Scandinavian Penultimate Downsizing

Our daily routine, nearly every day, involves going through stuff, making decisions whether to sell, discard, donate, keep, leave for descendants and survivors. We are doing the Swedish Death Cleaning process, leisurely, mindfully. One might say we've been doing it for fifteen years, in visits to Montana, periodically going through all the stuff we put in storage upon retiring in 2008. But now we are doing it for the long haul. It has been an interesting process so far, occasioning many journeys down the memory or amnesia lanes, some puzzlement, some amazement, some to be highlighted below. Many still for sale.

Of course, the SDC process itself needs re-branding, to avoid the morbid connotations. I have tentatively settled on the blogpost title above, but I am open to suggestions, except anything about sparking joy. And speaking of re-branding...a couple weeks ago Vicki made "Marry Me" chicken, an Italian dish featuring sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, cream, and red pepper flakes, among other things. Delicioso. We are now calling it Swipe Right Chicken. Look it up.

Among items recovered after 15 years' storage: my first, and last,
oil painting, an Expulsion, c. 1988; among the first Apple-adopters
in the late 70s, we gradually became unhappy with the brand,
which may be reflected in the painting; maybe not; interestingly,
the serpent and god are the expellers; more relevantly, with this
painting I learned that it takes a long time for linseed oil-based
paint to dry and that in a place like Dallas the oil attracts gnats
that then get stuck in the muck; I bet van Eyck never had to pick
gnats out of Adoration of the Mystic Lamb

Accordingly, I switched over to acrylic, which cleans up with
water and does not stain the carpet nor attract gnats (important art
history and technological insights); this is my mostly impasto portrait
of our dog, Fafner--beloved Fafner--a Tibetan Terrier, faithful
companion from 1983 to 1995; this and the above not for sale

Books; many books; this is my 15-volume set of Samuel Eliot
Morison's History of United States Naval Operations in World War II

Memories of Dallas...1986...I was Special Assistant to the President
of SMU...just months before the Death Penalty, SMU was hosting 
the Final Four...and Vicki and I were among the VIPs...

Souvenir

From the WTF department: neither of us has any
recollection whatsoever of how we came by this
Mannequin Pis replica liquor dispenser; works, too
(see illustration); batteries not included; liquor not
included

For 13 years we lived in the Inland Northwest--Big Sky country--
and of course had to have a Hudson's Bay blanket to adorn our log
home

No idea where this came from either--cassette tapes--
I'm hardly a Verdi fan, and have yet to begin going
through all the vinyls and CDs

Glasses from the Stiegl beer museum in Salzburg;
"Es muss ein Stiegl sein!" ("It must be a Stiegl!")

My winter Kimono-style robe, from a visit to Japan
in 1983; SMU was in the Mirage Bowl

Authentic haggis whistle, from Scotland, guaranteed
to attract female haggises in heat; $1,000 OBO; no
returns, no refunds

Amazing what people will buy...needles and thread
not included...anything with the Chouinard name on
it is gold

Amazing what people will buy episode II...I bought
these in the 80s...Ralph Lauren...don't think 
I ever wore them

Beautiful heavy wool sweater...too big, too itchy

Interesting how you out-grow things in middle age...

One of Vicki's banker outfits

Antique eight foot hand-woven wall tapestry...Kasmir...
where is Antique Road Show when you need them?!

Our snowmobiling days are numbered...#1

If you come visit us you'll probably be asked to model
something or other

Brand is everything

No end in sight for the books

Great for Ottoman costume parties...

Historic T-shirts

Obviously bought in Alaska, for what we are not
sure; whale blubber? never used

1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog (now Patagonia),
bought probably in Yosemite Valley, or possibly REI in
Seattle, for $.50; buy it now for $499; famous early
exposition of "clean" climbing 

Our snowmobiling days are numbered...#2

Another curiosity...bought in York in 2010, for
$20, sold now in the US for $129; go figure...