stuff stuff

our house is a fountain of stuff. it bubbles up the stairs in bags and boxes. every tiny new toy now comes in a huge cardboard and plastic sheath, with little infuriating twist ties holding each limb of mr potato head down still. we weed through the clothes and pack up bags for chloe's closet or to put outside for the homeless neighbors, but by the time the laundry is sorted 2 hours later the drawers are all stuffed full again. we clean out a closet and in days it is stacked high with flippers, coats, various baby carrying contraptions, plastic tricycles.

when my mother was freshly divorced a big weekend activity was to go garage saleing. my wedding dress for her second wedding was from the newark goodwill. we did the library a lot. and she is a VERY generous lady. my parents and culture instilled in me a love of things, but also a love of bargains, and of used things. now we have chloe's closet consignment, and craigslist, and libraries all over the city. i love these things. much of our furniture was found. there is a thrill in cruising home from work and stopping short to hop out of the car and grab a perfect deck chair sitting sadly by a garbage can on the sidewalk. i love to bring our bags of clothes (not needed or wanted by friends of course) and old toys into the consignment store and write my name on the bag with a sharpie. later i can come in and browse the awesome racks of i suspect fairly well-off people's used clothes and get things for free, with my store credit, while the kids play freely with the toys set out for them to enjoy. this makes me feel so successful and clever. not at all the feeling i get while punching in my PIN at target with red circles staring at me from every direction. i like packing up the most-loved dresses and baby toys and sending them to my niece isabella in texas, and saving little shirts with embroidered helicopters for my little man niko in la grange. when my downstairs neighbor or cassie or miles' schoolmate's mom hands me a bag of hand-me-downs for maya i dig into them so happily and greedily.

there are so many people here in this city, the network for used stuff is so intricate. i heard about a new monthly market in delores park called the really really free market. no barter, no trade, just free. i want to check it out.

i just read an article, nothing earth-shattering, about green spending and maybe my love of hand-me-downs and consignment shops, and garage sales, and craigslist and at one time dumpster diving, is related deep down to the fact that these are all slightly subversive things.
why buy from a store? why can't more people share things and share their money? it's fun to get a bargain. it's exciting to share. maybe it's my jewish heritage (am i allowed to say that??)

i hope i'm not sounding like some idealistic wierdo.

anyway, i wonder how long the kids will accept used and borrowed. we are going to keep trying as long as we can. and if i can lose some weight there are a lot of clothes stuffed in these closets and i won't need to buy more for a long long time. maybe i can rip up my fat clothes and make curtains and sails and awnings and quilts and potholders and tablecloths and you get the idea.

bye