Among the Ruins

Some days are just plain frustrating, there is no other way to describe it. The kind of day where once one thing goes wrong, everything does. Yesterday was one of those days for me.

Absorbing the crisp autumn air in my lungs, I was feeling rather festive. I thought it would be a great day to do some harvest decorating. Off I went into the garage to obtain the life-size scarecrow and a couple of smaller ones which I symetrically placed on the front steps. I went back into the garage to find my autumn wreath (handmade by moi) to complete my outdoor adornment.

I couldn't find it anywhere. To the normal person this would be no big deal, but to me it is frustrating. I searched high and I searched low. We don't have a whole lot of storage space so it shouldn't have been hard to find. I know I definitely did not leave it in Mississauga. It was packed and I know it. I pulled down moving boxes (more than once) and rummaged through the contents to no avail. Argh. How could this be? It is a huge flippin' leafy wreath that doesn't fit in many boxes. I raced upstairs and searched in closests..nothing. I raced downstairs and searched in closests...nothing. To make it worse, it is with my Christmas wreath (also made by moi) so they are both lost. Frustrating, so frustrating. Should have checked more thouroughly when the movers dropped everything off.

While in the garage with the door open, I received the neighbourly visit concerning my cat. Guilty as charged.

Then, I take down a rubbermaid tote as one last hope to finding my wreath. It hasn't been opened since moving because it contains Christmas 'stuff''. I think I mentioned before that I love Christmas, both the sacred and the secular. Part of what I love is decorating.

Trying to open this tote was no easy task. I had mounds of tape around the lid to secure my things during a move. I grab a knife and begin slitting the seams hoping to find that which was lost. Finally got it open. No wreath. Instead I received a stench of mold and mildew that covered the inside of the tote and destroyed everything that was in there.

I took everything out, examing the damage and was only able to salvage one thing. None of the contents were 'valuable' in dollars and cents. But they meant something to me.

Among the ruins were:

A handmade stocking that Steve made me for our first Christmas. He took a red scarf and some scraps of cloth and sewed together quite a nice boot shaped thing.

A banana leaf angel made from real, dried Bermuda banana leaves. It was made and given to me by a friend in Bermuda while we were living there.

A sparkling Christmas tree Joel made for me at daycare when he was three.

Several other Christmas things bought in unique Christmas shoppes on our travels over time.

Oh well. At least I am not attached to 'stuff'. Now if I could only find that wreath...