This Life...

Release the Pigs!

May 29, 2013 /

I’m not a collector. Seriously. I don’t collect anything at all. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot of stuff, I do. Way more stuff that I need, definitely way more stuff than I use. But I don’t have any collections. I’m rather an anomaly because of it–most people collect something. My dad collected coins. My sister, PJ collects purple glassware and some kind of pink pottery and angels and milk glass. Sister Kate used to collect baskets, but I’m not sure she still does. Husband collects tools, but not because he’s a collector, rather because he uses a lot of different tools. A pal at the lake collects Longaberger products like baskets and pottery and friend CL collects Heisey glass.

This weekend, I got caught up in a discussion about collecting  with another lake friend, who is an avid collector of glassware. She told me about her glass collection and how there are boxes in the garage and cabinets and display cases all over her house filled with it. She looked rather askance when I confessed to not being a collector. Even more askance when I mentioned that I was a ruthless tosser. I am able to throw just about anything away. Not because I don’t respect material possessions or lack a sense of sentimentality. It’s simply that I crave clean palettes and tidy surfaces. And also because, frankly, I’m lazy. If I collect something, I’ve got to dust it. No thanks.

But somehow, over the years, I’ve always had pigs in my kitchen. I’m not sure how that started—I think it might have been with a pig cutting board that Husband’s dad made in junior high school. That little pig came to us because we bought Husband’s grandfather’s house from his parents, and wee wooden pig still lived there. I hung him on the wall and pretty soon, I began getting gifts of pigs for my kitchen. For many years, the pigs seemed appropriate to me. My body image sucked (still does somewhat) and I always told people that I identified with the pigs in my kitchen. When we built our current home, 30 years ago—the pigs came along and got hung on the walls in the new house. Even when I switched from American country to more Country French decor, I left the pigs on the walls.

kitchen 2013 Today, as I’ve been restoring order to my house after the big downstairs renovation, I found my kitchen pigs, all packed in a cardboard box. I began unwrapping them and realized I no longer want the pigs on my walls. I’m over the pigs, mostly because I’m trying so very hard to be over the bad body image that those pigs represent for me. So, all the pigs are going to the barn sale at the lake, and I’m sticking with my new Provence/Tuscany kitchen—country French, maybe a little northern Italy. I don’t even think I’m going to miss the little fellers.

kitchen pic2Nope. the new bolder Nan, the woman who’s been to Paris, who’s written three novels and has a fourth in the works, the Nan who owns her own editorial services company, and has started dressing to show off her curves instead of covering up her body—that Nan is over the whole pig thing. She’s looking forward to the release of two new novels this year, a glorious summer at the lake, picking up more editing work, and getting to know Grandboy better, as well as discovering delicious new and healthy dishes to prepare in her new kitchen. Whatever gets hung on the walls in this gorgeous kitchen, I can guarantee you it won’t be pigs!

19 Comments

  • Renee

    May 31, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    Well, Nancy, I don’t find time to read blogs generally, but just had to find out more about those pigs! Congratulations on the fresh start! I hope you find enticing replacements for the little guys as you enjoy your new kitchen.

  • Cheryl Brooks

    May 30, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    I collect souvenir shot glasses and refrigerator magnets from places I’ve visited. They’re small and don’t ever need dusting!
    Glad you’re ditching the pigs. You certainly don’t need them anymore!

  • Judy, Judy, Judy

    May 30, 2013 at 3:06 am

    “ruthless tosser” I like that. That’s me. I don’t like to have a lot of ‘stuff’. I don’t collect anything. I don’t have trouble throwing anything out except some books. But even books, it’s only authors I love that I want to keep.

    • Nan

      May 30, 2013 at 8:19 am

      Totally with you there, Judy. If I collect anything at all, it’s books and now I collect them on my Kindle, so no dusting!

  • Susanne

    May 29, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    Your kitchen looks wonderful. I’m sure you’ll be cooking up a storm in it.

    I know what you mean about keeping things. For years and years and years I kept a green, worn, wool blanket that my Grandmother had restitched the edging. Such neat stitches!!! I was culling some things and my 80’ish neighbour came by. She told me the sentiment was lovely, but I needed to send it to GoodWill.

    So I did.

    • Nan

      May 29, 2013 at 10:54 pm

      Susanne, hello and welcome! It’s hard to let some things go, but I always ask myself, “If I died tomorrow, would my kid hang onto it?”

  • Donna Meents

    May 29, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    I’m not a collector either (well…maybe travel books…but that is it). Bravo for you….au revoir little piggies. Love your blog entries mon ami.

  • Robena Grant

    May 29, 2013 at 5:17 pm

    I say it’s time those pigs had an adventure. : )

    Love your new kitchen. so lovely and crisp and cheerful.

    I’ve never been a big collector. My ex was. I got a ton of his stuff in the divorce. I’m feeding it off slowly to the kids. Hope they don’t get suspicious. Ha ha.

    I have roosters in my kitchen. But those were bought by me and reminded me of the French. So, yeah, they stay for a while longer.

  • Skye

    May 29, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    Very nice! It looks so pretty and I think that sending the pigs out to find new homes is a terrific idea. Time to shake things up!

    • Nan

      May 29, 2013 at 4:49 pm

      Thanks, Liz–older I get, the more I realize that my body is my body…I live in it and I can sit around and be unhappy or I can get up and go…I wanna go!