still fuming about this three weeks later

[vikingchyk]

She was a hoarder, yet she saw nothing wrong with getting rid of my toys by shipping them to her relatives in the middle of nowhere <_< (that could be why I started developing minor hoarding tendencies when I finally got all my stuff out of there)

This. My mom is OCD the other way, so she would throw my stuff (and anything not nailed down) out without asking. So now I keep a lot of stuff (hovering around a Level 2, I think) My grandparents and aunt were semi-hoarders, too. She's the aberration!!

I just need to convince myself that, in the 25+ years I have lived 700+ miles away from her, not once has she driven here, broken into my house, and thrown any of my stuff away.

I am safe. No, really! Safe, and I don't need to keep everything, or try to buy back every little thing from my childhood. I can stop being afraid. Any time now. Really...

But anyone touching my books, Legos or yarn stash will be smacked Hey, she never let me have Legos, so I neeeeed them nooooooowwww! It's never too late to have a happy childhood

[Jay 2K Winger]

It's never too late to have a happy childhood

So true. Remember:

You're only as old as you let yourself feel.

[vikingchyk]

So true. Remember:

You're only as old as you let yourself feel.

Yeah, I'd be in deep kimchee unless I offset the physical with the mental/emotional - hence, Legos! Yay!!!

[smileyeagle1021]

Yeah, I'd be in deep kimchee unless I offset the physical with the mental/emotional - hence, Legos! Yay!!!

As my grandma said, when my mom had me was the happiest time of her life because it gave her a good excuse for the second time in her life to be fully grown and playing with toys

[Ironclad Alibi]

But anyone touching my books, Legos or yarn stash will be smacked Hey, she never let me have Legos, so I neeeeed them nooooooowwww! It's never too late to have a happy childhood

I never had Lego as a kid either. That's why I have lots of them now. If Merryland is anywhere near Maryland, stop by for a visit if you have the time. The offer goes to all interested in Lego in the Washington, DC, greater metropolitan area.

[Dreamstalker]

But anyone touching my books, Legos or yarn stash will be smacked Hey, she never let me have Legos, so I neeeeed them nooooooowwww! It's never too late to have a happy childhood

LEGO I probably have about 20 pounds in a tub under my bed.

Now I'm down to 'collector' status..most of what I do collect I display neatly and take care of (what's packed away is done so carefully). I think the rationale for my grandmother getting rid of a lot of stuff which would be pretty valuable now was "you're not using it!" (yeah, but it's still my property which is in the attic so it's not bothering you in any way).

I think the apartment is a level 1 at times; most of the stuff that tends to gather and breed is books (most of which are out of print and/or never will be e-books), yarn and beads. My dad's house might be a level 1 at worst; the garage can be a bit of a disaster. I still have some of my stuff stored out there, and I swear the empty boxes breed.