How many times have you
finished the laundry, folded your clothes, and come up a sock short? You
backtrack and examine the washer and dryer, but one sock has mysteriously
vanished. You frown and consider the possibility that house elves really do
exist and yours have cold feet.
One family in Portland,
Oregon solved the mystery of missing socks in their home. Their three year old
Great Dane became very ill and subsequently the veterinarian pulled out 43 1/2 socks from the dog’s stomach! The
article
didn’t say where the other half of the sock went.
Last winter after an
ill-considered snowball fight when I wasn’t wearing gloves, I noticed my
wedding ring was missing. I looked everywhere—the front yard, the car, through pockets
in my clothes and coats, even in drawers in the house, but no luck.
After a few months I had
given up hope of ever again seeing my old but cherished ring. One day as I was
walking through the living room, a sparkle from under a side table next to the
couch caught my eye. I bent over to see what it was and, EUREKA, I found my
ring along with a few dust bunnies. But how in the world did it end up there?
Some homeowners have
found treasures as well as creepy things in their attics. They probably never expected to discover a Vincent Van Gogh
masterpiece, cash in a bag from WWII, an original Huckleberry Finn manuscript, a
mummy, or (scarily) a man stalking his ex-girlfriend.
Sometimes during renovations of very old houses people find
objects like charms, bottles, dried cats, skulls, shoes, and clothes hidden in
walls, ceilings, floors, or chimneys. It’s speculated that these hidden tokens
follow ancient traditions to ward off evil spirits, bring
good luck, or aid in fertility.
Shoes are the most common
items discovered. If you happen to find old shoes (really old shoes, not PF Flyers or penny loafers) hidden in your
house, Northampton Museums and Art Gallery maintains a Concealed Shoe
Index and would like to add your find to their collection.
Have you lost or found
anything unusual in your house?
My personal favorite discovery was while we were renovating our 1795 house in Purdys, New York. Behind the plaster on the lathing were a child’s charcoal scribblings.
ReplyDeleteMy mother had a habit of finding “the perfect Christmas present” months in advance and then storing it in a safe place. Some we only discovered when they moved from the home after aver 30 years of residency.
My favorite family discovery occurred when my grandfather bought a farm in Conesus, New York circa 1918. In the barn he found a leather satchel filled with documents mostly relating to Savanah, Georgia and northern parts of Florida dating from the late 1600s through the War of 1812. Some were in Spanish (having to do with Spanish militia during the War of 1812.
My grandfather kept the papers; when he died my father inherited them. When I moved to Savannah, I had them appraised for Dad and he donated them to the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah. No one has a clue how those papers came to be in that Conesus barn.
~ Jim
We renovated a house when we were first married. The house had been built by a poor farming family. When we took down walls, we discovered their insulation was old newspapers from the WWI era. It also was the era of the women's suffrage movement. I read the editorials against women "who want to do man's work" and was surprised at the lack of prejudice and bonehead logic.
ReplyDeleteThe best argument asked who would raise the children. I think that is the primary problem to this day. It's why I "stayed home" with my kids. I had the economic freedom to have the choice, which I realize now is considered a luxury. It's also a sad statement of our times. Some kids are pandered to, others neglected. The children always seem to be sacrificed.
There were also wonderful advertisements for products, some of which I had framed.
I don't have any cute stories, but I do enjoy finding money in the pockets of my clothes when I put them on.
ReplyDeleteYou’ve made many fascinating discoveries in your houses, Jim. The leather satchel is a treasure. I’m sure there’s a great story about how it ended up in your grandfather's barn.
ReplyDeleteI love that your mom tucked away presents in such a safe place that they were still there after 30 years.
What happened to the charcoal scribblings?
E.B., how interesting to come across a time capsule of WWI newspapers in the walls. I've read WWII newspapers and it does seem like core issues remain the same even though the wording, customs, and styles are different from our time.
ReplyDeleteWarren, unexpected money is always a nice surprise. I find a few coins whenever I do the laundry.
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved into our circa 1920s Cape in Connecticut, we found that the previous owners very thoughtfully left a non-working tractor! We passed it on to the next buyers. The kids had a great time climbing on it.
ReplyDeleteMost of the houses I've moved into have been too new for any cool historical finds. Perhaps future buyers will delight in digging up our left behind Legos and Barbie shoes.
The late Erma Bombeck had an explanation for those missing socks.
ReplyDeleteShe maintained that the socks we see are a stage in the development of some type insect, like the caterpillar stage of a butterfly.
The washing machine produces the ideal environment for the socks to move on to the next stage of development, when they appear in your closet as wire coat hangars.This is particularly true if you frequently use the services of a dry cleaner.
Shari, I bet your kids thought the tractor was cool! I’m sure the buyers of your Cape are enjoying it too. Our prior homeowners left a load of laundry in the dryer and some cans half-full (or half-empty depending on your outlook) of old paint.
ReplyDeleteWell, that explains the mystery of the disappearing socks, KM. Erma Bombeck had a fun and unique way of looking at the world. What a talented writer.
ReplyDelete