Running With Quills: Stella says, IF YOU'VE GOT IT...USE IT!

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Stella says, IF YOU'VE GOT IT...USE IT!

Why do we "save" things? Why do we ooh and aah over a pair of earrings, a scarf, fuzzy slippers that look so soft, then, when we get them, save them?

Those of you who don't save are now excused:) The rest of you, stay with me.

What do you crave, lust after, yearn for--and feel pitiful if you can't have, or can't have enough of it? Have a good think. Jot a little--or a big--list, if you want to.

Perhaps my list goes like this:

Shoes

Purses

Paintings

Jewelry

Knitted toys

Coats

Porcelain

Pajamas

Frogs

Fairies

Christmas decorations

Coffee mugs

And on, and on and on. Truthfully, I have a lot of "stuff." I have much more stuff than I need but I'm told that "need" has nothing to do with "want." I don't think that's entirely true but it has a comforting ring.

When I'm working I wear black pants, a T-shirt, a baggy shirt over that, no makeup, no jewelry, and no shoes. (Okay, I can also be found in a chenille bathrobe over p.js. sometimes) And I'm almost always working.

Of course that's what I wear. I shouldn't be expected to put on makeup, wear "good" clothes and pick out jewelry, hose, slippers or shoes, maybe a scarf, should I?

We-ell. If I don't use the stuff why have the stuff? I've known people who wanted a piece of jewelry really badly, but when they got this prize, they made copies and put the "good" piece in a safety deposit vault--permanently. Think about that.

My motto is: Use it or give it to someone who will. No, that doesn't mean I've got a table on the sidewalk marked, "Take what you want." It does mean I actually put favorite things where I can see them. My office walls are covered with paintings--none of them valuable but each of them special to me. The fairies and the frogs abound here. There are no "good" rooms in our home. Not anymore. And I'm not saving a pretty piece of porcelain, using an old mug to spare a "special" one, keeping a purse in a cloth bag and wearing a tatty one, or (shudder--shudder) saving a coat or pair of shoes for "best."

The only moment I definitely have is this moment. I think I'll go see how many scarves I can drape around my neck:)

What about you? Will you share your list of "good, special, and best things?" And how do you feel about using, versus hoarding?

I think I'll throw a bunch of love at all of you...

Stella

32 Comments:

Margaret G said...: I keep things until I'm tired of them or the clutter. Then, off they go. If I offer it to you and you don't take it then, don't be surprised if it's gone when you finally do decide you want it. When I want it gone, I want it gone NOW.
Having said that, I sew and knit. Therefore, I hoard fabric, sewing tools, yarn, and knitting tools. But I use them. I used to collect teapots but a shelf broke and smashed a bunch. I have a few left but my heart went out of the collecting. I have my late DH's paintings in every room. No way would I "save" them.

Here's how I feel about using versus hoarding. Use it. Now is all I have. Tomorrow might not come for me. Here is the story of why I feel that way.

When I was about 6, my best friend (also 6) and I both got gorgeous lady dolls for Christmas. My mother let me play with mine. Elizabeth's mother put her's up to "save" because it was too nice to play with. Over the Christmas holdays, Elizabeth, her parents, grandfather, and 2 sisters were going from Houston TX to Beaumont TX to visit family. It was late at night. Suddenly, a van full of drunken teens came roaring around a curve in the road and hit her car head-on. The father, grandfather and, yes, Elizabeth, were all killed. She never even got to hold that damn doll except when she opened the box.

So, that's why I feel the way I do. You can tell I have strong feeling about it even now. That was 60 years ago and I still feel like crying for that little girl.; 3:05 PM
DFender said...: Hiya Stella!

I love lotsa things... pajamas, socks, coffee mugs, purses, shoes, books, etc. I'm not a "saver" though. I use/wear everything that I buy. I have so many nice purses that I wish I could carry more than one at a time. It's also too bad that I only have two feet and can't wear more than one pair of shoes at a time...LOL. I enjoy using the stuff that I buy, or receive as gifts.

The only stuff that I "save" is the stuff my kids make for me... from grade school through today (a senior in high school and a sophomore in college...lol). Usually it's stuff to "look at" as opposed to "use". My daughter is a wonderfully talented artist and her artwork is all over the house. My son is a talented writer and his poems, short stories and other various writings are also all over the house, including the refrigerator.

Happy MONDAY! LOL

Deb; 5:34 PM
DFender said...: ...by the way, Margaret, that's very sad... what a horrible way to learn a lesson. I'm glad that you enjoy things now! :-); 5:36 PM
Katherine said...: I love to collect plants for my garden and beautiful fabric. I'm a user and will be taking my 1st edition Cannery Row with me to read in the hills above Monterey. If it collects a little dust from the same place that "the boys" went hunting frogs for Doc so much the better. To sit and read a book in the very place that an author wrote about is too much pleasure to pass up just so some future collector can have a pristine copy.
I don't tend to be a "saver" because as an Archivist at a large museum I spend most of my day sorting and cataloging peoples saved stuff. Trying to decide if those deteriorating family vacation photos are important enough to try to save for perpetuity. (which is a really really long long time ((archivist joke))) Of course the delicious reward is not getting in trouble for reading someone's letters, diaries and photos.
k; 6:12 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: My saved stuff tends to fall into two categories: the stuff that has sentimental value and which will be saved forever -- and the stuff that I bought or ordered from a catalog that I should have returned. Sigh. I have got to get better at returning stuff. Or better at shopping in the first place so that I don't buy the wrong stuff.

I'm with the rest of you when it comes to using the good stuff, whatever that happens to be Life is short.; 6:46 PM
SamG said...: I have saved ONE thing from my great-grandma (a brownie camera) and ONE from my grandma (her pearls).

My husband collects enough stuff. I don't collect. If I have to dust it, I don't want it. If anything happens to the DH, I will gain about 90% of my house square footage back...and I will keep it as empty as possible. My basement will be a skating rink then.

That being said, for some reason I like tote bags. I never collected them before a few years ago, now when we go somewhere, that is my souvenir of choice. I have about 10 - 15....and I use them sporadically. At least they don't take up too much room.

Sam...who takes stuff to Goodwill a few times a year; 8:25 PM
Lori Foster said...: I hear ya, Stella! I have nicer clothes, but I'm only going to go to the hassle of wearing them when I have to "dress up" for something important. So while I like the looks of the clothes, I don't like the comfort level. They hang in my closet a lot more than my jeans, sneakers, and tees in summer/sweatshirts in winter.

I also love frogs, but they're each displayed somewhere in my house so I can see them!

And I LOVE musical boxes / ornaments. I put those out too, where I can listen to them on occasion, just for fun.

Mostly I'm a photo hound and my house is overflowing with photos, especially of my grandson.

My favorite jewelry I don't wear around the house, but even if I'm just going to the movies, I'll put it on.

Good topic!
Hugs,

Lori; 4:10 AM
Anonymous said...: I use things or get rid of them. This came to be my philosophy because when my parents-in-law died we had to clear out 40 years of stuff. It was an overwhelming job and we may have thrown away some historically important things because they weren't labeled or we didn't know their significance. KathyK; 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...: I mostly save only sentimental things, my parents' china, my grandparents' sterling silver, and a plate collection that I actually gave my mother which came back to me when she passed away.

My husband was way more than a collector. He was a pack rat of major proportions. He passed away 2 1/2 years ago and I am still trying to clean stuff out of the house, under the house, and out of the garage.

We have several charities who come by about every 6-8 weeks. I support them all and just rotate who gets the stuff this time.

Unfortunately, not all the stuff is worth saving or donating to anyone so it goes in the trash and the dump for larger items.

I have managed to claim back 1 bedroom, most of our back room, and all the parking spaces in front of my house (4 vehicles have gone away, one left to go).

Jayne, for those items that you ordered and never returned, donate them. I know women's shelters are always looking for clothes and personal care items since they normally survive on a shoe string budget.

Happy saving for those who save, happing using for those who use, and happy clearing for those who are always clearing!

Kathy H; 12:32 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: I have my "special" stuff all around me: whether it's a small stuffed animal on our bed or a whimsical frog draped over my computer or a piece of jewelry given to me by a dear friend that I wear if I'm going out of the house. I no longer save anything for "someday." Someday is today in my book.
~EG; 1:16 PM
Stella said...: Margaret: Your comments about Elizabeth sum up the point I was trying to make. I think! Thanks for sharing.

Stella; 1:40 PM
Stella said...: Deb: "A girl after my own heart!" But I wasn't always so evolved...

Stella; 1:41 PM
Stella said...: Katherine:

Your job sounds fascinating. When you get overloaded with good letters or journals, toss them my way:)

As for reading CANNERY ROW in Monterey--just my mind of event. Last year I was in Grasmere and went to the house where Wordsworth wrote "Daffodils." Very special to look through the windows where he must have seen those flowers, or at least imagined them.

Stella; 1:44 PM
Stella said...: Jayne: I hear you on returning stuff. Such a waste to keep unused things around.

Stella; 1:45 PM
Stella said...: Sam: I'm also a Goodwill donation devotee. And my husband is a collector of all things paper:) Unfortunately I also do my share.

Stella; 1:46 PM
Stella said...: Lori: Another frog kid, hm? Mine are everywhere and often not at all obvious:)

Stella; 1:47 PM
Stella said...: Kathy: Been there, etc. Boxes of silver on a shelf in a garage. Boxes of new shoes. Boxes containing pins, necklaces and so on. Pointless.

Stella; 1:49 PM
Stella said...: Kathy H: Clearing things out after we've lost someone we love is poison icing on the cake. I don't want to do that to anyone.

Stella; 1:51 PM
Stella said...: EG:

I think I'll pop that up as a motto:
SOMEDAY IS TODAY.

Stella; 1:52 PM
susan andersen said...: Stella, great topic! I'm among the users. Don't see the point in having something if you're not using it.

That said, most of my clothing is casual and my jewlery is funky rather than elegant. And I do have dressy stuff that I only wear to conferences, weddings, etc. I own too many shoes and there are some that I keep more for decoration than footwear-- because as pretty as they are they turned out to be mega uncomfortable. So I enjoy looking at them but have given up wearing them.; 3:49 PM
Katherine said...: Hey Stella, I'm all for sharing the fun. Tomorrow I start in on a collection of personal photos & letters from an American pilot during WWI.
FYI if you've ever wondered about the best way to go about preserving grannies pictures. Both the National Archives & Records Administration and The Library of Congress websites have really good sections on how to go about preserving your treasures.; 6:21 PM
Stella said...: Susan:

You have great style that fits you perfectly. You bring fresh brightness with you.

This from one shoe hog to another:)

Stella; 8:22 PM
Stella said...: Thanks for the tip, Katherine. I have some old family photos I'd like to preserve.

Cheers, Stella; 8:25 PM
Ranurgis said...: Are you looking over my shoulder, Stella? And conspiring with my family to get rid of my stuff?

Aah, too a certain degree, I agree. But...parting is not necessarily sweet sorrow for me; just sorrow.

I have clothes, not valuable or even good stuff, but some that goes back 30 or more years. Every time I move--another one coming up in July--I'm urged to dispose of things I don't use. But I do use these things cyclically. For my niece's wedding in Feb. I was looking for one of my oldest blouses that would go really well with my suit. I couldn't find it and had to take along a choice of 4 tops that I thought didn't work as well. Well, I found that blouse just 2 or 3 days ago when I looked into a suitcase that I thought contained other items. Grr.

So what do I have hoarded:
Books, books, books, books, books...
Postcards,
Travel posters, folders and souvenir booklets,
Stamps,
LPs (most of them my father's)
Cassettes and VHSes,
DVDs and CDs,
Computer programs, most in their original packaging,
Scarves and fancy hankies, some dating from the 1940s and 1950s,
Silver or silver-plated souvenir spoons and dessert forks, some ditto,
Paintings and mounted photographs,
Cookbooks which I have never used but always think I will sometime or other, like now when I'm moving into a new place,
Photos and slides, mine and my father's,
?, ?

And I'm keeping my brown leather & suede winter coat as my "good" coat. It's starting to wear thin at the cuffs, but I hope it will last as long as I do. Maybe I'll ask to have it as my shroud. Lol. After all, it's a really classic, classy style, the best garment I've ever owned.

But yes, I have given a lot away. Some things I can't/won't part with until I die...

If I can find them before then.; 9:49 PM
Lori Foster said...: Sam, that's hilarious! I feel the same about MOST things -if I have to dust it, I don't want it. LOL
Good saying!

Lori; 5:32 AM
Stella said...: Ranurgis:

Now you can wear the formerly lost shirt to the next event! And it'll seem new. There's always a good side to be found--almost always.

Stella:); 1:08 AM
Stella said...: Lori: I have a thing about dust. If I see it, it has to go and yes, that means some things bite the dust because they just attract the stuff.

Stella; 1:10 AM
Malin said...: I just hate it when people give me dust catchers as gifts!

1. I do not yet own a space to place them. (Being a student.)
2. I hate to dust so a smooth surface is best. (Any available surface gets covered with books, anyway!)
3. I pack up and move twice a year and have things in storage at three locations. I have boxes of stuff I haven't opened in five years that I need to sort through and either throw/give away, bring into use or catalog as something I own and will use and do not need another of.

SO DON'T GIVE ME MORE STUFF! ESPECIALLY USELESS STUFF!

Okay, I feel better now. Sorry for the outburst.

Happy Midsummer!

Malin; 10:09 AM
braible said...: My best things are the things I inherited from my mother and grandmother. My special things are the things my children gave me or that I'm saving to give to them. I believe in using things but also in taking good care of them. And if I like it well enough to want forever, I buy one to use and one to save. :)
Becky; 5:42 PM
Yasmine Galenorn said...: Hey Stella, I'm like you--if I don't need it, love it, use it, it goes out.

My list of things I love: my teapots and teacups, Old Country Roses china, my Faerie figurines and dragon statues, my books, my Waterman pens, DVDs and CDs, my crystal collection and magical tools.

But I make sure if I buy something for one of those collections, it's something I really want. Books--if I like them enough to finish them, they're keepers. If I don't finish them, I send them to my sister.

Yasmine (cannot STAND a cluttered house); 12:52 PM
Ranurgis said...: Malin, my sympathies on "more stuff."

My sister gave me a dust-catcher photo album for my birthday. Here I am trying to convert all my photos and slides to digital pictures. There she is, converting digital pictures to paper and putting them into a nice? big wooden photo album. Groan.

But what could I say? LOL I know she meant well.; 8:56 PM
Ranurgis said...: BTW, I'm another Goodwill devotee, though most of my clothes go to a group that shelters women who are "homeless" during the day. They go to shelters or friends' homes at night. They are also trying to make crafts now since some sewing-machines were donated to "My Sister's Place." If mine still works, I intend to donate it there, too, once I get it out of storage.; 9:01 PM

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Sunday, June 15, 2008

Stella says, IF YOU'VE GOT IT...USE IT!

32 Comments: