I am so sorry for your situation. I am sending you a very big cyber hug!
I have learned we have to live the day we are in, we don't know what tomorrow can bring.
I have everything a quilter or seamstess could wish for as far as material goods.
I didn't think about the fact that I might not have the energy needed in my retirement years.
Since the latter part of 09 I have had so many surgeries that I will just have to build myself back up to where I can enjoy my sewing/hobby room again.
When I'm feeling sorry for myself I will think of you and others on this board and say a prayer for you all.

You are very sweet to think of others when you have your own problems. I try to do as you and just live for today. Hopefully, today will be good for both of us and others.

This was a very nice 'thread' to read and hear about all your stashes so I will add my story. When I was very small,(under age 6) to entertain me, my mom would sit me down on the floor next to her rag drawer and she said I would play there happily for hours. It must have stuck because now, I can sort through all my bits and pieces of scraps and let my imagination soar. Fortunately, I have a wonderful friend who does not wish to keep her scraps so she sends them to me. How fortunate I am and I tell her that it is way better than Christmas when she sends me a treasure box of goodies. I have 3 scrap quilts begun (spider web;one I call stained glass and a replica of one my mom made back in the 30's) and ideas for more. My stash just seems to grow also and I have had many fabrics for years. Some I know now are not suitable for quilting so need to get rid of them. One day, will get them all organized with the neat folding tut that I saw on here. I probably have 8 of those square milk carton like storage containers full of fabric and a couple cardboard boxes. Loved all your stories. :-)

I, too, played with my mom's scrap material, but I do not remember ever having much in the way of "scraps" from anything, including food, etc. I had three brothers and two sisters and my dad was a carpenter. Mother didn't work outside the home until I was in my early teens. Any fabrics that were left from her sewing our clothes with feed sacks, were put in braided rugs, or something useful for our home. Our flour, sugar, etc. all came in feed sacks so we didn't have a lot to throw out. My dad always had a garden for vegetables and mom made bread, pies, cakes. She had a sewing day, a bake day, a wash day, and an ironing day. I don't remember a day when she bought groceries. I don't think she did. We grew everything.

I so enjoy hearing these stories of "how it was" as well as the ones of "how it is".
I can so relate to all that you all have mentioned.
I wish they still put feed in cotton fabric sacks.
Better than having to buy burlap type sacks or disposing of the heavy paper ones.
We always had a garden, as well as a milk cow, even in town. We staked her out in empty lots or close by fields.
Owners were glad not to have to mow.
I wish my brother hadn't taken my Mother's churn to the dump :(
I think I just may write a journal for my Grandkids & Greats.

A journal is a great idea. My grandchildren would probably like to read something like that, too. I have turned that idea over in my mind a time or two, but the time to do it.....? I can't even find the time to quilt right now. I, too, wish they still put flour, sugar, etc. in fabric feed sacks. Maybe I wouldn't dislike going to the grocery store so much.

))))))Hugs((((((( Pat
Thank you for your kind and gentle reminder.

um..............tubs here, labled, darks, lights, heirloom, Asian, toile, Christmas silk, ............and one tub with fabric that contains some yardage that is just too beautiful to use or I haven't found the right item to make with them......ggggg.......take a look at some others stash.....especially Virginia Farrell...............sometimes that's mine...............sheesh............calla/Sue

http://www.amisimms.com/stash.html

Carol, what "cool" storage you have :D
You are close to being my neighbor!
Just found another neighbor on this board that is just a few miles from me.

Thank you for that good advice. Enjoy what we have now. Don't wait for someday. :)