Trash or treasure??

It has been a busy few weeks for us.  We just haven't been home as much as we usually are.  A lot of our time has been spent either enjoying the almost spring or spending time with family.  I have been working on a project with my mom to go through her "stuff" and make trips to the dump and goodwill.  My mom held onto a lot of our old stuff over the years.  Some of these things brought back memories - old letters, pictures, earrings shaped like christmas tree lights...(yup...I sported those when I was 13!)

My mother allowed me to help her because I'm, um, "decisive".  I pick everything up and yell "TRASH!" and she has about 15 seconds to either make a strong case why this item should remain or just let me give it to goodwill.  If her case isn't strong enough, I toss it in the goodwill bag.  But you have to be quick to get everything outside.  If you leave my mom alone with the goodwill bag, she will dig through it and change her mind.  A few of the items were useful...in 1963.  (Just kidding mom - I know some of that stuff was very nice.)

Apparently I am not decisive enough.  HERE is what somehow ended up in my house?!?!

Our old Fisher Price record player from the late 70s or early 80s.  We used to play our Music Machine record over and over on this thing.  It still works but I don't have the record.  What to do now?!

My mom saved me a little dutch hot pad and matching drink coasters.  Isn't it cute?  The pasty pale skinned part of me is half-Dutch :)  Don't ask my why my Scottish mother gets an awesome tan every summer.

An antique engineers scale and tool set.

And she gave me a bag with clear plastic storage bags for clothes in it.  Very useful right? 

Except it's NOT a storage bag.  It's just a bag with a huge plastic tarp.  And now Leo loves it.  It's his mobile fort.

In 20 years I'm going to make my kids go through this stuff and I'll have this blog as a record of where and why these items are still in my house :)