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The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Elle Knowles
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree

I can see it in the way he cleans the yard, or the carport, or workroom. Not throwing out useless items because they were Mom or Dad’s. Not letting go because it was something important to them. I shake my head and muse because what else can I do? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

While replacing the antiquated four blade, no light ceiling fans with five blade fans and light kits, the old fans, of course, are packed into the boxes the new fans came in – nice and neat with a little room to spare. They are then placed in the workroom balanced precariously on top of three ice chests and a mound of boxes filled with items his mother had gathered years ago for a yard sale that never happened.

Somewhere amongst the five trillion screws – and I am not exaggerating –  three dozen screwdrivers, and multitudes of other miscellaneous tools ( I should never have to visit the tool or screw department in Lowes again) there are at least four boxed up old carburetors that came off cars that are long gone. Is there a reason I am missing why his dad kept these things?

When H replaced the faucet in the bathroom a few months ago, he carefully packed the old one up yet again in the new box and left it sitting in the hallway. Two days later I asked him if I should put it in the workroom with the other boxed items so when we were gone…deceased…passed away…Andrew would think he had found treasure – a brand new faucet and two new ceiling fans along with other miscellaneous parts of a house that had years before been remodeled. To his dismay when he opens these boxes he finds junk! Junk he will throw out. Junk he will also shake his head at and wonder.

I should probably prepare Andrew for this so he won’t be as shocked as I was when I found what I thought could be treasures. Or…I could leave it alone and let him think we weren’t quite right in the head!

We won’t talk about my junk drawer! Everyone has one of those…right?

Elle

19 Comments

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About Elle Knowles

Elle Knowles lives in the Florida Panhandle with her husband and off-at-college-most-of-the-time son. She has four daughters, one son, and eleven beautiful grandchildren. 'Crossing the Line' is her first novel. The sequel 'What Line' is a work in progress. Recently published is Coffee-Drunk Or Blind - a nonfiction story of homesteading in the Alaska wilderness with her parents and four siblings, told through letters by her mother and remembered accounts from the family.

19 responses »

  1. tripleclicka | June 9, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    I do believe everyone has a junk drawer…

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  2. Elle Knowles | June 9, 2017 at 9:52 am

    Reblogged this on Finding Myself Through Writing and commented:

    I laughed when I read this on my Facebook memories this morning. To be honest, it hasn’t gotten any better, except for the fact that we finally got an outdoor storage shed put up and slowly but surely H is cleaning out the workroom and the carport. Soon my car will fit where it is supposed to. I don’t care what junk he puts in that shed. As long as it isn’t in my house it’s a good thing! ~Elle

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  3. Susannah Bianchi | June 11, 2014 at 6:47 am

    Funny to read this now since I was just cruising my apartment wondering what I could toss out. I’m told I’m an enigma not holding onto things, but that isn’t true. I just try to be selective That said, I’m in love with a collector, I call him, often wondering how I would handle his collection if we ever were to live together…have a good friend who has boxes floor to ceiling with things like grocery lists belonging to her long gone mom. I find the act of saving very fascinating.

    What I loved in your description was the neat part…how he packed everything like it was going back for sale.

    The tangible…it’s all we have to hold on to sometimes….I really loved how you shared it. Very visual not to mention touching. Susannah

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    • Elle Knowles | June 11, 2014 at 8:32 am

      Thanks for the kind words. In another world you could be his partner in crime! He says I would throw everything out if it were up to me…that’s not true…I just need some of this massive furniture stored in another place so I don’t feel smothered at night when I try to sleep, not to mention the bruises on my body from side-stepping around particular articles of question. We don’t have much closet space in this 1044 square foot home, but there is also not much room for all those chest of drawers that hold many items, also in question. I’m continually re-arranging to make room. As far as all the mementoes of days gone by, I am a keeper of many myself. I can see a little hoarding tendency on his part though and I have to reign him in sometimes. 😉

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  4. Jessie Legendre | June 10, 2014 at 10:12 pm

    Or maybe Andrew will just keep with tradition and add to the pile himself! I hope not though. I’ll come over and talk some sense into him if he tries. 😉 And I’ll never mention my craft room/junk drawer! Is it bad that my 3yr old’s favorite thing to do is carry a bag of junk around? A piece of ribbon, a button, cut up paper, etc. All treasures to her! Lol!

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    • Elle Knowles | June 10, 2014 at 10:27 pm

      I forgot Cadence likes to do that! Wonder where she got that from? From the contents of my purse I may be guilty. As for Andrew, I think it looks as if he may go in the opposite direction – let’s hope! 🙂

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  5. suzjones | June 10, 2014 at 5:20 pm

    A junk drawer – or a craft room. We all have them 😉

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  6. Debbie | June 10, 2014 at 8:35 am

    I have several of those junk drawers I need to clean out!

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  7. chrismcmullen | June 9, 2014 at 10:49 pm

    But one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. So really all those junk drawers are treasure chests. 🙂

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