Turning in the keys
After months of packing, moving boxes, giving away books, discarding junk and, in general, presiding over a long and protracted period of upheaval in my life, I locked the door to my apartment of 15 years and turned in the keys the other day, saying a rather emotional goodbye to my downstairs neighbor of many years, the apartment manager I have known almost as long as I have been there, and the maintenance man who has done so many repairs for me over the years.
What a very strange feeling to close the door on an empty apartment, having done the last of the vacuuming and picking up odd bits and pieces on the floor: nails, nickels and dimes, pens, empty CD holders, bits of paper, etc. It’s weird also to survey each individual room for the last time, making sure everything is out of there. I decided to look one more time at the top shelf in my walk-in closet, which I managed to pack so much into, and found an autumn scene from a long-ago wall calendar. It was titled "Birch Road" and was a classic landscape scene from a state park in Maine, the kind I liked to tear out of used calendars and save. Not sure why except that I just hate to part with scenes that are so beautiful and which I enjoyed looking at for the brief period of time they were displayed on my wall.
For those of you who have been reading here for a while, you might recall entries in which I have talked about my wall calendar collecting habits. For as long as I can remember, I have looked forward to that time of year visiting bookstores when the next year’s calendars are first available for sale. I would start out buying my favorites early on: Lang’s Four Seasons, Sierra Club, Out on the Porch. Others would follow including waterfall and Nature calendars, cloud calendars, and perhaps another classic Lang calendar. Some were purchased after the start of the new year when all the calendars were reduced in price 50 percent. My all-time favorite has always been the Four Seasons calendar by Lang which depicted nostalgic country paintings by John Sloan throughout the seasons. I would always be fascinated by the snowy winter scenes, so impossible to imagine here in the South. The autumn scenes brought me a world out in the country I never knew firsthand, but in which I could envision myself through the calendars. I guess you could say I got carried away with buying calendars, but I liked to put them on the walls in the bedroom and living room and in my office cubicle. They were certainly well used and enjoyed.
That’s why it’s perhaps fitting hat the very last thing to leave my apartment was that autumn calendar scene. I may get it framed as a memento of my move, and surely it reveals a place I must also visit some day — Baxter State Park in Maine. I like those little promptings we get from time to time to discover or learn more about a particular place. Not to read too much into it, but this has been a time of many mixed emotions, and little things take on larger symbolic significance than they ordinarily might have.
I know how I would feel if I had to leave this place. All my best to you.
Warning Comment
I think you should have it framed. I felt a bit of a sigh building myself, reading this, feeling you walking away….change is so hard even when we know it is the right move for us. It occurs to me that all of us are walking away from the apartment…having thought of you there over all these years. Take care of yourself. I love knowing your calendar thirst. May there be many more in your life.
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I love calendars. I always get cat ones, and I have a stack of old ones that I intend to get the artwork from and do SOMETHING with. It’s neat that you found the straggling image. I was just thinking the other day that I want to go to New England, so is this a sign that I should stow away on the trip you take?? 🙂
Warning Comment
I also love calendars… mine have beach scenes or lighthouses on them (surprise, huh?… lol) I know it is difficult to leave your home, but you will retain the memories you made there for the rest of your life… and you will begin again making memories of your home now……. remember, friend, each day is a new beginning.. *hugs*
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I wouldn’t expect you NOT toenjoy such beautiful scenes as are often found in calendars. A new passage of your life is opening up now, and closing the door on the past is not always easy….but I am sure wherever you are you will always find the beauty in life. Taking care of your mum is one of such things. hugs p
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Saying goodbye is hard, but i’m eager to hear of your next adventures. Snow scenes perhaps!
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This is hard, I know. HUGS. You should travel to New England one day. Many years ago, when I lived in Baltimore, I traveled to that part of the country. Once in the middle of Winter. What an adventure. Lots of snow but beautiful nature. In Spring, nature was also spectacular. Take good care.
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Moving is never easy..this entry reminds me how I had to empty out my old house back in 1997. Think I’ll use that as my entry for today…
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So glad you found the autumn scene before you left. What a nice memento! I nearly always end up with more calendars than I need. My favorites are the ones that feature wildlife, natural landscapes, baby animals – especially kittens, and, of course, tractors. 😉
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I hope you’re settling well in your new place.
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