Cleaning Out The Closets

Shmeen was in town this week to help Shmeen's mom, Jolly Woman, clear out some of the crap in the closets. Shmeen's specific task this week was to go through her stuff. It turns out that Shmeen is quite the saver. I kind of knew this, but I didn't realize the extent... I knew that she still had her old dolls and games, but I saw a binder today with Shmeen's 5th grade work in it, a small box of ribbon-wrapped barrettes, and keepsakes from Great America with photos of people Shmeen didn't remember.


Shmeen and I have known each other for a long time, so it wasn't just that the things she dug up looked familiar to me because we are about the same age, it was that I remembered those barrettes in her hair and played this really fun game with her during the Carter Administration.


One box held two things I was absolutely astounded to learn she had hung onto:


Her school uniforms from grammar school!


These are the dress uniforms we wore on Mass days, for class photos, and some assemblies. Our regular uniforms consisted of white button-up collared shirts and colored cardigans or vests. The lower form uniform (on the left) was a jumper worn through sixth grade, and the blue skirt was worn by seventh and eighth graders. You can't really tell by these photos but these uniforms are why Shmeen and I dislike the hounds' tooth pattern to this day.


I don't remember what happened to my uniform once I got to high school. I hope it's not sitting in a box in Mom's basement! If it is, I think I may mail it to Shmeen...