Well, Don ran into a problem with the banjo. It works just fine but – being a spontaneous guy – he didn’t think to check for a musty/moldy smell, and it has a very, very strong smell. He tried all the remedies but they take time and working on it was unpleasant. Then he started worrying about me because I’m allergic to molds and mildew. I knew he was cleaning it up, but I had no idea that there was a strong smell until he told me about it. The case, the banjo itself, the interior of the banjo – terrible.
He’s rather heartbroken. It didn’t cost much so it’s not a big loss of money. It’s just hard seeing him so disappointed. He really likes playing the banjo and he’s good at it!
So. Let’s hope I get another residual and I can put it toward a new banjo for Christmas. Cause that boy needs a banjo and I want to see him playing one. It’s been a tough 4 or 5 years for him. No work, no income from work. Music keeps him sane.
I can’t think this was very comfortable for Monty, but he’s a patient soul. This is the dress I won as a door prize at Wonderland of Play. Isn’t it lovely?
And this is the outfit I purchased at WOP – from Woolly Rockers, one of my favorite Blythe clothing designers. She’s from England.
1972 being the year Blythe was first introduced.
I had an early birthday video message from Z this morning. He’s going to be staying with his dad for a week, so he won’t be around on my birthday. You would not believe how grown up he is! Deep voice, charming, on the cusp of his teens. Best present ever.
It’s a wee bit rainy this morning and we’ve decided to lay low today. No running errands, no work outside, just a (hopefully) mellow day here at the cottage.
Regarding yesterday’s post about selling the dollhouse: remember that it has been documented in two magazines, I have hundreds and hundreds of pictures of the interior and exterior, and I no longer feel much connection to it. Maybe it can bring joy to someone else. And if someone wanted the furniture, we would negotiate that price. I am finally reaching the point that many of you have already reached – wanting to deal with excess stuff. I don’t have kids so there’s really no one I can count on to manage my things once I’m gone. If I should move on before Don, what is he going to do with all this stuff? Better me, who knows what things are worth and how they should be priced. Don wouldn’t have the first idea of the costs involved, nor would I foist on him the chore of researching everything online. That isn’t very kind.
I have found myself feeling a bit more detached about things lately. That’s a message, it seems to me. Not of any impending doom but rather, an appropriate response regarding my age and my energy. It’s time to deal with some of this. I already donate my puzzles to a charity. I donate books to the library. I’m not ready to get rid of Dove Cottage because, frankly, it’s my favorite. The antique/vintage houses are not going anywhere. But I do have lots of pottery/china – so much so that I can’t find room for it all. The Roseville is staying. My great-grandmother’s china will go to my sister. The prices and important information concerning the Blythes has been carefully documented so Don could easily sell them online. I’ll do the same with the Gene Marshall dolls, though they’re very modestly priced.
Friends, I have so much STUFF here, much of it treasured. But I don’t treasure everything at this point, so those are the things I will most likely try to sell. I do treasure my Roseville Pottery and a lot of my McCoy, my egg cup collection, my putz sheep, and my Blythes – they will stay because they still bring me joy.
Just as we had to dump things from the shed, I also have to ‘shed’ some things. It’s time. And, frankly, a little extra money wouldn’t hurt, but that’s not why I’m doing it.
Selling the dollhouse for what I think it’s worth may be fruitless. I have no idea. So it may be moot. We’ll see…
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
Good luck with your sales!
Too bad Don can’t get the musty smell off the banjo. There are some remedies on Google that he might try but I’m sure he has tried some already. Maybe a music repair shop would have the ability to fix it and it might cost less than a new banjo?
Have a nice weekend and stay safe, Claudia.
Yes he has tried them. Music Repair shops deal with the instrument itself but not musty smells.
Thanks, Ellen.
Stay safe.
Claudia, check out Nancy Birtwhistle on Instagram. She’s from the UK and has a series of books using environmentally safe products to clean. She is incredibly helpful. Message her with your banjo problem and I’m sure she will have a safe solution. Her ideas are amazing and work really well..
I’ll check her out, Janet.
Thanks so much.
Stay safe.
Sad about the banjo. Don must be very disappointed. Hopefully he can find a solution. The new clothes look awfully sweet. The black and white dress is adorable. And the 1972 outfit is straight from the 70s. Good luck with your downsizing. I know you’ll make decisions that are right for you. Hugs, Elaine
Thanks for your support, Elaine.
Stay safe.
too bad about the banjo odor problem! i like ellen’s idea of checking with staff at a music shop for possible solutions and hope something helps salvage the banjo. and i hope you get a shockingly big residuals check soon!
i relate very much to what you said about letting go of things … not easy, but there does come a time and for all the reasons you said. i am helped by the reminder to not store my treasures on earth where moths and thieves can get to them, but to keep them in Heaven (matthew 6:19). and it’s easier, too, when i think about the happiness someone else will feel when they get whatever i let go of. helpful, yes, but still not often easy for me … so best wishes on your sales and to everyone, myself included!
will leave in a half-hour to go pick up five live-cut Christmas wreaths ordered through my church (mission project fundraiser). will keep in a chilly garage for a couple weeks, then deliver to family members. trying to focus on thanksgiving (one holiday at a time), but today is the day to get the wreaths.
otherwise no different plans for today and that is fine by me.
hope you, don and everyone else have a great weekend! stay safe in every way.
kathy
Kathy thank you for that scripture
God wants us to remember that our treasures are in heaven
:) and i agree!
how are you? hope all’s well and you are having a nice weekend!
kathy
Music shops don’t deal with that kind of thing, Kathy.
Have fun getting a whiff of those wreaths, Kathy – my favorite scent.
Stay safe.
i searched online for “getting rid of odor in banjo” and found lots of possible help. the first result was a q+a about such odor problems at “banjo hangout” and people offered several ideas:
replace the head and strings; clean other parts.
put bag of baking soda in banjo and leave it all to sit in the sun as much as possible.
get rid of case (if it came with one).
hope don finds a quick and easy solution!
kathy
xo
Kathy, thank you for reminding me of the scripture that is so relevant at this time of my life. Your comments always inspire me.
thank you so much, dottie! that is very kind of you, makes me feel good.
for the past few years, i’ve been trying to memorize some Bible verses and for lots of reasons this one (matthew 6:19) is on repeat and philippians 4:6 is a favorite. i have the new living translation, a gift from my parents on my 30th birthday (raised up in church, too).
no pressure intended, but do you have a favorite verse that you’d like to share? please and thanks.
hope you are in the middle of a nice, easy weekend! stay safe.
and thanks again.
kathy
I have many favorite Bible verses, but the one I most often quote to my grandchildren is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse always reminds me that God has a purpose for our lives and lovingly watches over us. Phillippians 4:6 is another favorite. I could go on and on, and I bet you and I share many of the same favorites. I wish you and your family a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
that’s a favorite here, too … very comforting and joyous at the same time and 24/7.
and wonderful that you share that verse with your grandchildren!
thanks, dottie. i hope that you and your family have a wonderful, blessed thanksgiving, too!
kathy
Hopefully you can sell some things and buy a banjo for Don. I agree with you how much stuff do we need?
At this point, not as much as I have, that’s for sure.
Stay safe, Linda.
This link might be helpful. https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/pa0syn/how_to_remove_musty_smell_from_vintage_instrument/?rdt=58876
Thanks, Sharon!
I’ll check it out.
Stay safe.
I am so sorry to hear about the banjo! I too, hope Don does some more research on the odor problem. I really hope there is a solution.
I know exactly how you are feeling about your collections. As I get older, certain pieces that I have treasured for one reason or another, no longer carry the same level of importance that they once held. They no longer ‘spark joy’ I guess. So…they are either being sold or donated. I can feel good about that, because then I’ve taken the burden of dealing with some of the collections off of either Jim, or my sons for the future. Plus…hopefully my items will become someone else’s ‘spark of joy’. I look at it as downsizing while living in place. And, it gives us more breathing room, too.
Our warm days appear to be over here…the leaves have all fallen, and there’s one last mow to do. I’ve already made notes for next years gardening…lol. Time to wash a few windows, and let the sun shine in. Enjoy your weekend! ;)
Perfect description, Donnamae. That’s how I feel.
We are refraining from mowing the lawn because I just can’t handle that lawnmower again!
Stay safe.
I am also in the season of letting things go. Almost every time I was at my mom’s in her later years she would send me home with things she thought I should have or would use. Now I’m beginning to do that with my kids. I don’t want to feel ‘weighed down’ by things.
It’s a shame about the banjo…I hope there is a way to get rid of the smell.
Take care
Yes, my mom and my grandmother would do the same thing.
Thanks, Marilyn.
Stay safe.
Oust surface disinfectant and air sanitizer worked on my son’s guitar case and the old guitar that was in it. Also, his suitcase. I’d spray outside. Worth a try.
Thanks, Betsy.
Stay safe.
Have you thought of putting your dollhouse in a consignment shop? The banjo story is sad. Some time things that have been forgotten over time just don’t survive to be passed on to someone else.
Yes – but only in my friend’s booth. I don’t know if she’d go for it thought because it’s really not an antique.
Stay safe, Olivia.
There’s a lot of good advice in the comments today! Hope you find solutions for the banjo problem and a meaningful way to rehome your things.
I’m also in a decluttering mood, but I live with two adult daughters who are in a different mind space than I am. I’m constantly prodding them to declutter their things. Fortunately, there is some progress on that front but I do want the pace nudged up from tortoise to hare pace!
My mom used to get so mad about my clutter when I was still living at home!
Stay safe, Wendy.
Oh that is so sad about the banjo. Hopefully one of the many options for dealing with the smell may work. Wishing you both well on this twist to the story.
I’m sad to think of you selling Hummingbird Cottage. This is how I found your blog many years ago and I’ve loved watching you style and infuse so much love into the project. BUT I also understand the place you’re at in life. You’ll make the decision that is right for you and know that I’m so thankful that you inspired me to dive in to dollhouses and now Blythes. Thank you!
Enjoy the weekend.
Sincerely,
Chy
Thank you for your kind words, Chy. I just need a bit more room and I have the HUGE Beacon Hill upstairs that I have to start in on. I would be a bit sad, but honestly, I lived with that doll house on a daily work basis for 6 years. I’ve shot thousands of photos for the blog and for magazines. The only time I look inside nowadays is to clean it and decorate for Christmas. That’s it.
It may end up being impossible to sell.
Stay safe.
Bummer about the banjo. It’s so sad when nice things aren’t stored correctly. Lots of suggestions in the comments and perhaps one will work out.
For what it’s worth, I think you have a very healthy relationship with all your collections. I like to think I do as well and that, deep down, we will know exactly when the right time is to do something with them. That’s something I wish both my parents had possessed, this sense of “it’s time to let go of stuff.” Unfortunately, it was left to us three kids and I’m sure we did not handle their things the way they would have wanted. Trying to spare our kids that sense of guilt.
Take care,
Kay
I’m letting go of books I don’t need to keep, of tons of magazines (gone!) ofsome pottery, some tchochtkes. some miniatures, etc. And eventually, there will be more than that. If feels good, Kay.
Stay safe.
So sad to hear about the banjo. When you said Don got it, earlier this week, I was so excited and figured sooner or later he might share a clip of him playing. I do enjoy banjo music!! Hope the odor prob can be solved
My hubs sister(89 yrs old) died in May. She was a widow and never had kids. Hubs was / is her Executor. Oh, my, what a full time job THAT has been. She had sooooooo much stuff. A 3 floor condo and full garage. From mink coats (ick) to lots of beautifully framed embroidery and pictures she purchased throughout the world on her many many trips. Diamonds, emeralds, opals, and rubies, along with many old, old coins. We gave away over 4000 pounds of clothing and shoes. Every floor of her house was filled with beautiful antiques and other collections. 4 Persian rugs, 9 antique clocks. Over 500 skeins of yarn. Her Lladros were beautiful. If she knew what we sold all that stuff for, I am sure she would not have been happy. Our kids each took about 4 things. We had an antique dealer buy a bunch and then we did an Estate/ yard sale here. In the midst of all of that, someone came along and offered cash for her condo. We had to get it completely emptied in less than a month. So glad that is behind us now, but it has been a full time job. We told our kids that we promise not to leave them with such a mess. So, we have been decluttering the past weeks since we closed on the condo. Letting go does feel very good. I am much better at it now than I was several years ago, and thankful for that!! Then his brother (90 yrs old) died a month ago, and his wife wants us to come and get the bedroom set they had taken from his parents when they passed. Everyone seems to think that since we are living in the old family house things like that should stay with us. We were too tired to argue at that moment but plan to hopefully avert phone call reminders for a year or 2.
Thinking of going to bed early tonight. We decorated our tree today (it is a fake one) and the wee-one & parents dropped in. SHE did some mighty fine decorating. Some branches have 7 ornaments hanging on top of each other. The bottom of the tree is FULL. About 10 different times she would stop and look at it and say “Nana, it is such a beautiful tree!!!!!” Needless to say, in 2023 we have quite a unique tree!!!!!!!!!! I thought about rearranging it, but couldn’t bring myself to change a single thing. I was in the hospital and NH for 3 months over Thxgvg & Christmas last year, and couldn’t wait a moment longer to see my tree this year!! Have a good weekend, and take care.
hej, chris!
sorry to you and your husband for the losses of your sister-in-law and brother-in-law. so much loss and then to have had to very quickly take care of all the things that follow. glad you have happier things for balance … having your Christmas tree up, spending time with your sweet granddaughter and especially that you will be home for the holidays this year!!!
hope you are well and having a wonderful weekend. stay safe!
kathy
Your husband had his hands full with settling that estate! My goodness!
It does make you want to declutter now, doesn’t it?
Your Christmas with your little granddaughter will be – actually, already is – so special!
Stay safe, Chris.
I hope Don can get another Banjo. I understand the joy that music brings him. I’ve been downsizing for awhile now but it’s time to get even more serious about it. I have children and they don’t want so many things it seems. This generation is much for minimalist it seems. As you know my Mom passed away on 11/18 and so I also have the task of cleaning out her home now. It’s really an huge mountain for me but with help I will get it done. Thank you for the kind words about my Mom’s passing on Facebook. I am so blessed she was with me for so long and we had such a bond these last few years. I will miss her so much, but it is also time for me to start taking better care of myself. It’s such a circle of life and full of joy, love and yes some pain.
Yes, worrying about your mom took a toll on you, but you can rest easy knowing that your mom knew she was loved and cared for. Your devotion to her and her quality of life was admirable, my friend. I’m comforted knowing that your daughter and grandchildren are nearby, Linda.
I wrote about your mom’s passing on today’s blog post. You’ve been a reader of this blog for years and years and I appreciate you in every possible way.
Stay safe.
oh, linda …
i am very sorry to learn about your mother’s passing … very sad for you.
you brought her much care and love and she knew and knows that. may that knowledge, happy memories and God’s presence and promises of eternal life bring you comfort now.
sending hugs and prayers,
kathy
I’m so sorry about the banjo. Definitely a problem and perhaps they can take it back. I don’t know that you could ever get that out.
The girls look adorable. Love the new outfits.
I’d definitely NOT sell the furniture. You’d do better to see the furniture separately, if and when you decide not to use it in another project. I think we all hit a point of prioritization and it sounds like you’re there, so best of luck with it.
I’m glad the Streisand does not disappoint!
They can’t take it back. It was a donation, like from a thrift store.
Thanks, Jeanie!
Stay safe.