Binders

Day 172:

We all have stuff that sparks our passion. Stuff that magnetizes us like the smell of cigarettes to a recent ex-smoker. Stuff that says "Take me home!" no matter how much of it we already have. 

For me, it's whites. Linens. Domestics. Sheets, mattress pads, quilts, comforters, pillows, tablecloths, cloth napkins, potholders, dishrags, towels, washcloths. I love them all. When the ones I have get the slightest bit faded or threadbare, I want new ones, but I hate throwing away the old, so they just keep accumulating in the cupboards. I've also got a minor obsession with bowls. I probably have a dozen different serving bowls - maybe more - but I cherish each one. Two from the Potter's Guild. Two oven-safe stoneware. Two green Fiestaware, slightly chipped, that belonged to Rich's gramma. Stainless steel nesting mixing bowls. A wooden salad bowl. A big Italian pottery bowl that came from my aunt as a wedding gift. I hope I can make it to day 365 without having to take a long hard look at my serving bowls.

For Sam, it's shoes. He has fifteen pairs of apparently identical canvas shoes. To him, they are not identical at all. The Patagonias that look just like his loafers are slippers. One pair of gray Perry's has shoelaces, the other doesn't. This red pair is Nike, that one is Ralph Lauren.

For Rich, it's music gear. We've got five clip-on tuners and one listening tuner. Two electronic metronomes and one mechanical. Three acoustic guitars; four if you include the one that's hanging on the wall for decoration. Two stand-up basses and two electric basses. We've got drums and mariachis and wooden flutes. Silver flutes, penny whistles and recorders. Two electronic keyboards and a piano. A concert ukulele and a soprano ukulele. Two mandolins. One orange and one black Manhasset music stand, and one silver and one black foldable music stand. We've got microphones, amplifiers and a big Rubbermade tub of cords. We've got floor stands and wall hangers. Dozens of books and instructional cds. We've got apps and we've got software.  Okay, let's be fair: some of this stuff belongs to others in the family. But Rich is the king of music gear.

For Emma, it's school supplies. I probably should have said no to her annual requests for all new binders. I don't really believe that new binders every year are necessary. Can all the clasps really be broken? But having new school supplies gave her a reason to look forward to school starting, and how could I say "no" to that? Especially with my drawers and closets stuffed full of linens? So here we are, Emma gone from home, and used binders coming out of the woodwork. I've left a few on Sam's school shelf, and a few out in the studio waiting for new sheet music, but this stack can go. I already got rid of one pile - unofficially donated to the Botanical Gardens - so I figure if I need one in the future, it would be fair game to borrow one. Given the closetful of binders there (I've been cleaning out file cabinets all over the building), I'm taking this set straight to the PTO. Hopefully somebody can find a use for them.