August 8, 2009
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Collections
I collect yarn and beaches. My yarn is in plastic storage bins and on shelves. Some skeins are in baskets or knitting bags on half-finished projects. My beaches are in small square plastic boxes. They fill several shelves in a bookcase by the front door. I have beaches from all over the world that friends have brought back and a few I have collected myself. When I feel trapped and wish I could travel, I’ll take out a beach and think about where it came from, the Strait of Magellan or the Thames River in London. I love them!
My husband, on the other hand, collects dead vehicles. They don’t store as easily as a ball of yarn. I cannot imagine that they could give him the pleasure of far-away places. I cannot fathom why he even wants them. I could tell you stories of each one, but I could do that without having them in our yard. For years he has promised to get rid of them. Only one has left in the past 10 years: the one that he promised would never end up here. It was the only one that I had no story for. He had bought it to salvage the motor, nothing more. So it sat for only 2 years with no motor before he finally got it towed away. So today, he drove his old dump truck out to the back of the yard. I have spent the day feeling edgy and frustrated. Then I finally realized why. He has added another piece to his collection. He canceled the insurance several months ago because he wasn’t using it enough to warrant paying for insurance. I should have seen the warning signs. I don’t know what I could have done though. He is very determined to keep them all for whatever reasons he has.
I can’t help but wonder, is this penance for something? I must have done something really bad to be saddled with this! I want to draw up a Death with Dignity contract for his cars, trucks and vans. No heroic measures, no prolonged years in limbo. Let them die and bury them properly in some junk yard, but please, not in the yard anymore!
Comments (15)
Maybe those dead vehicles give him some kind of happiness? I don’t know; this is just a thought. I’ve never heard of anyone who collects dead vehicles.
are you jealous that his collection is bigger than your collection??
ducking and hiding behind couch
seriously, i collect nothing… i thought i would once, but it didn’t turn out to be such a huge commitment… stuff is stuff is stuff… somebody once told me (concerning my young daughter) that little things were so important because she was a little person… well, she has grown and now concerns herself with big things, but the lesson stays… you should be praising God your husband is concerned with such big things… such a strong guy to be able to carry that load… think *Cadillac Ranch* here… maybe we can figure out a way to use that back hoe to bury those things properly and turn them into true yard art…
@MzTook -
Yard art would be good! I was going to cover them with honeysuckle this summer, but the weather didn’t cooperate. I will sure shout it from the housetops when they are finally gone! I love the guy, but seriously….
I’m for Yard Art!!! Honeysuckle would be great. You could paint the cars in colors and designs or would Nick be upset? Make a statement. Open up the doors of the van and creat scenes and the trunks and hoods of the cars and plant bright flowers…Or better still just plant honeysuckle and let it take over (it will) Then at least you will have sweet smelling mounds…instead of rusty cars..Baby mountains if you will. Add whirligigs for movement and you can always get plastic animals to strategically place on the mounds. A creative challenge for sure.
Each of you collects things that make dream . Probably your husband see himself driving in the golden age of the year 50 ! You are fortunate he does not collect steam locomotives !!!! Just kidding .
love
Michel
@marilynozan -
I will definitely have to ponder the possibilities. Maybe I need to think creatively instead of critically.
@fauquet -
You could be right there.
Dan has a great idea for you. Bury the cars and they can be come “fall out ” Shelters. Convert each one so each family member could have their own little place. They could be equipped with everything you need in case of emergency.
He will be glad to help you with the design work. All Nick will have to do dig the holes. He has great ideas on how it can be done so each car is comfortable and complete with all you need.
Our minds are working on the car thing. Make use of the trunks by planting potatoes, and plant mushrooms under each car…That way at least they will be doing something useful.
@marilynozan -
Great! Then the half-dead backhoe would have something to do, but I don’t like the idea of separate fall-out shelters. Do you think there is a way to connect them?
I thought about the separate rooms after I sent it. I knew you would not particularly like it. We or rather Dan came up with the idea that the van could be the living room and the other cars could be placed in such a way with large conduits connecting them to the main hub (the van). The doors of the cars could serve as entrances to each cubicle. You may be able to push the cars together in such a way that you only need to put a steel plate on top of each car to protect the entrances and cover it all with dirt and plant floors. You know like the houses that are built into the sides of hills with dirt as the roof. Sounds cool doesn’t it? As you can see I have been watching too much House and Garden shows…Love the ones on outrageous homes… This ranks right up there with them!!!
@marilynozan -
Sounds like a lot of work. I think I’ll hold out for the tow truck approach. I haven’t totally lost hope!
My ex-husband collected vehicles, tools, construction supplies. One of the things I love about NOT being married to him is that I no longer have anything outside except potted plants and chairs to sit in. However, there are some things I think you can’t control, and since you love your husband, I guess it’s “part and parcel.” I know it’s frustrating for you, and I read through everyone else’s ideas. How about maybe painting all over them? You could make nice paintings. My teenage daughter the artist thinks you should do flowers and peace signs, like one gigantic hippie van.
@marajoanna -
I do love him! I know it is part of the package, but the package keeps growing. The only thing that stops me from painting them bright colors and designs is that they are visible from my neighbor’s back door. I don’t want to bother her. She is a very sweet lady. But who knows I just might do it anyway!