Friday, March 11, 2011

Storage Room Surprise

Since Wayne and me have all of this time together we have been going thru things like crazy….we have a nice big storage room on the back of our home that is attached. But is was full of way too much stuff! Our park is having a community garage sale on the 26th of this month so I have been trying to get ready for it as best I can…..

As you can see, a whole bunch of stuff……

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When we finally got to where we could open bins, I found a few surprises….

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Pez! This whole collection is going on Craig’s List! There has to be well over a hundred, and these are half of what I used to own….

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there are a lot of Canadian and other country’s versions….I was an avid collector back in the 90’s…. update: sold this whole bunch on Craig's List....sold in 30 minutes! :)

One of the last items we got to open was my Dad’s WWII locker, my brother had it for years and I had no idea what was in it….I was taken aback some when I lifted the tray…..

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I was so shocked to see his uniforms and jacket!

This was most likely his dress uniform for the National Guard, he was in the Guard before WWII for a short time ( The Horse Calvary) and up into the 1960’s until he got a medical discharge for Diabetes. I am sure that was a very hard day for my Dad.

IMG_2808 I would like to know what the patch is, perhaps artillery???? I will have to ask some of the vets in my park here. There were tiny holes all through the pants and jacket…

IMG_2797 There were no insects in my storage room, but I am sure somewhere along the line from Ohio to here, there was something munching on them!

Dad & Laurnie Miles during WW II, in bootcamp in Louisiana

This is my Dad on the left and his friend from Eau Claire, Laurnie Miles on the right, they were buddies forever!

Dad during WWII, boot camp in Louisiana

Check out this rifle, my brother still has it….we think this is in Alaska….

What just really touched me though, was the items in the white bag…..

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A wonderful pillow sham that My dad must have got my Mom, …. it is silky and the fringe is beautiful, what a wonderful souvenir from that time in their lives!

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I have to figure out how to get out the wrinkles, I want to put in a pillow form and have it on my guest bed….it was my folks bedroom suite.

He started basic in Louisiana at this Camp Beauregard and ended up towards the end of the war in Alaska….. and of course you have to get a souvenir from there!!!!

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Now the issue is…..what do I do with this uniform????? I have no where to put it, I thought I would take come good photos, take all of the patches and buttons and such off and dispose of it properly…..it’s hard to think of doing that, but it is the logical thing to do. Does anyone know of the proper way to dispose of old uniforms, can you just thrown them away???? That really feels wrong!

I could see my Dad watching me opening that army chest, arms crossed over his chest, with a grin on his face, and my Mom standing behind him with that sweet smile of hers….forever young…..:):)

Charles and Lois Burgess circa WWII

Thanks for coming by….:)



19 comments:

JunqueMagnet said...

Oh my goodness.My son will be drooling over thos Pez.He's 10 and he has over 300.Wait till I tell him there are some from other countries.My mom and sister live in Scotland and when they travel they try to find him European versions.Pretty neat.He will very much wish he lived near your Craig's List!!!I would suggest trying a steamer to get out those creases safely.We have a little travel size one that does wonders.

Anonymous said...

Such interesting things you have found. It's amazing to learn new things about your parents isn't it. Especially after they are gone. I lost my Mom a year ago December and I often think of things that I wish I could ask her now. My dad is still alive so I'll bet there are boxes of things like you have in their basement as well. Thanks for sharing. Cathy

NanE said...

Sandy, what wonderful treasures to discover! Love that pillow sham and the pics of your Dad are priceless. As far as how to dispose of the Uniform, I would contact your local VFW and ask them. They may even know of someone that collects them. If not and you just don't want to throw it away, I would donate it to your local HS drama dept, they are always looking for costumes.
Now about those Pez, lol, I collect them too. OMG, we had to have been bore from the same seed! But Girl, I don't have anywhere near that many, just a drawerfull.

Unknown said...

Your memories are veyr moving, Sandy. I am sure they will be held closely in your heart forever ... the pictures make it nearly real for me. Love your parents ...

I collected SOME Pez for Joshua, but NOT that many, girl friend. WOW!

Happy St.Patrick's Day
Have a lovely weekend ~
TTFN ~
Marydon

CSN GIVEAWAY ENDS 3/17

Tamera's Craft Palace said...

Wow--what awesomw "finds"!! The pillow cover is darling.
Re:the uniforms---if they are wool they can be made into a throw--patchwork style. Then you'd always have it as a rememberance. E-mail me for more details--
You can also use a piece to sew the patches, etc, on to frame.

Unknown said...

Hey Sandy. That's a hard one. I don't know how you properly dispose of one. I liked Tamera's ideas though. What wonderful family photos to have! You mom and dad made such a lovely couple. I love that rug you have. I bought a couple of vinyl tablecloths with that same pattern thinking I could make something with them. I just love the bright bold colors. You're right we are just alike in so many ways!

Hope it's a fun weekend for you. Hugs...Tracy :)

P.S. Did you ever get my likes & dislikes email? Let me know yours too.

Debby said...

Hi Sandy. Thank you for the sweet messages. I have been following you for awhile but the comments wouldn't go through. Try again with this one. It is hard to know what to do with some memories. Would their be someplace that would want to display your Dad's uniform. We went through so much a couple years ago and need to do it again. (((((HUGS)))))

Debby said...

Oh my gosh, it worked.

Nan said...

Oh what a nice trip for you down memory lane about your dad.
On the Pez I had a similar collection of Beanie Babies. Everyone has so many of those they are worthless. I ended up giving the entire collection of them to one of two local shops that sell things cheap. We all have way too much stuff taking up space don't we.

Jenny's Heart said...

What good memories and what a treasure!

SueLovesCherries said...

Hi Sandy! Doesn't it feel good to clean things out? A. A. Milne said, "One of the advantages of being disorganized is the joy of discovery". I think that applies to collecting stuff as well! I'm so glad you found your dad's uniform and souvenirs!

Unknown said...

Congratulations Sandy!!! I'm so glad you were one of the winners. I love knowing that someone who follows and visits regularly won. I can't figure out how to post the winning random generator. I moved it to my blog but couldn't get it to pick the numbers so I just picked them on their site. Maybe you can tell me how to do it. You were one of my Purex winners. Please send me your address so I can get your coupon in the mail.

Hugs...Tracy :)

Donna @ The House on the Corner said...

What special memories!! Loved the pictures of your parents ~ priceless!

After reading your comment I went online and found Surprise Millionaire ~ it was amazing! Cried like a baby :-)

Mrs Twins said...

Hello just stopping by to say hi, and what did I see this beautiful verse.
Do you know what I would do with it?
I would frame it.
I think it is absolutely beautiful.
Get a large frame and hang it up.
What wonderful wonderful words, ooh I do love it.
Uniform, seems a shame to throw it away, OOh goodness i am a proper hoarder. i find it difficult to throw anything away.
love Suex

Unknown said...

Sandy! What a wonderful post! What beautiful photographs and memories. I have a few pennants resting on the top of framed vintage images. I really like displaying them. The pillow case would be fun on a porch, the uniform, hmmm.... interesting to see what you do with it. I know my husband has not let me throw his away! LOL! Always such a gift to hear from you. Elizabeth

genie said...

What a lovely post which ended up as a beautiful tribute to your daddy. I do not have any idea what the proper manner is for the uniform. I would call the VFW - they have ben such a help to me in the past. They are always willing to assist in anyway they can. Take care. Genie

retrorevival.biz said...

Checked with my hubby, retired Army Captain, and he said there's no offical protocol for disposing of old uniforms. I like the idea of donating them to a school's drama department. Hope you have a great evening:)

Into Vintage said...

Hi Sandy,
I too have my dad's army uniforms and I've been hauling them around for years and have finally given myself permission to let them go. At a recent local antique show there were several dealers who specialized in military items including uniforms. They suggested I take photos and email them to see if they might be interested in purchasing them. I'll email you contact info -- you might also google 'military buy sell'. Another suggestion I received was checking with the V.A. or donating them to a military museum. :-)

Kathy B. said...

Hi Sandy!

Enjoyed your post very much. Just a thought for you about the uniform. Last Christmas I made 3 shadow boxes for my mother-in-law for a family member who had been killed in WWII at age 21. I included his uniform (folded under (shirt-style) complete with medals, hat, social security card, official papers, birth certificate, some childhood memorabilia, his "little black book," some pictures he had carried in his wallet, his ID bracelet, his dog tags, etc., and his 48-star flag, folded properly by a marine friend. She absolutely loved it, and the things are no longer in a dusty storage trunk in the basement but out in the open where the story of his life makes a statement of patriotism for all veterans that they are not forgotten, and brings a sense of satisfaction that this would have made his parents and brother (my father-in-law) very proud. It wasn't hard to do, and only takes up a bit of wall space. Whatever you do, I wish you the best!

kathy.bruner@hotmail.com

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