Today I spent time, finally, making the complete switch in the closet from summer/fall clothes to winter.  It’s a less than enjoyable process for me, frankly.  I am forced to look at things I’ve outgrown (and not necessarily in a good way) as I try to live by the rule “If I haven’t worn it in the past year, it goes.”  A few bags have already been placed in the back of my car for the quick trip to the Salvation Army on Warwick Ave.

In the basement I found a couple of semi-full plastic storage bins to put the summer togs into for their hibernation.  Still occupying  the bins were some of the clothes left behind by our grandchildren, who upon moving back to Arizona, had no need for the winter coats, sweaters, and mittens; so those too, made it into some bags to pass on to kids who need them.  As I was folding and refolding the kids’ clothes to package them for donation, I was reminded of the bags of kids clothes that would make the rounds among my Mom and her friends.

A few times a year my Mom would call us kids to the living room and there would be about 10 or so brown paper and store shopping bags full of clothes.  Treasures to us, from Mrs. Creamer and Mrs. Habershaw’s houses.  Among my Mom and her besties there were 17 kids of various ages, 11 girls and 6 boys.  Clothing us all was not a small task, and saving on the cost by sharing hand-me-downs was a great way to go.  The bags and the yet to be modeled clothing in them, created a smell in the room was an intoxicating blend of cedar closet and moth balls.  The practice of sharing hand-me-downs continues, though the invention of Space Bags keeps clothes smelling like clothes rather than the clothes smell less like a cedar closet.

Today, my thanks is extended not only to Mrs. Creamer and Mrs. Habershaw for the fond memories, but also to their daughters for having good taste in the fashion of the time.

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