Kept

When cleaning my bedroom the other day, I realized I have a ridiculous number of keepsake boxes. I do not live in an environment of tasteful minimalism, that's for sure! I spilled the contents of one - the heart-shaped box on my dresser, just to see the things that for one reason or another, escaped being tossed…

Dental floss in pleasing little round dispenser – almost empty. Kept because I like the shape and smooth feel of the dispenser.

A wind-up frog without its wind-up key. Because it’s cute and I like frogs.

A tiny picture of my younger son Ethan (now 11) when he was three, looking uncharacteristically angelic and sweet.

A paisley heart key ID cover my sons rejected from the multi-pack they bought. They kept the checkered and striped ones for themselves.

A piece of “2004” confetti from New Year’s Eve 2003. Kept because 2004 was a great year for me…

A long skinny box of matches from “Craft” restaurant in New York, where I went with my friend Nancy on her birthday in 2004. Kept because I love “Craft”, I love Nancy, and I am always homesick for New York and anything to do with New York.

A flat (empty) matchbox from “Windows on the World,” a restaurant that was on the top floor of the World Trade Center. This is probably early‘90’s vintage, from a night I had dinner there with my Dad, who is also gone now.

A button from my purple cashmere cardigan I keep meaning to sew back on.

A mini superball (orange) I found in my son Henry’s pocket when doing laundry.

A safety pin.

3 plastic beads - two purple, one orange.

A $2 stamp with a tiger on it. I probably kept it for the kids.

A glittery silver paper star. Origin forgotten, but I like the glitz of it.

A blue plastic monkey from a frozen margarita - I can't remember where, when, or with whom.

An antique rhinestone necklace - a Christmas gift from my Dad, 1997.

A lovely little rock – pink and gray marbled - from a hike with Joe and the kids in the Marin Headlands this winter.