When I was still working as a news reporter, I saved almost all the paper goods that were used for research, to have a supply of ideas and sometimes to reinforce what we reported. Laurie (the middle daughter) worked with me for eight years full time, and before that as an occasional substitute. She also saved almost everything.

When I retired and Laurie moved into a new field of work, I inherited all the paper goods. It included the Back Fence items clipped from papers that went back many years. There were about 20 years of the Monroe miscellany columns we wrote every Sunday, and a large box full of copies of all the feature stories I wrote for the 38 to 40 years I worked for the city paper.

In addition, there was one large carton that had nothing but personal-interest clippings – pictures; wedding, engagement and death notices; shower invitations; special items about birds, thimbles, postcards, license plates, thousand eye glassware; books I would like to read or own; notes that found their way into the files from meetings we covered and the little notes we exchanged with one another when Laurie and I covered meetings in the same building.

It was all overwhelming. When it was time to move a couple of years after I had retired, I made one earnest attempt to go through one of the boxes and save only what was really important.

I abandoned the whole thing after that one attempt and taped up five or six big cartons of paper things, moved them here and stacked them in the spare room closet. I’ve been adding to the scrapbook stuff since I moved here – 15 years! Now, it is time to do something about this huge assortment of “stuff.”

It may take until spring, but I have finally rounded up the right kinds of boxes and have started sorting. Do you know how that works? Three items to the waste basket, one to the “keep” box, and another several pages that demand my attention were clipped together. I have to read that item – the news item that evolved from a big meeting in the school cafeteria. The late Bart Weller of Vitramon was asking for a permit to build a new facility and was accompanied only by a lawyer. No drawings – no plan – just an oral guarantee that his friend “Mr Snyder will build something we will all be proud of.” Permission was granted and Vitramon became a prideful part of the community.

I have already found several pictures and clippings to send to someone who might like to have them. It’s less painful than throwing them away. With a collection of things like I saved, who needs the Internet?

My daughter-in-law Joy came down from Vermont Saturday to attend a birthday party for her brother, in Newtown. It was lucky the event was in between two snowstorms – and weather didn’t hinder her visit. 

It is always nice to have company overnight. Sometimes the evenings are long, unless there are basketball games or some musical program. When she went back on Sunday, I sent The Bee and some Danbury papers to David, who lived and worked in Danbury before moving to Vermont.

Scott came to visit Saturday, also, and Ed got groceries for me. It was a busy day.

The mockingbird has become quite friendly. It now comes often when the pair of cardinals are here, and seems to be scouting for food where they go. The cold and snow has brought all the birds to the yard, more steadily.

Several people have asked me about my cat Moxie who went to live at The Last Post in Falls Village. The director, Jeanne Toomey, called me Monday, and I also talked to one of the staff members who takes care of Moxie. She wants me to come someday for a visit. I’m not sure I could do that and then leave him there. I still miss him, very much.

Last week’s lines of poetry were by Robert Frost, from “Tree At My Window.”

From what seafaring tale are these lines?

“Then the maiden clasped her hands and prayed

That saved she might be;

And she thought of Christ who stilled the wave,

On the Lake of the Galilee.”