Plan B Forum

One of life’s lessons. We were in Camden Town (London) IIRC and we spotted this sale of garden ornaments at the side of the road. For something like £24 I could get a ‘Dieu et mon droit’ concrete lion on a pedestal. I found the £24, tossed the lion in the back of the Alfa (I was a flash git in those days) and took it to my love’s flat in Hackney and set it up on the balcony. The thing weighed about 150 lbs (the pedestal was a little lighter) but I was young and in love. In 1985 we moved to Buffalo NY and I set it down on the porch. It was a symbol of our Englishness among the snow-bound foreigners. Between us, it was a concrete symbol of love.



We moved again in Buffalo in 1988 and 2003. Each time the lion moved with us. In 2003 I was 54 but I could still shift that sucker and put it on its plinth. In 2009 we moved to Kentucky. I have to admit that this 60-year-old Andy was having trouble but was unwilling to admit it. The Alfa was long gone of course (some species of Taurus had supplanted it) and I did the guy thing. I was 65 when we moved to Columbia MO and that lion is still on our porch. He sometimes wears a witch hat or a Santa Claus topper. In Louisville on Derby Day he might be outfitted with a fancy flowery thing; or at least the best I can do.

Now I’m 69 next month; and the woman I loved then I still love. Next week we move back to Louisville to be near the most tangible product of that love. But how do I tell her I can’t shift that #$%^&*( lion any more? I tried today - she was out, so I tried to move it and she wouldn’t see if I failed. I think concrete must absorb moisture from the atmosphere.

We are throwing stuff out. Life’s accumulations are unimportant beyond a certain age and have to be stripped away. If I put this on Craig’s list maybe some strapping young man will take it for his lady. I won’t warn him that it gets heavier as the years pass.

Shipping 150lbs from UK to USA? That must have been a hoot!

Last week Lynn asked me to move some packages of floor tile (inherited from the previous home owner) from the shed out back to the garage. "Sure!". Wrong. I would have done it 10 years back, struggled five years ago but now.... nada. You're right - things get heavier as time lays on top of them.

It’s a sign that your muscle mass has deteriorated.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

It sounds like you have a lot of fond personal history and memories wrapped up with this statue Andy; can't you just get somebody to help you move it?

I can't recall the Native American movie character who said "the White man has too much stuff," but I always remember it when looking at all the unnecessary stuff I own. I think we invest too much emotional energy into things that, in the end, don't truly matter, or will not matter to those who survive us.

Andy, maybe the new life you are planning will be buried underneath those things you now own. Mostly you need to ask yourself is where will it end up after you die? Be sure you know the difference between 'gold' and 'fools gold.' The time to free yourself of this burden is 'now.'

Good luck.

MajGenl.Meade wrote:Shipping 150lbs from UK to USA? That must have been a hoot!

... " .

Our neighbors in Portland had a daughter who shipped a car from England to Portland for less than I paid to ship a car from San Jose to Portland. Using a ship to ship is that much cheaper.

yrs,
rubato

You've heard that you can hire people to move your stuff? Easier on the body and good for the economy as well.

yrs,
rubato

Always buy the woman you love a concrete lion. J’adore (I’m a Leo). My Swede brought me one when I turned 50 (and he was 60). Find a way to take it with you, then give it to the product of your love.

Yeah, let her carry it...

You can do it, but

Guinevere wrote:Find a way to take it with you, then give it to the product of your love.

I agree with Guinevere.

Either that, or keep taking it to wherever your last move takes you, and let the product of your love deal with it when you're gone. Suggestion: I've always thought it would be funny to "plant" a concrete lion (We have a well entrenched pair that came with our house.) somewhere, paint it in Lion King colors (colours if it's a British lion) plant pampas grass around it, and see how long it takes for the city, or whatever, to remove it.

Before doing anything, be sure to ask the love of your life how she feels about it. It is entirely possible she was willing to leave it behind three moves ago.

rubato wrote:You've heard that you can hire people to move your stuff? Easier on the body and good for the economy as well.

yrs,
rubato

Yes, and they will place it on the porch of the new house (which we don't have yet). My love will point out to me, correctly I might add, that it would look much better 8 inches to the left. So I will still have to shift it. I'll let you (y'all - I have to practice for Kentucky) know how it goes.

Perhaps use a lightweight handtruck? (You can probably get one for $25-30.)

yeah, the old cast iron coal stove seemed like a great idea at the time.

I gave it to my neighbor for scrap last year......