{"id":1264,"date":"2022-12-03T19:59:58","date_gmt":"2022-12-03T23:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/?p=1264"},"modified":"2022-12-03T20:06:18","modified_gmt":"2022-12-04T00:06:18","slug":"now-i-only-collect-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/?p=1264","title":{"rendered":"NOW, I ONLY COLLECT MEMORIES"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Kandace,*<\/p>\n

Your latest post has gotten me to ponder my own \u201ccollective\u201d musings. Including some quips regarding my most recent experience of buying and renovating an \u201cas is\u201d townhome I call t-Rex. <\/p>\n

I had given away almost all of my thrifted and gifted furnishings, art, etc. from my previous condo, for practical reasons and not to carry history with me. Imagination moved me forward. <\/p>\n

My new home has been quilted together from Craig\u2019s lists purchases (meeting the most interesting sellers), and shopping several different thrift stores. After the tearing up of carpet, washing walls and cupboards and every niche and cranny of 1200 square feet, I was left with an emptiness to fill.<\/p>\n

As far as art, and I refer to each and every item I\u2019ve gathered as art–and lovely and
\nlovable, even if its main purpose is practical and necessary. The 40 x 40 picture of a magnolia that matches my comforter hangs in my dining room. When I first noticed it online, I knew I had to have it for the bedroom, but it wanted to hang against a red wall in the dining room instead. From the comfort of the bedroom one can glance thru the hallway and view a giant magnolia blossom. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The dining room where The Magnolia resides, is home to a fun, round, yellow table that came to me via Craig\u2019s List and has blessed me with another woman\u2019s story\u2014a story of how she came by the table and why she was in need of letting go of it. (She also told me about her love of French doors and how her bathroom has a lock because the French door doesn\u2019t fit properly, but it belongs.)<\/p>\n

I could go on and on about each item found or given and I should but I\u2019m typing with one finger on my iPhone.* Also, my septuagenarian self says my last book IS my swan song and don\u2019t write anymore. And that\u2019s okay. My septuagenarian future is about something else, something I have yet to realize. But I thank you, Kandace, for piquing my interest in things I\u2019ve stopped being interested in. I have been collecting and dispersing of various collections since I was in grade school (the salt and pepper shakers, the post cards, Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twin books, dolls, and so much more). Now I only collect memories, not to write them down or to save them (I am contradicting myself), but to acknowledge them and say goodbye.<\/p>\n

*now revising on my computer
\n* https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/artofkcf#instant-signup-modal and subscribe to www.tinyletter.com\/ArtofKCF<\/p>\n

Wintergreen<\/p>\n

Minnesota is not compatible
\nto my growth, it is too cold.<\/p>\n

The Ice Age made it clear
\nMagnolias, you can live
\nhere in SE China, here in Georgia.<\/p>\n

My ancestors oppose the heat.<\/p>\n

Civil wars and death–or just a robin
\ntraveling against the season–
\ntossed Black \/ tossed Chinese:<\/p>\n

Here I am, a Minnesota mutant.
\nSnowflake. <\/p>\n

Like a magnolia, I am
\nnot white. It is only light
\npassing through. Mama
\ncooked tuna noodle casserole
\nand Daddy ate it.<\/p>\n

Like a magnolia
\n–whose sepals never fuse–
\nmy life is disparate
\nhere a Black
\ncommunity,<\/p>\n

there an Asian
\ncommunity,
\neverywhere, white.<\/p>\n

He who chops down Magnolia trees is
\nnot a horticulturist
\nhistorian or
\nhealer.<\/p>\n

I am almost ripe.
\nTaste wintergreen.
\nSoon, I will unzip myself
\nshed pollen,<\/p>\n

Flower<\/p>\n

\u2003<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Kandace,* Your latest post has gotten me to ponder my own \u201ccollective\u201d musings. Including some quips regarding my most recent experience of buying and renovating an \u201cas is\u201d townhome I call t-Rex. I had given away almost all of my thrifted and gifted furnishings, art, etc. from my previous …<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[219,180],"tags":[226,34,221],"class_list":["post-1264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-septuagenarian","category-words-of-wisdom","tag-art-of-kcf","tag-mixed-race","tag-septuagenarian"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1264"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1276,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264\/revisions\/1276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}