Crazes

I was going through my junk recently, 'de-cluttering', and realised how many different crazes I go through which involve buying large quantities of equipment, most of which gets used for about two weeks and then stored, somewhere, for when I'm re-inspired with that particular thing.

I've always been a seeker of something I can be good at or a group I can be a part of.

My mother bought me:

- brownie outfit (though I inherited the 'sash' - I was a US brownie - from my sister, complete with all the sewn badges, which I then claimed as my own. Not a good start for the moralistic brownie pack);
- a guitar, (on which I learnt three chords, enough to play 'Blowin in the WInd' over and over again. I did have classical guitar lessons, but they were a disaster.
- a melodica, (I didnt' have lessons on this, but picked up a few paltry little tunes)
- a rock polishing machine (I am probably personally responsible for the increase of the ozone layer. That thing took months to polish rocks, which I hadn't chosen with any care, just picked up randomly around the city. Needless to say, the end result was a bitter disappointment).
- Endless small animals.

In adult life:

- I have enough wool to insulate our entire house. One day, I'll just accept that my knitting/crocheting days our over - I have done neither since I gave up smoking (Ironically, perhaps).
- Paints. Sacks of them. Watercolour paints, oil paints, acrylic paints. You name it, I've got it. For my 'art' and my paper mache craze, when I sat at the kitchen table constructing useless objects which were usually unidentifiable. Most of them rotted (my husband was so grateful) because I used the old fashioned paste, ie flour and water.
- Bits of broken crockery. For the mosaic I will create one day.
- Single earrings. See above.
- Keys. When I was teaching, these were good for stimulating children's imaginations. Teaching makes one a terrible hoarder, because having props is very comforting.
- Material. I do sew, on occasion, usually curtains or putting the odd dart in a too large garment. I have made my own clothes, but tents aren't very flattering on a slightly overweight fifty year old, so I've stopped. My latest acquisition of material was ear marked for the making of some bunting. It cost a fortune and now sits in a bag, waiting for the long winter months when I have nothing to do. Yeah, right, that's really going to happen!
- A cowbell, shakers and various other bits of samba drumming acoustic instruments.
- Another guitar. I learnt three more chords before I put it away.
- Endless bits of small gym equipment ie. weights, a large elastic band thing, something with handles you stretch, a huge ball.

Do I ever use them? Of course not.
But, the point is, I just might.