In the midst of the hubbub my life has become, I’m trying to finish My Favorite Domer’s senior year Memory Book before he takes off for The Working World.
My consolation is that this task is almost done, and if he wants any more memory books, he’ll have to compile them for himself!
Still, it’s been a labor of love. And I enjoy reliving with him those precious memories.
Now some things are fairly easy to preserve, even for a non-scrapbooker like me.
Things like ticket stubs. Photos. Boarding passes. Notes and letters. Football schedules with game results. Programs from award ceremonies.
But it’s the odd-shaped things that have me stumped.
And if anybody has realistic suggestions on how to preserve them, please let me know!
Need an example? How about this:
Band hat
How do you save a Band hat? Don’t ask me Why he needs it, or Why the Band parted with it. It is what it is — a memory. And just looking at it, I get teary-eyed. All those football games, Bowl games, marchouts, friends. He’s not parting with this, and that’s that!
Or this:
Leprechaun Legion hat
Domer got this as part of the basketball pep band one year, and it’s never left. It’s a huge, foam, green hat with a gold shamrock on one side. Leprechaun Legion, by the way, is the student fan section at athletic events.
Does he need it? Will he ever wear it again? Probably not. But we’re not getting rid of it, either.
Or how about these:
Beads
Domer got these “Mardi Gras beads” during the women’s basketball trip to New Orleans for the Final Four tournament. You probably can’t tell, but the gold “beads” are actually small basketballs. Cute, huh?
I have no idea how to preserve something like this. Perhaps he can simply hang them on a doorknob and recall the fun he and his Band buddies had, eating jambalaya and beignets, hoisting a tall cool one, and watching basketball.
Or what about this:
Mortarboard
We’ve got the tassel preserved in a photo frame with his picture, but this hat is a bit cumbersome. What does one do with a used mortarboard?
But the best of the lot is this thing:
Horse mask
A horse mask?? Seriously? I’m supposed to save this?
Absolutely, he says. We had all kinds of fun wearing this thing. It was worth every penny!
You paid good money for a horse mask?
Sure, I did. And I’d do it again, too.
Well, okay, but even Dallas seems to think there’s something amiss with a horse in his living room:
Dallas and the horse
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
Step 1. Place in ziploc or heavy-duty garbage bags.
Step 2. Attach label showing contents on the outside.
Step 3. Place in big ol’ hulking storage container. I prefer Rubbermaid Roughnecks.
Step 4. Shove to back of closet.
Step 5. Get on with life.
Eventually, the day will come when he himself will say, “What did I ever keep that for?” Of course, he may be sixty years old. In the meantime, everything is safe. 😉
Wonderful suggestions, Linda, and they’re much appreciated! I like the idea of saving everything, then letting him pare it all away at his leisure. I’ve always been a “saver,” and I guess he gets it honest. I draw the line at hoarding, though — Have you seen that TV show about folks who hoard stuff? Weird and sad. My guess is Domer will one day wonder why we saved what we did, too!
Love these treasures! I think the Horse Mask should be displayed in his new digs. It’s a conversation place, and after he is married the opportunity to display it will be so over but saving it will be someone else’s problem and it will more than likely end up as part of a Halloween costume for a kid. The band hat could also be hung as it is unique and a memory of a good times. The beads could be looped over a lamp. The graduation hat in a ziplock bag in a memory box. The green hat–decoration for St. Patricks day–until then on a closet shelf.
I’m a big believer in decorating with memories and whimsey. Some things belong in a box or a frame but why not show-off some of it and have some FUN with it. Ok…one more thing about the horse head—it becomes a judge of any women he is serious about…If she giggles and LOVES it (or pretends) he should move full speed ahead, If she looks at and smiles but asks questions…move ahead with considerations and if she hates it—good bye girlie! Cole and I have a lamp that will serve the same purpose.
Hope this helps 😀
I’m thrilled you appreciate the Horse Mask! That’s Domer’s prize, you see, and using it as the measuring stick for a potential spouse sounds like a splendid suggestion! His Band buddies (guys and girls) totally love it, so you know he’s surrounded himself with like-minded friends.
I’ve actually seen photo frames designed to hold mortarboards, but Domer thought that sounded ridiculous. A ziplock bag seems a much better solution. Thanks for the advice!
Debbie, reading this post brought back such vivid memories for me upon graduating HS, because like your son, I had saved so many things from my Senior year. It was my favorite year in school, so I saved some of the craziest stuff. I was a HUGE “memory saver” back then; wanting to hold on to every wonderful moment that had happened.
I think the strangest thing I saved were several forks and spoons from restaurants I had eaten at with my HS friends – yes, forks and spoons – can you believe that??? I STOLE forks and spoons from restaurants. BAD, Ronnie! Eventually, I threw them out. I think the only thing I eventually kept from HS were photographs, which I keep in a photo book.
LOVE the horse head!!! Now that I would probably keep and use as a Halloween costume!
That last photo is stellar!
Happy Sunday, dear lady!
X
You stole forks and spoons from restaurants? Ron, that’s funny! At least confession is good for the soul, huh?!
It’s nice to hear so many of my friends appreciate Domer’s Horse Mask. The kids had a ball showing up at basketball games wearing it. Of course, they couldn’t play their instruments with it on, but invariably, the TV cameras would zoom in on whoever’s wearing such a goofy mask!
I tend to be a saver, too, so no way would I dig him for carrying on the tradition!
Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
LOL,Debbie. My sense is that Domer probably will give them up in stages so you’ll have to store them in plastic bags until he’s ready to decide what he wants to do with them. But the horse’s head mask , I say,has to stay front and center, readily accessible for the next party or prank. Love it! Happy sifting and sorting on the road to launch day! 🙂
If Domer is anything like his mama, he won’t give up a thing, ha! I’ve got stuff tucked aside from my own childhood (though nothing as interesting as a Horse Mask!).
But, yes, I agree with you. Letting him decide what to toss out, and when, sounds like the perfect solution. In the meantime, my task is simply to preserve it however I can for as long as he wants it.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Kathy!
Debbie – the marching hat and the irish hat – you could put under those glass cubes or domes with a base on them – I’ve preserved some sculpture artwork that my kids did under those – then they don’t get dusty and look nice. The mardi gras beads and things – make them into a christmas tree on velvet (I wish I had a picture of the piece my mother made out of her costume jewelry, my dad’s Navy pins and some pins of her grandmother – she laid them out onto a dark green velvet and then arranged into a tree (triangle shape) must have hot glued them in place and then had framed nicely. To me it’s a treasure. Just a thought.
The horse head? I have no ideas.
What a poignant post – the memories associated with those years and laughter and fun that fly!
Great ideas, Barb — Thank you! I hadn’t thought about those glass domed things, but I’ve seen them in craft stores.
How creative your mother must have been! To save stuff onto velvet seems a lovely way to preserve memories. I’ll have to put my creative cap on and see what I can come up with — there’s bound to be something useful I can turn those beads into (if nothing else, then a conversation piece!)
Especially with as talented and creative as you are with beads Debbie!
Aw, shucks — blushing. Again!
If you want to save those for a scrapbook, take a photo of them and save the photo. If you need to save the actuals, including scary horse mask, then put them in a plastic container, preferably a see-through one so you can see it when storing in attic or garage. The beads can go in a scrapbook and be used to decorate the page. I know this because I used to scrapbook constantly, before I became a blogger and had more time for that. Good luck!
One More thing: You can also put some of those things in a shadow box and hang it up on his wall. That’s what my son did with his autographed football jersey. It looks nice.
A shadow box? Hmm, that’s giving me some ideas — thanks! I’ve got Domer’s karate belts saved in a shadow box, and that’s worked out really well. I know he’s not going to let me squirrel away that Horse Mask, but I bet the other stuff would save well that way. Good suggestion!
I didn’t know you used to scrapbook, Monica. Thanks so much for the tips! Scrapbooking does take a lot of time, and, while I love the results, it’s not the same as blogging.
Oh Debbie, What a wonderful gift of love for you dear Domer. Congratulations! It is great that he found a job right away, as I know so many graduates who end of going back to school for another degree because they can’t find a job in their chosen profession.
You could take all those prize hats, beads and other memorabilia and put them on a shelf to lift your spirits on a bad day. (unless Domer wants to get a U-Haul and cart them along on his next adventure.)I call it my shelf of inspiration!
Ha, I was beginning to consider the idea of a Penske truck to haul this stuff off, Pat! Fortunately, he doesn’t want to take all his memorabilia with him, preferring to let me store it until he’s more permanent, I think. So, yes, a shelf or display case or something would probably work just fine. Thanks for the suggestion — and the congrats!
Deb…you are so so sweet and the worlds best mom to do this for your son. I cannot help you at all because I haven’t and don’t keep any memorabilia at all. Some of it is because I suffer with a chronic illness and extreme fatigue so it’s easier to keep things clean and organized with less stuff and the second reason for not keeping stuff is that heaven is my home and I know one day I will be leaving so don’t keep all the stuff. This is just my practice and it truly is not for everyone. In fact I think I’m the only one who thinks this way LOL! So back to you…I would cut a small piece of everything and put it in a small sandwich bag. Condense. His wife in the future will be so happy not to have the keepsakes in the house LOL!
Tanya, you’re definitely not the only one who thinks that way — I do, too. It’s just that, while I’m here, I like surrounding myself with happy memories. Makes the time pass faster/better, I think!
Hmm, saving a small portion. I never considered that! My friends are so smart! And yes, I imagine his future wife will be grateful NOT to have to move all these keepsakes around (though, as Katybeth mentioned, she’d better like that Horse Mask!!)
I used to save all that kind of stuff until my now grown sons told me to trash the stuff…apparently I’m much more sentimental than they are! Maybe you just need to ask him if he wants to even keep all those things and then figure out to do with the things he wants to treasure.
Practical advice, Suzi! Yes, I do believe most men tend to be less nostalgic than women, as a generalization. Domer is a saver (like me), and regardless of his reasons, he doesn’t like to throw stuff out. He thinks he’ll always remember certain occasions and people, but we know that time has a way of rubbing things out. I think I’ll save his stuff as best I can and let him decide what to do with it later.
The odd-shaped memories he chose to save cracked me up…I actually laughed out loud at the horse mask!
I tend to be a saver, too, but I find that in time it’s easier to part with things because I change and my priorities change. For me, I allowed myself one storage container (and not one of the huge jumbo ones!) It contains items from my wedding, the outfit I brought each of the boys home in and other miscellaneous items. If it gets too full, I re-evaluate the contents to see what I can part with. Oh, kids’ artwork isn’t included in that box…I have a whole separate drawer for that!
Thanks, Janna. Your suggestions sound reasonable to me, especially in our mobile society. Saving photos and mementos is important, but it can’t take over our lives!