House Spirits

Collected during moves: House Spirits

I don't know what got me started collecting these things. Or come to think of it, why did I even find them? I guess it has something to do with wanting to make sure a residence move is tidy. You're lucky if you move into a place I've cleaned out. I've been good enough to assume you don't really want the broken teapot, old holiday decorations, the ugliest garage sale vase you ever saw - with dried flowers, or a half a deck of cards.

I also want to make sure I haven't left something behind. Sure enough, move the refrigerator and there are a couple of knives that went missing years ago. Once I even found an antique clock that had been left up in the rafters by how many previous residents ago I don't know.

The items here where discovered in the smallest nooks & crannies during moves. Obviously, some of these were creatures that lived and died in the residence while I was there and maybe (except for perhaps a telltale smell that finally went away) I never knew it. Some were my own lost items, and some were from previous residents. I've moved a lot and at some point I began to save these 'house spirits' as I have called them. One is a donated item from a friend who understood my motives.

Sharon 5/1/01