Blinded By The White!

For years we have collected magnets as souvenirs. This is the only "collection" that we continue to expand. They are small, relatively inexpensive, and come in so very many unique designs. Often, we will choose a pin or patch or decal that offers the best reminder of a place and then Rich will make it into a magnet. Over time, as you might imagine from our many travels, we have amassed quite a collection and the vast majority of them resided on our refrigerator.

This week, we decided that the magnet collection had overwhelmed our entire little kitchen. After considering a couple of ideas we opted for two large magnetic white boards hung on the wall in Rich's workout room in the basement. (Don't you just love the paint color he selected for that room? I sure do! You may notice that it's nearly the same color as the one I selected for this blog background...but, I digress...)

Back to souvenir magnets...  Can you imagine? With these covering every inch of it, we could hardly tell what color our refrigerator was anymore!!!

But now, every time I turn around from the counter or sink and experience the shock of this bright white expanse, I'm nearly blinded!

Obviously, not everything was relegated to the basement display though. Would you like to see what made the cut?

Our grandkids as infants, of course; the G for Grandpa that Shelby gave him for his birthday last October; a decal saying "I've Been EVERYWHERE" that we picked up in Spokane, WA on the trip in June 1998 when I completed my quest to visit all 50 States; and a photo of the kids and me at Chicago's Lego Land this past summer.

Our grandkids again, of course, in these darling flower framed photos that were taken several years ago; a pair of American flags that came on decorated brownies; a photo of Rich, Greg, the grands, and me taken at Chicago's Navy Pier in July 2006; a Kindergarten project with a handprint blowing a kiss for Grandparent's Day that Shelby gave us; a favorite photo of Sandee pulling Jackson & Dylan on a sled across our golf course taken in January 2003; a photo I took in our bedroom a year ago of the JOY pillow and rose; and, naturally, a Colorado magnet with a Columbine painted on it.

To your great relief ~ and I understand completely ~ I am not going to describe each and every one of the magnets that have been moved. I could, however, since each represents a tale that Rich and I could tell. I have decided to post these closeups though so that you too can enjoy this special collection of memories.

Lovin' Life ~~ Collecting Memories

  Bev