My attic needs my attention. Boxes and bags have taken up residence, and seem to be multiplying. I've been trying to get rid of things we no longer need, and yesterday I dragged down a couple of boxes from the attic. I was absolutely sure I didn't need anything in them--they were in the attic when we moved into the house nearly five years ago--and yet I still felt compelled to see what was inside.
Boy, did this inspire me to continue purging my own files of paperwork I no longer need! I found old tax records (from the 1960s), checkbooks, social security numbers, etc., among the papers. I am an honest person, and will destroy all of this sensitive information. Two lessons learned, though: 1. I should only keep paperwork that is necessary. 2. If I'm going to keep paperwork, I should make sure I take it with me whenever I move.
Even though many of the papers are useless now, I did discover personal letters, photos, and funeral programs that might hold sentimental value for relatives. I couldn't bring myself to toss those items. I will put my sleuthing skills to the test and see if I can find someone who is related to the authors of the letters.
Not all of my discoveries were so personal, however. I enjoyed a peek into the cultural past. Here are just a couple of gems I found:
I think my most unusual find of the day, though, had to be this:
Yes, that is a plastic bag containing an old coin purse, empty candy wrappers, and quite a few pieces of chocolate! How the chocolate survived the heat of the attic in summer temperatures, I'll never know. They must have fossilized or something. Ewwww. After showing John my find, I quickly tossed it in the trash.
I'm pretty sure that I haven't ever boxed up chocolates to store in the attic. I guess I'll need to keep on with my cleaning spree to make sure, though!
What is the most unusual thing you've ever discovered in your house?
Thanks for the adventure of discoveries!
Boy, did this inspire me to continue purging my own files of paperwork I no longer need! I found old tax records (from the 1960s), checkbooks, social security numbers, etc., among the papers. I am an honest person, and will destroy all of this sensitive information. Two lessons learned, though: 1. I should only keep paperwork that is necessary. 2. If I'm going to keep paperwork, I should make sure I take it with me whenever I move.
Even though many of the papers are useless now, I did discover personal letters, photos, and funeral programs that might hold sentimental value for relatives. I couldn't bring myself to toss those items. I will put my sleuthing skills to the test and see if I can find someone who is related to the authors of the letters.
Not all of my discoveries were so personal, however. I enjoyed a peek into the cultural past. Here are just a couple of gems I found:
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| (I have a feeling that these "ONE SIZE FIT ALL" pantyhose would not work for a majority of women now.) |
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| Here is an advertisement for a shopping mall: "Where Shopping Is A Pleasure" |
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| Notice, however, this woman's disappointment, that she wrote on the top of the folder: "No Hickory Farms". Well then, I guess shopping isn't such a pleasure there. |
I think my most unusual find of the day, though, had to be this:
Yes, that is a plastic bag containing an old coin purse, empty candy wrappers, and quite a few pieces of chocolate! How the chocolate survived the heat of the attic in summer temperatures, I'll never know. They must have fossilized or something. Ewwww. After showing John my find, I quickly tossed it in the trash.
I'm pretty sure that I haven't ever boxed up chocolates to store in the attic. I guess I'll need to keep on with my cleaning spree to make sure, though!
What is the most unusual thing you've ever discovered in your house?
Thanks for the adventure of discoveries!
Those "one size fits all" panythose is a sad commentary on how our body size has changed. I've seen pictures of county and state fairs from the fifties and sixties and there isn't an obese person to be seen, everyone is slim! Perhaps all the labor saving devices and processed foods have combined to our detriment.
ReplyDeleteWe moved into a house in Utah where we discovered a closet under the stairs full of sealed cans and barrels of wheat. Probably 500-600 lbs.! It was a huge blessing as we were just coming out of our "starving student" phase when my husband went to school to change careers and we had depleted most of our stores.
Our attic was full of old newspapers and flattened cardboard boxes perhaps an attempt at cheap insulation? Also rakes and hoes and a snow sled. What? It's truly amazing what folks will put up there and our attic is not a walk-in space either, you have to struggle to get stuff in there.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can find a family member to return some of the personal items. Two years ago a kind person returned a box much like this to me. At the bottom, I found my Father's baptismal certificate - a true treasure!
ReplyDeleteI am still laughing about the panty hose! I do remember in the 60s when they first became popular and I was in high school -- and 5' 8" tall -- they didn't fit then either! What fun finds!
ReplyDeleteYou'd think, living in a house almost 150 years old, we'd have stuff like that. Unfortunately, the owners before us cleaned the place out.
ReplyDeleteWe have found some nifty things in the yard, though. Our oldest found an old British coin. We did some research and found it was considered a lucky charm by men serving in WWI. Just so happens, there are names carved in our barn floor from 1901. The boy whose name is carved happened to serve in WWI.
I love to see history through the eyes of everyday people. You certainly found some!
Wow, good for you. I recently took on a paper project and the liberation of throwing out junk. It makes you wonder that at one point, it was kept for who knows why :)
ReplyDelete