BadBay

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

A year in review through photographs ...

Oh! The Randomness of It All!

2011-11-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Just a collection of random stuff taken with my iPhone during the cleaning process ...

Odd reads ... non-Avon false eyelashes ... an ugly ceramic frog (who is now guarding the door with his mal ojo to ward away any evil spirits) ... and some very cool old ceramics and glassware. Sometimes slogging through the muck will yield benefits!

Ding Dong!

2011-11-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Avon Calling! For a number of years, Celia was an Avon representative - a rather popular, and thus, successful one. She was certain that this stuff was going to be worth something someday (a common theme throughout her life); decanters, jewelry, representative awards and gifts ... they fill nearly every room in great abundance. Allow me to take this moment to announce Avon as a prominent corporate sponsor of 'Hoarder Haven.' Judging by the number of these products currently available on eBay for practically nothing, I'd say that my Hoarder Haven is probably only one of thousands across the globe.

Some of the above items are obviously not Avon products, but are a few additional doodads that Celia had on display in a cheap-ass curio cabinet (probably from Walmart - another corporate sponsor of Hoarder Haven). This is but a very miniscule sampling of the overall collection ... exceptionally miniscule.

Celia was a big proponent of storing things inside of containers. All kinds of containers - decorative boxes, plastic bags, fruitcake tins (a big favorite!), and especially (this juncture merits a drum-roll) the empty facial tissue box! Fortunately, I have already gone through most of the Kleenex-box-file-cabinets - most of which contained primarily discarded tissues as padding (or camouflage) for old bill stubs, receipts, and on a few occasions, cash; so I'm now coming across the more decorative junk receptacles. Practicing a bit of cognitive reprogramming on myself, I tell myself that great treasures might be contained within! Most times, it's just more Avon, like the contents of this very cool brown jar ... safety pins, an old pipe cleaner, and some ancient Avon lipstick samples. Still ... it was much better than finding one of Celia's spent tissues.

A Few Gems

2011-11-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Now that I've gotten through the top layers of stuff (mostly assorted papers), I've been unearthing some gems.

The contents of this desk drawer strikes me as something of a metaphor for the way my late mother would compartmentalize life. It's not that she was organized (far from it), but that once she developed a notion about something or someone, those impressions never changed - even when presented with additional evidence to the contrary. She didn't seem to ever throw anything away ... opening a desk drawer in 2011 to find some of these items was a bit surreal ... a John F. Kennedy campaign button (in pristine condition) ... wooden beads from my early teen years, and the Virgin Mary key chain that I gave her when I was a child - all seem to capture what appears to be a distant past, but instead reflect decades of neglect. Who knows when this drawer was last opened.

One of many boxes (and tins and plastic bags) that were packed full of bows and ribbons intended to be recycled on future offerings to others. And, because one can never have too many used bows.

Finally, meet the "girls!" These have been sitting atop this desk for ages, and I was surprised to find that they weren't covered in inches of dust (or moss). Both of these were actually mine ... my mother thought that it would be a great idea to gift me with a short wig when I was in my late teens; the other one (on the left) is a "cascade" that I was required to wear when performing in my high school choir. I do not recall ever wearing the full wig for more than a "try-on," and I don't see even that taking place at anytime in the near future.

Ah! It's Been Awhile ...

2011-11-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Since I last posted an entry here. I took an extended break from clearing that house during the summer months because that house can get incredibly hot during the summer months. Of course, my mother always resisted any entreaties to install forced air and heat; she claimed that the cold air would give her pneumonia (seriously) and such an endeavor would be prohibitively expensive. So, following her model, I decided that it would be too hot for me to work without developing heat stroke, and I remained at my own home, located at the beach where the temps remained cool. I also spent two of those weeks traveling (for the first time!) to Europe, where the weather was mostly damp and mild, but much preferable to sorting through years of accumulated junk in Orange County.

Hmm ... let's see ... which one is preferable?

This one? Or ...

... this one?!

I spent four days in the Netherlands hanging out with a beloved group of friends and we enjoyed a phenomenal concert! After that, I flew to England and stayed with my longtime friend, Jean (and her cat, Gizzie), near London. The whole trip was exceptionally wonderful! The food was delicious (well, not in the Netherlands where it was rather bland), while the company I kept was more than satisfying. I returned home to my L.A. beach, and after about 10 days recovering from jet lag ... I once again, resumed the cleaning process.

Much of my initial cleaning (before the summer) was spent sorting through the top layer of papers; my mother saved probably every bill stub, Walmart receipt, and electronics manual. While I know that more of this awaits me (it probably resides deep in the bowels of the garage), I have gone through the bulk of the most recent (mid- 1980s-to-present day). So, now I have started to tackle the numerous dressers, desks, and other enclosed compartments.

Dispatches from the Front Line

2011-05-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when Iʼm clearing, I ﬁnd something that I want to share immediately. When this urge hits, I snap a quick shot with my iPhone, and I post it to my Facebook page. These were my transmissions from May 17, 2011.

1:04 PM
“ugh … cleaning up at my late parentsʼ house – Hoarder Haven … just found this shoved behind some boxes … exp date was
5.10.06 shortly after my dad died. Mom was busy with cheese puffs.

At 3:35 PM
And … an empty bag of pork rinds!

A Drawing

2011-05-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Celia was always pursuing some kind of arts and crafts. Her mainstay was crochet, but she also dabbled in feather ﬂowers, chenille and styrofoam lady bugs, and Asian brush painting. Each morning she watched lessons on the TV, and actually became quite proﬁcient. I havenʼt yet found any of those original paintings, and I had forgotten that she had even pursued this, until I found this scribbled in felt tip marker on the back of a bill envelope.

found 10 May 2011

Interior

2011-05-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

A few photos to set the tone ...

Taken with my iPhone from the inside of the house before I began sorting and cleaning. As I said previously, it could have been much worse … at least, thatʼs what I tell myself when I feel overwhelmed (ask me how often I feel that?!).

Now, in looking at these photos, one might think, “That isnʼt so bad … just call in a service to clean it all up!” And, if that was possible, I would have done it by now. The reason I havenʼt is because my mother was a hider and a stasher. She would hide Christmas presents in November, and not be able to locate them again until Easter. Since money was an “issue” for her, she would tuck a few bucks here, stash a couple of twenties there … just in case she ever needed it. As she aged, she became paranoid that the neighborhood woman who came in a couple of hours each day to help out, would steal from her … prompting the duo-safety stash-and-hide measure. So, Iʼve found empty tissue boxes used as “ﬁle cabinets” for paid bill statements, and while emptying the contents, have increased my wealth by anywhere from $5.00 to $200.00, in cash. Nope, I donʼt trust a service to sort through this stuff. Call me paranoid.

This is my fav …

A statue of the Virgin Mary atop the heater! Actually, the house has two wall heaters, both under the watchful eye of La Virgen.

Welcome to 'Hoarder Haven'

2011-05-27T20:07:00.001-07:00

This looks like a normal post-WWII suburban tract home, doesn't it?

Yes, and ... no. Yes, this house was built in Orange County, CA in early 1955, and my parents bought it brand spanking new. However, it is far from normal … I do not ever recall it being free of things. Both of my parents grew up relatively poor during the Depression, so like many of their generation, they tended to not part with possessions. However, my mother took this penchant way beyond normal saving; she seemed to relish in purchasing and storing cheap crap for no apparent reason other than she could. Her personality wasnʼt especially obsessive compulsive … if she had been, her collections of stuff would have been much worse. The piles would touch the ceiling, instead of only reaching about chest height on my six-foot frame.

I had intended to start this blog on the ﬁrst day I began sorting through the possessions inside. But, this didnʼt work out as planned; so thereʼs a bit of catching up to do!