On to the next phase

The next phase begins as I try to downsize the various collections of things like rocks from particular beaches that we have visited in Canada. That has proven to be particularly easy as they really belong outside. I am still collecting them up and will give them a nice spot in the garden since I am staying here for a longer time either me or a family member at various times.

I also have a collection of fired plates that Edward was very fond of and they number around 30. I am thinking of offering them to one of the groups that has his books for their centre. I need to get that process going as the original boxes still exist and I can package them all up along with the display cases. It would be nice to see them displayed instead of sitting in a drawer as two stacks. We will keep the last display that Edward created of song birds but the rest we will donate for others to enjoy. He would have liked that. I notice that this is one of the items in a website that talks about the items not to purchase with the idea in mind of them increasing in value to pass on to your children. They are just nice pictures on fired plates. They do look very special on the wall for sure. 

I would like to donate Edward's clothes to the Mission but I think they are still not accepting. He has five winter coats all in really good condition plus a number of pairs of winter boots which are also in good condition and especially usable in our climate. Then there are dozens of shirts, pants and other items. In the last few years Ed has given generously to Shepherds of Good Hope and I hope to continue with that since it was one of his thoughts. I give to the Union Mission not a great amount but a regular amount to help there. One item that does make me sad was Edward's new jeans. He bought them when we were shopping one day just before COVID-19 lockdown and he bought a pair. He did wear them a few times but did not get the joy out of them that he might have. I think it is the jeans that most inspire me to give all of these clothes to the Union Mission. They may make a difference in the life of someone struggling to begin their lives in a more meaningful way. 

I keep finding items that I have forgotten through the years. A chess set that his mother brought back from Mexico as a gift to him. He actually does not play chess and even with the new set I could not persuade him to play but he did enjoy the chess set and it sat on a table in the living room for a few years. 

What to do with sleeping bags and camping equipment? My days of camping are definitely in the past but we did buy new sleeping bags to keep in the car in case we were ever stranded somewhere in the winter. Perhaps I will find a new home for them. They are washable; one of the great things about modern life is the washability of so many things. 

The day beckons although it looks like rain.