Memory Junkie

I will admit that I am a memory junkie although I HATE clutter. Danny and I have had more arguments about me throwing away stuff that he said was important. Like random scrap pieces of paper that he has written phone numbers on that I thought was trash. I have even on occasions thrown out mail that I thought was junk mail when in fact it was something important. But when it comes to memories I absolutely cannot part with it. I have boxes and boxes of stuff that I think is important.

Like this...

A teen magazine from 1978 when my world revolved around Shaun Cassidy...my diary from 4th grade talking about my crush on a cute boy in school named Timmy...and an old jewelry box full of notes from grade school friends.

And then there are my journals. I have more than what is even shown in the picture below. Most are from the 80's and 90's. I started writing in journals in 9th grade and still write in them today. I'm not great about writing in them daily though. Sometimes I'll go months without writing but it is so fun to look back over a years' time to see what was happening in my life. Oh, the drama!

Since I don't always write in my journals daily, I have these....

Pocket calendars. I pick them up at the Hallmark store or at CVS every December. I live by these. I usually track my weight, menstrual cycles, appointments, birthdays, etc. I can look back ten or twenty years ago and see what I was doing (or gaining or losing...)

Then there are the boxes of notes from my friends when we were in high school (which are just hysterical) and letters and cards from family, friends and old boyfriends from when I lived away at college. Every once in a great while I will pull out those boxes and just sit and laugh and sometimes even cry.

And of course there are the pictures, pictures and more pictures. Since I am quite the neat freak most are in photo albums, in order and by date.

Now that I have kids in preschool and kindergarten I have all the stuff they make and draw. I have a big plastic bin where I store all my favorite things they have made and worked on. I'm sure I'll be adding more bins as the years go on.

So I will own up to it..."My name is Dini and I'm a memory junkie".