The Magical Memories Store

Out with the old, in with the new.

It’s an old Irish tradition. Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve we opened the back door and swept out the prior year. Then, just after midnight we welcomed in a fresh start to the new year by opening the front door. Cleaning the house before bringing in the new year is another New Year’s tradition.

Christmas decorations have been packed away and the tree put to the curb. The house is less cluttered now while in a transitory phase. It seemed like the right time to continue last year’s tradition. We needed to lighten up our shelves and cabinets. We removed things we no longer consider important. Out went the Keurig coffee maker I was sure I would someday fix. Truth is, I broke it more just taking it apart. A chipped glass paperweight and years old paper documents all went out for trash collection. Anything that is still useful has gone to the Goodwill store.

What’s old is new again.

January is the coldest month here in Canada. Today’s temperature, with the wind chill effect, felt a little too daunting for a morning walk. Instead, we made a visit to an antique store.

Driving there, I was readying myself for the search of a prized memento, a token of remembrance from years past. Then my thoughts flipped over to, what am I doing? Why didn’t I just keep my old junk. Is another person’s junk better than my own? I should just save myself by subscribing to the Marie Kondo method of only keeping that which brings you joy.

I visited Cookstown Antiques. Marie Kondo would really have a heyday in this place. Less is more would have gone a long way in helping me pick something out. Alternatively, more stuff piled up means more possibilities for the perfect find.

Cookstown Antiques is a two-level, 6000 square foot barn. It houses 35 vendors. They offer a vast array of turn-of-the-century finds to more recently produced treasures. Walking out from the snowy cold and through the store’s wide entrance doors presents patrons with their first decision. Will it be up the stairs to the second floor, a left turn, or a right turn on the first floor? We started left on the first floor and meandered our way upstairs.

It isn’t among the largest antique stores around, making it a quicker venue to walk through. After all, how many cup and saucers do I need to see?

What do I need? Well, nothing really. Not until I see it. Isn’t that what all eager antique hunters say?

My Tonka Truck

Sighting a long-ago childhood toy, memories of my 1960’s yellow metal Tonka dump truck were relived. I held it in my hands and for a while time went backwards. I was five years old when I received it for Christmas. Later, on Christmas Day I was outside with my friend. He lifted snow up into the truck box with his Tonka tractor, a gift he received that same day. I pushed my truck around in the driveway making tracks just like my dad ‘s truck. We pretended we were clearing the city streets after a massive winter snowstorm.

When it came time to go back inside for lunch, I felt I had to take care of my special gift. I wanted the snow removed from every bit of my truck. Like hitting replay, I still recall the actions I took leading to my trucks end. The kitchen oven was empty and barely warm. A pie was cooling on counter. My 5-year-old logic thought placing the truck in the oven was the greatest idea. I thought letting the snow melt away would solve my problem. Upstairs I went to play with my other Christmas gifts.

“What’s burning?” my mother’s panicked voice screeched from downstairs. Her angry voice quickly followed with “Kevin come down here.” Arriving to the kitchen I saw the open oven door. My yellow Tonka truck had all four plastic wheels melted flat. How was I to know she would turn on the oven?

Over the past many decades, my mom and I laugh about my flat-wheeled Yellow Tonka truck. It’s become part of our family tradition of reminding ourselves of times past. I didn’t need to bring the truck home as a reminder. It would take up shelf space I had just cleared. Retelling the story keeps this memory alive.

These are memories we share. These are memories that bring us joy.