December 29, 2016 – Out with the old – in with the new.

          I’ve been cleaning house – drawers, closets, cabinets, everywhere.  I have been on a mission.  I bought three of the same item – one as a gift to a friend who was expected to travel – one for me – it was a nice item and the same item for a “steal a gift Christmas gift.”    I wrapped one in the handiest paper I could find – not my standard wrap – but I did it before she arrived after church one morning.  The other two – I still don’t know where they disappeared to.  I think I put them somewhere – but where?

          Vanished – gone.  I have looked every possible place and now that I have opened and cleaned and re-folded every item in every drawer, torn out the closets and sorted out the clothes and put them back.  Moved all the books to closets until I get into a “reading spell” and opened all the suitcases thinking that I might have stuffed the two unwrapped gifts in them . . . I have come up empty handed.

          Is this a sign of old age?   Did they get tossed out in the trash somehow? Wherever I put them is a swell hiding place.

          What I did find in this escapade was useless trash.   Toss it, toss it, toss it was my mantra.  I found I had duplicate shoe polish in three different drawers in three different rooms in the house.  They are now in one place – those that are still useable.

          Unmatched socks – they are all gone.  I dumped all the socks out on the bed, matched those that matched and the rest I tossed.  It was liberating.

          I even got to drawers I hadn’t thought of getting to and imagine the surprises.   I found what were meant to be stocking stuffers for my husband that I must have bought 3 or 4 years ago.   He got those today as a bonus from my cleaning.  He was good enough to take several bags of trash to the dump.

 I had another good find. My last visit home I worked in my Dad’s garden and in the evening it got chilly.  He dug in his closet and said, “You gave me this.  It didn’t fit – you can have it.”  I pulled the grey plaid flannel shirt on and it took the chill off.  I had been wondering where it was – it was off the hanger and on top of an open sewing basket – nope the missing items were not in that basket.  But, I immediately pulled the flannel shirt on.  It took off the chill, again.

          I’m still looking – still hunting for those two items.   So, what were they?

They were small pouches that would expand into a full size travel bag in fashionable Kelly green and navy blue plaid.  Light weight and handy and I thought perfect for myself when I saw it at the store this last summer.  I thought I could tuck it into my luggage on my next trip and then if I had some items I needed to bring back, I had a satchel to take care of the situation.   Then I liked the price and bought a second for the Christmas exchange – a good – all-purpose item for a steal-a-gift – then I thought of my friend who would be going back to Florida to settle her mother’s estate.  She might want to bring a few cherished items home with her.  I got her one too.   Well, she is the only one who got one.  I am still waiting to find mine and the extra for a spare gift.

          I can’t think of another place to look, but isn’t the old adage: You will find it the last place you look. I have something to look forward to.

          I ran out of steam late afternoon.  But I have to laugh at myself.  I was just about to quit the cleaning project as my mind was thinking, ‘Let me relax and work on my embroidery’.

          Every Christmas I buy a good book or a project to fill the extra quiet time over the holiday.  This year it was a set of pillow cases to be embroidered.  My mother taught me to embroider when I was a child and I admired some hand embroidery recently.  A few days before Christmas I was in Wal Mart and found pillow cases that were stamped with butterflies to embroider.  I bought them along with floss – ala - Santa.

          I started the butterfly pillow cases Christmas afternoon.    I work with one color at a time and am doing the leaves first – lots of satin stich – plump leaves.  I am slow at statin stich and I am taking care to do them “beautifully” for myself.

          Done with that closet I went to the last bedroom and went through the bureau drawers.  I wanted to get to my embroidery.  I was running out of steam.  The drawers were given a quick run through – out trash, and straighten and then I find a shopping bag folded around an item.  The right size for my missing items and I open it up and what do I pull out?

          Another package of the exact same butterfly pillow cases to embroider with a receipt dated three years ago.

          I don’t remember buying them.  If I can’t remember buying them, how am I going to remember where I put my missing items?

          On second thought - did I buy only one and not three?