I recently found out that I’m 14% Swedish. I cannot figure out how, other than the fact that my mother’s side came from Northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands. Someone in that group must have also come from Sweden.
Granddaughter #3, spent the year after graduation in 2015 from the IB program as a Rotary Exchange student in Sweden. I know that was hard on her; the winters are brutal and it was her first time truly being away from home for so long. But she was so brave and toughed it out and now lives in Oregon; about as far from our home in Florida that you can get! Gosh, I miss her! Recently, I suggested that she get a scanner so that she could easily send electronically the artwork she was creating for a book we are working on together, but she admitted that she didn't have the space. During a Zoom visit, she took me on a "tour" of her little room in the attic where she lives. It is a tiny space, but she has truly made it a home and she is happy.
Today we live in a smaller two-bedroom cottage house close to our passion, Disney World, with a little fenced back yard. Oddly enough, I grow more food now than I did when we had acres of land. Our house is actually less cluttered, because I read an article that discussed the concept of the Swedish Death Cleansing. Once you reach the end of middle age you get rid of all the stuff you’ve accumulated that you don’t need anymore — so that no one else has to do it for you after you pass. That’s according to Margareta Magnusson, author of a book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter." I learned this lesson when I moved my dad from his home into assisted living. It was filled with things from his first marriage to my mom, 2nd marriage to Dorothy after she moved into assisted living, and junk from my brother Stan and sister-in-law Cindy when they lived there when Stan died. It also had junk from Cindy’s parents after they died and even her mother’s 2nd marriage. I learned a lesson that nobody, especially your grandkids, wants your junk. I had a huge collection of these heavy Disney sculptures by Ron Lee and I recently donated most of them away to a local thrift shop that helps the homeless. We have firm rule in our family; no garage sales, no selling stuff on eBay. We have been fortunate to have what we need (not necessarily everything we "want") and we believe in "pay it forward" and donating or giving away anything we don't need anymore.
When Covid 19 became a pandemic, I got serious about thinning things out and organizing my legal paperwork. I discussed our wishes with my two good friends, Gayle and Laura and asked them to take on the burden of liquating our things for the granddaughters. I have set aside a small piece of jewelry for each, written a letter, and suggested a piece of artwork they might like; but don't expect any of them to deal with our junk!
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