeffersons, the old television sitcom, because with the sale of their first house we were "movin' on up."
The next house looked great from the outside and was very well built. But it had been unoccupied for several years and was much in need of TLC. Due to circumstances we had to move before all of the interior work could be completed. When school was out in May, I found myself with a full time job!
My father taught me how to remove wallpaper. I spend most of the summer removing all of the wall coverings in the three upstairs bedrooms.
When I grew tired of that hot job, I would work on cleaning out the closets. The auctioneers who had sold the furnishings of the house prior to our purchase, close to leave all of the items in the closets. My room alone had four closets.
In addition to closets in each bedroom, the house boasted of a large attic closet. According to the architect's plans which I discovered in one of my closets, the attic closet was intended to have been completed as a fourth upstairs bedroom or sitting room.
My father told me to take items to throw away to an east window in one of the bedrooms. Just throw everything our the window, he said. When I thought the pile looked large enough, I was to go out in the yard and then carry everything to the large barbecue and place things that would burn in it. That barbecue was fantastic. It had a stove top upon which you could cook with six different pots, pans, and skillets, while at the same time baking in a double oven. It held lots of trash, and firewood!
When I finally reached the attic closet I found treasures. Stored there were hundreds of magazines which dated back to the early 1930's. My work slowed considerable, almost to a halt. There were so many to look at. I found it difficult to throw them away. I would love to see them today. From a cultural point of view, I know they would be of value.
But cleaning out the closet was my job. I fulfilled it. Every now and then we all have that task. Diana and I do that continually. Diana has a requirement of me. if I don't sue it, wear it, or need it-it goes!
There is one exception to that however. I have hundreds of paintings and drawings. There is not enough wall space to hang all of them. Therefore we have many of them stored in a large closet. Once in a while we trade out some that are stored for some which are on display.
While at The Star I followed the development of the John D. Smith Library. The Friends of the Library requested donations of cash or items which might be of use in the library. This request coincided with our trading our of art. I contacted the Friends and asked if they might be interested in any art work.
I told the individual that I had found some paintings in "the closet" which I thought would be appropriate for their consideration. I had one painting which I did desire to donate, but I would allow them to see the others as well.
She asked that I bring the art work by for the committee to see. She called later to tell me that the committee was excited by the paintings of El Dorado Springs' historic buildings and that they wanted all of them. I was humbled and honored by their request.
The one that had particular significance to me is entitled Early Morning at the Picnic. It is hung in honor of my father-in-law. As the Picnic rides began to arrive in town during the last summer that he was alive, Diana and i would tell him each day about them. By Wednesday a huge ride had been set up in front of the United Methodist Church. I knew he would like it. We felt that he might like to "sneak out" to see it. So we waited until Diana's mother went to the beauty shop and then we went to the house. Diana went in and asked him if he would like to drive through the Picnic with me, he immediately reached for his shoes. I drove him down to the Picnic.
I was taking him back home when I turned a corner and we met my mother-in-law. Whoops! We got caught! He and I looked at each other and his dark eyes glistened; we both waved at her! What else was there to do?
Though the Picnic painting had been in a closet for a while, to me it is a treasure, for the gift of that painting is my weak attempt to honor my father-in-law and the joy he felt that Picnic afternoon. Our time together, however, is my greatest treasure.
(written September, 1999)
Posted: Sat - February 4, 2006 at 08:01 AM
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"Chance favors only the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur
"Art arises from basic needs-a strong need to express and celebrate our everyday events.
In a museum most people spend less than twenty seconds looking at a work of art."
"Art arises from basic needs-a strong need to express and celebrate our everyday events.
In a museum most people spend less than twenty seconds looking at a work of art."
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Published On: Feb 05, 2006 08:22 AM
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Published On: Feb 05, 2006 08:22 AM