Yet for better or worse we love things that bear the marks of grime, soot, and weather, and we love the colors and the sheen that call to mind the past that made them. - Junichiro Tanizaki

I went through my closet last week and decided to get rid of some clothes that I have not worn or been able to wear in years.  I’ve held onto dresses and other clothes because I still liked them, even though I couldn’t wear them and never would. 

One particular dress was my very favorite.  It must have shrunk while it was hanging in my closet.  I used to take it out and hold it up to me and remember how much I loved wearing it.  The material was still bright and colorful.  Each time I took it out to put in the “give away” box, I couldn’t part with it, so I hung it back in the closet until next time.

I remember one time several years ago, I was telling a friend at work about a big leather recliner we had that we really didn’t have room for.  We liked the chair and it was comfortable.  It had sentimental value for me.  I sat in the chair many times with a cat in my lap.  The chair had scratches from the cats jumping on and off of it.  The leather wasn’t torn though.  It was a good, well made chair.  It rocked, swivelled and reclined easily. 

We finally moved the chair upstairs and put it in my computer room.  It was there for awhile.  I sat in it sometimes, but more than once, I complained that it was in my way.

So my friend, Teresa, said, “Can’t you just take a picture of the chair and sell it or give it away?”  I really hadn’t thought of that.  She said that she and her husband lived in a small house and they didn’t keep anything they didn’t use. 

I tend to hang on to more than I need.  There’s just been so many times I have gotten rid of things and then the next week or so, I needed it or could have used it. 

We decided one day to sell the recliner.  I put an ad on Craig’s List and it sold right away.  I was surprised by the lack of attachment I felt when the lady came to pick it up and it was gone. 

I do have pictures of it though. 

Not long after we moved here we, or probably, I, wanted leather furniture for the livingroom.  I still don’t know why.  We went to several places, looking for the right sofa.  Finally, we went to The Leather Factory.  We picked out a sectional sofa, the color and type of leather, and also ordered a matching recliner.

It took a few weeks to have it made.  In the meantime, I got busy and advertised our old furniture in the PennySaver, which was still in very good condition.  Back in 1995, we didn’t use Craig’s List.

The furniture sold very quick.  We used patio chairs in the living room until our new leather furniture came.

Calvin and Rowdy miss their couch

It was beautiful.  Cream colored, soft, leather.  It quickly turned into unhappiness though.  It was cold to sit on.  Blankets and covers just slid off. 

Then we started noticing scratches.  Our two cats at the time, Rowdy and Calvin, didn’t have front claws, but they had back claws.  Of course, when they jumped up on the couch, they would scratch the cushions.  I started trying to cover the couch, but nothing would stay on it.

I think we had the couch less than six months when we decided that leather was not going to work for us.  I called the man at The Leather Factory and he said he could come out and repair the scratches.  Of course, it was not free, but I wanted the scratches gone.  There were just a few to repair.

We planned on selling our new, beautiful leather sofa.  By that time, neither one of us was really attached to it.  It had to go.

When the scratches were repaired, we immediately moved the couch to the garage so it would not have any more damage.

I advertised it in PennySaver.  A nice couple with two kids came by and loved it.  They bought it and it was gone.  I don’t remember shedding a tear.  But, we kept the recliner.  It was comfortable and we did use it.

That weekend we went sofa shopping again.  This time we planned on being more practical.  We went to Krause’s Sofa Factory, picked out a sectional style, the fabric and pattern, and ordered it.

For two or three weeks, we used the patio chairs in the living room again.  The first one to the recliner, got it.

Finally the new sofa was delivered.  It was so much more comfortable than the leather one.  We didn’t have to worry about the cats scratching it. 

Rowdy and Chelsi, relaxing on our new couch

Calvin (recliner next to couch)

That sofa is still with us.  It has been moved three times, two of which were cross-country Navy moves.  The fabric and cushions have held up since 1994.  We still like the colors and I can’t tell you how many people and cats have sat on that couch.

When I wake up at 2:00 in the morning and can’t go back to sleep, I go to the couch with my blanket and watch TV.  I go right back to sleep.

So when I was pulling clothes from my closet and deciding to say goodbye to them, I came across the pretty red and green dress.  I thought of what my friend had said about taking a picture of it and letting it go.

This time, when I held it up to me and saw myself extending more than an inch on either side of the waist, I knew it was time to give someone else a chance to wear the dress.

I took a picture of it, folded it and put it in a nice box with another one of my favorite dresses.  The clothes were going to be picked up the next day. 

The next morning, I woke up early and the first thing that popped into my mind was, “Oh no!  I can’t give that dress away!  I probably took the tags off and no one will know how to clean it.  It has to be dry cleaned.  If they wash it, it will be ruined!”

So, when I got up later, I went to the garage and found the dress.  When I checked for the label, it was there.  I hadn’t removed it.  “Rayon.  Dry clean only.”  It was safe to let it go.

"The Dress"

More later.............