Gone the Scrapbooks and Photos

[DebraOak]

Although I'm not vandwelling yet, once I saw the possibilities a couple months ago and got connected to this site, I have a clear vision now. It's so ingrained in me because every decision I make is framed by the idea of vandwelling, and I'm cleaning out the stuff. 

The hardest has been the memory books and family photos. That was accomplished this week after work and finished today. Eldest daughter is taking them - and she doesn't have nearly as many as I did earlier this week. I started with 21 boxes and she is getting 10 boxes. The rest went buh-bye. I personally feel lighter after that!

I cannot believe how blinded I was by being the curator, trying to capture everyone's life instead of truly living. No regrets though. We do the best with what we have at the time. And now, today, I have precious memories not stored in a box or a book, but in my heart where they belong.

 

[AMGS3]

Good job! It does feel freeing doesn't it! After a while I saw every little bit of downsizing as one more small victory to get me to the life I wanted to be living.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

 

[Moxadox]

Wow, good job! I need to do the same...boxes and boxes of baby pix taking up storage space. My son will have to take over their custody....whatever he decides, will be their final fate. I'm done.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[B and C]

Find someone with a scanner you can borrow to digitise the pics. Digital copies take up very little room a you can look through them again anytime you like. Make two copies and let someone hold on to the second one in case of loss or corruption.

You don't need to make a copy of every single one bot only the ones that have a special fond memory.

 

[DebraOak]

I photoed my few favorites. The rest of the photos I let go, but not the memories, not the actual daughters, not the actual grandkids. Well, actually, how can we really hold anyone else? Only with our love which as no strings, leaving them free to flit and fly and return as they will.

 

[DebraOak]

Good job! It does feel freeing doesn't it! After a while I saw every little bit of downsizing as one more small victory to get me to the life I wanted to be living.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

Thank you, Angie. Freeing, truly. This was the hardest hurdle. Funny, that has been cleared and the rest is falling into place quickly. The photos were the bottleneck. Now that's been released and whoa! Getting' things done. I am exhausted tonight though so am giving myself a well-deserved rest, and will continue that for the next work week, using the evenings to browse and engage in this forum and not worry about what needs to be done until the weekend.

 

[DebraOak]

Wow, good job!  I need to do the same...boxes and boxes of baby pix taking up storage space.  My son will have to take over their custody....whatever he decides, will be their final fate. I'm done.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Oh I know, Moxadox. Not only the space hogs but when I'd open them up I'd be swept into the past and sadness and oh my god. You see, I'm the oldest left in my family, the sole matriarch I became at age 55, six years ago. Kinda young in my mind and I had to find my way. I had to learn to use my imagination and create. Well, you know about creation - it starts with a blank slate, blank canvas, blank page. I'm looking at the van I'm going to buy as my slate. Those photos were hard but the best of them are going to the daughters. They are so blessed! I've already cleaned everything out for them. They'll have little to go through when I die and hopefully only gifts.

 

[DebraOak]

Going to see if I can learn how to post a picture here. Trying the link from Instagram:

[img=16x16]https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk_SfmHAcIQ/[/img]

hmmm, no picture just an icon. Using https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=13285 instructions must have missed something or Instagram is crap. Let's see what happens when "post reply" is clicked. . .

 

[DebraOak]

Going to see if I can learn how to post a picture here. Trying the link from Instagram:

[img=16x16]https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk_SfmHAcIQ/[/img]

hmmm, no picture just an icon. Sorry about that! Using https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=13285 instructions must have missed something or Instagram is crap. Let's see what happens when "post reply" is clicked. . .

Dang it, nothing. Well, if you want to see the final product of my photo reduction effort, https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk_SfmHAcIQ/ try that link.

 

[toilfreelife]

Although I'm not vandwelling yet, once I saw the possibilities a couple months ago and got connected to this site, I have a clear vision now. It's so ingrained in me because every decision I make is framed by the idea of vandwelling, and I'm cleaning out the stuff. 

The hardest has been the memory books and family photos. That was accomplished this week after work and finished today. Eldest daughter is taking them - and she doesn't have nearly as many as I did earlier this week. I started with 21 boxes and she is getting 10 boxes. The rest went buh-bye. I personally feel lighter after that!

I cannot believe how blinded I was by being the curator, trying to capture everyone's life instead of truly living. No regrets though. We do the best with what we have at the time. And now, today, I have precious memories not stored in a box or a book, but in my heart where they belong.

Debra, very well put. I've just given away the last possession to make my van lighter so I can join the tribe in arizona in august. Hope to meet you down the time road. I'm the guy who wants to help people to get in their vans and start not paying rent/mortgage. (carpenter/handyman.)

 

[Moxadox]

Dang it, nothing. Well, if you want to see the final product of my photo reduction effort, https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk_SfmHAcIQ/ try that link.

Apparently there's some rule here that we have to make at least 10 posts before they will let us post photos or certain links. I don't get it, but whatever. I've never been good at coloring inside the lines....

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[nlclemmensen]

Oh man, this is going to be a hard one for me. You did a good job. Brave!

 

[Matlock]

The hardest has been the memory books and family photos. ..... Eldest daughter is taking them -

I cannot believe how blinded I was by being the curator, trying to capture everyone's life instead of truly living.

DebraOak,
First, it's difficult when both the strings of the heart and the corners of the mind need downsizing at the same time. I believe you made the best decision, with your daughter keeping those most precious images your able to have access without the clutter. Allows the mind and heart to relax some, I think.

Personally, I've taken on a new hobby of digitizing all of the family photos and written history back many generations and am now traveling the US, visiting and digitally capturing those long lost (to me) relatives. I keep everything on flash drives. All I need is a laptop to see everything.

Richard

 

[Deb_A]

I'm going to have to go through all my photos (not in albums) and try to write something on the back to tell something about them, so my kids can know what part of my life they are. I don't have time to scan and put them online. There are just too many, and it would take much longer than a year.

I have the albums, but I haven't put most of the photos into them yet.

Even worse are the THOUSANDS of digital photos I have on my computer that need to be stored somewhere.

 

[Kyz1]

Great ideas here! I was already planning to scan my photos, but now I'll split the hard copy photos between my two daughters. I will also need to corral all my digital photos too!