your collections reflect your passions
I’m a proud pinhead –a person who collects lapel pins. I’ve been collecting them for at least 35 years, as there is a pin on the vest holding my collection dated 1986 when Vancouver, Canada, hosted the 1986 World Exposition. There may be others that are older and undated.
I’d say the majority of the pins are from travel. Taking a close look at them has reminded me of some smaller, marvellous places that I’ve been, but hadn’t thought of recently including Labrador, Ferryland (Newfoundland,) Baddeck (Nova Scotia) as well as special events that have meant a lot to me including the Pan American Games that were held right here in Manitoba in 1999, at which I was a volunteer in the media tent at Birds Hill Provincial Park. That was SO incredible, and the event netted me a handful of different pins as well as some terrific new friends. 😊 I also have pins from most of the organizations I’ve belonged to and places I have worked.
my matchbook collection has made me a phillumenist!
Alas, the art of being a matchbook cover collector (or phillumenist) is a dying art. I’ve written a post about this wayside hobby in this post, which you may find of interest. But with fewer people smoking and smoking banned in most places, the availability of matches in bars and restaurants has truly become more difficult and I rarely come home from a trip with more than a couple specimens to add to my collection.
What I really loved about collecting matchbooks, is that I could personalize an entry written on the inside of the matchbook cover indicating the date(s) I was there, with whom, and what of interest we were there for (a conference, convention, concert, wedding, etc.) Today, when taking the photo for this post, my collection reminded me of the amazing time I had at the Shangri-La Hotel in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates.) To date, the UAE is the most culturally different place I’ve been, and that trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi was one of the most memorable weeks of my life as every day was filled with unique and unexpected moments.
what characterizes your collections?
Writing this post made me realize one thing. The I’ve highlighted here today all cost me very little for the products themselves. It’s the travel that may add a very pricey component to the acquisitions. Sure enough, you can order just about anything via the internet. But everyone who knows me and follows this blog knows I’m all about the experience and experiential travel. So I never accepted any matchbooks from someone who went somewhere. It had to be ME who was doing the acquiring (or in the case of the chocolate … the tasting.) 😋
I have quite a number of other collections that include wood carvings, seashells (pictured above), books on certain topics (I recently realized I have at least 20 books on Feng Shui!) And I have about that same number of books about chocolate and cacao. They all make me happy!
As March 20th is recognized globally as International Day of Happiness, I thought it was the perfect time to salute our beloved collections. And if you have a collection that you don’t love or is no longer bringing you happiness, perhaps now is the time to let it go. Give it away, sell it, or if is of no value (emotionally or monetarily) to anyone else … chuck it!
Please tell me and everyone else here about your own collections. We’d love to hear about them and how they bring you happiness (or have done so in the past.) I hope #InternationalDayofHappiness brings you joy as does reflecting on your own collections.
My father started a collection of toy tractors shortly after he retired from farming. His initial plan to get a toy tractor for each tractor that he farmed with. He got two John Deere 1/16 scale precision tractors of his last two field tractors. The precision means that they are an exact duplicate of the real thing. A step above the ones in the sand box and little more expensive. He liked these so much until he started to gather all the John Deere tractors he could. He has since stopped collecting and has started to downsize. He would take part of his collection to top toy shows. The toys always started a discussion about the real thing.
Thx so much for joining the conversation, Lyle! It’s fascinating how your Dad transferred his passion for farming and his John Deere equipment to the pastime of collecting the equipment in mini-versions. And how that pastime enabled him to travel and meet up with others who share his passion for the “real thing” farming equipment. Really neat how that represents the full circle of collecting. Thx again for stopping by.
I’ve had people ask me where they can purchase an antique Pyrex teapot or where/how they could best sell an antique plate collection. I don’t know the answer to either of those Q’s, so I asked my friend Diane who with her husband, have become avid collectors of many things. Here is some advice she had to share:
“Hi Doreen. We have bought things from Dominion Auctions. We have used Kijiji for buying and selling.
We go to the different Antique stores in Winnipeg where we live (Google provides an up-to-date list.)
And we go to Antique stores when we travel. We take our time and talk to the proprietors extensively and just sort of go with the fun of it. We do a lot of browsing because these stores change regularly.”
I think Diane’s comment endorses the fact that collecting is a passion. It isn’t just a matter of walking into a shop and exiting as quickly as you entered. It’s about forging relationships, as not everything is on display. And if a shop knows you’re looking for a specific collectible, they may have a better chance at finding it than you as an individual may have. Above all, have fun with it!
Great post, Doreen! I certainly recall your love of pins. As an avid golfer, I used to collect a golf ball for each foreign course I played. However, the collection got too big and the dusting of the golf balls was tedious. I dislike clutter and collections usually equate to dusting (lol!). At the moment, I don’t have any collections on the go… just the memories in my noggin and maybe the tan for a couple weeks upon return 🙂
Hi Cathy & thx so much for your comment! You were wise to recognize that your golf ball collection was causing you more stress than pleasure, and just get rid of it. I think that sometimes we hang onto things that no longer serve us or give us pleasure–which is counterintuitive to the reason(s) we likely started collecting them in the first place. Looking forward to catching up with you this week.
Talking about collecting is one of life’s great pleasures for those of us who have been bitten by the bug. I have collected all my life beginning with bird nests and eggs, then the full range of plant and insect species – over a thousand by the age of 14. I gave that up and turned to the world of art, where I have formed a variety of collections both for me and for others. Stamps, coins, matchbox cars, and books also filled the shelves and cases. As with many collectors, each piece has a story. I remember when and where I acquired most pieces. I am now at the point where I am starting to offload collections, one at a time. I prefer to see where my treasures go rather than leave them for some poor executor to cope with. I have enjoyed collecting for over 60 years. Learning to detach is one of life’s greatest lessons and challenges. Loving the process! Thanks, Doreen, for your wonderful writing.
What a beautiful comment to wake up to, Jay. Thx so much for sharing thoughts and sentiments about your collections and the world of being a collector. (And my writing skills!) There are so many of us who have participated in the 60+ age group and are beginning to offload our collections. I’d love to hear from a few on the other end of the age spectrum to see if/what they are collecting, as so many of the things we used to collect are not-so-readily available as they used to be (matchbooks, pins, seashells, stamps, coins are all in much of a lesser supply than previously.) Have a super day!
For people who are at the beginning of collecting, my best advice over the years has been to focus on quality over quantity, and if you want to invest more than $500, and you’re not an expert, seek the advice of one before you buy. Also, collectibles can be risky investments, so buy things you like and can live with. For people selling collections, I always save the best for last. I peel off the less desirable items first. However you decide to manage your possessions, enjoy them and use them.
Right on, Jay! If our possessions and collections don’t bring us joy, it’s time to sell, give, or donate them to someone who will enjoy or make use of them. Thx again for joining this discussion.
Hi Doreen, I love your description of these collections. I have a bunch of pins and for a while, I put them all on a blanket for safekeeping and showing, but it too got too heavy to display. For a while, I collected stamps but turned them over to my dad a few years ago, except for one treasured one from my great grandfather. Also collected coins for a while, but those also went to my dad. Now, I definitely collect books–it’s gotten way out of hand too, with too many books throughout the house. And gardening pots also. The basement is full of them. I take a bunch out and then bring a bunch back in. Definitely have to find time to declutter some.
Hi Tracey and thx so much for your comment! Yes, it’s important to declutter when things get out of hand. But we’ve also got to remember that we can take pleasure from small things, and it sounds like your gardening pots bring you great pleasure. So fill them once the season allows and enjoy!
I had a matchbook collection that I loved and that spanned decades of travel but when we downsized and moved to Greece the matches couldn’t safely go to the storage unit and no one wanted them so they got dumped. Since that summer of slogging out our lives, I’ve quit saving things like I once did. Love seeing your collections though.
Thx for your comment, Jackie. Yes, when we move–especially abroad, a lot of stuff can’t come with us! I know I will have a lot of stuff to dispose of … someday.
I used to have a collection of Christmas ornaments until we went RVing and my tree became a foot and a half tall!
So true, Carol. Our collections definitely change according to our circumstances. And when they no longer serve our needs or emotions, it’s time to get rid of them or pass them on to a new home. Thx for stopping by.
This article is a distinct reminder that our passions are highlighted by the items we collect. Being travel bloggers means visiting a lot of different destinations each year. We find that picking up mementoes from each one helps us remember the good times we had there. Each piece has a personal story attached.
For sure, Jeff. I find my travel mementoes have really helped keep my spirits up through this pandemic. I’m glad you and Crystal are able to make short trips. We’re still in code red here in Manitoba.
Wow, impressive collections Doreen! Your matchbooks are particularly striking… I’ve collected many things over the years; I had postcards (and many lapel pins) from every single place I visited for decades, but it’s hard to know what to do with them. Photos too, although they’re easier to store now they’re digitised. In more recent years I started to collect small stones and shells from visits, writing or painting on them as to when and where, but they also became too many to cope with. I still have quite a collection of stamps from the 1960s in a box somewhere; I will have to look them out sometime. I have on many occasions started large and diverse collections of chocolate, however, for some mysterious reason I can no longer locate any of them… I missed International Day of Happiness, but Happy Happiness to you anyway. Roy :^)
Welcome back, Roy! It’s nice to hear from you again. I hope you’re doing well. Yes, those consumable collections never seem to last too long do they?
You have some fun collections and I don’t think I would have a chocolate collection if I ended up eating all the souvenirs. I actually had a pin collection and didn’t know how to present it and the vest thing is pretty cool for over the top displays, lol
Thanks, Noel. Yes, it can be a challenge to find a way to store and display collections. My husband had the leaded glass container custom made to display my match collection. And I came up with putting the pins on the vest as they looked good there and I just kept adding to them. Now … it’s WAY too heavy to wear, so I just keep them there for display. Thx for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
I think it depends where you are in the life cycle, frankly. I’ve moved three times in the past 13 years, downsizing each time, and am now in a bright compact apartment where I plan to stay. What gives me joy now is clearing stuff out. In fact, just a few minutes ago, my super super hauled away an old carpet for me, so now there’s space in the hall closet for some carefully edited boxes of my personal archives. However, I still have my little elephants in the china cabinet. I’ve loved elephants all my life and people still give me tiny elephants from time to time.
I suppose some would call my books a (frequently culled) collection, but I don’t — they’re just an absolutely indispensable part of my life. When I go to someone’s house and see no books, I can be pretty sure we’re not going to be close friends.
The things I do “collect” take up no space — friendships, mainly.
Hi Kathe and thx for stopping by to share your thoughts. Absolutely, our perception of collections changes during the various stages of our lives. My sister-in-law also had an elephant collection and cherished it until she passed. Yikes with respect to your comment about the books! All my bookcases are upstairs in my office. So if you came to my home as someone who didn’t know me, and didn’t see many books in the public areas on the main floor (there are always a few but no cases) you may think I don’t cherish books and that I therefore may not qualify to be your friend!
I shouldn’t really even have mentioned that, Doreen, because most of my books now live on my Kobo. I have a feeling I’d have recognized you as a kindred spirit, no matter what!
Thanks, Kathe, and the feeling is mutual. Yes, it’s amazing how many of us have books on our devices. (Sure helps in conserving space!) I don’t use Kobo, but I have many books on Kindle and a few on iBooks.
I started collecting Betty Boop stuff in the 1990’s. She is a cartoon character a little older than I am and I wanted to know what she was all about. In the collection I have two, now old, chocolate bars and some other packaged candy. None of which have been opened, or ever will be, because the value of an item is based on its being in its original package and in good nick. So I wonder about the chocolate and its contents, texture, and flavour that was made so long ago for a quick sale and probably not for a collector. (?)
Thx so much for that photo you sent me of the Betty Boop chocolate, Betty! Perhaps I’ve incorporated it into my post as I couldn’t import it into your comment. Your BB collection is amazing — just as you are. Thx for stopping by to share your thoughts on your prized collection.
Hi!
I collect tshirts, mostly baseball tshirts from various teams, leagues and special themes. I also have tshirts from traveling and concerts of course but my baseball tshirt is my biggest. I am probably close to 100 different shirts not including long sleeves and hoodies. I wear most of them even just for pyjamas. Hopefully we will be back to watching baseball games and traveling soon.
Thx so much for joining the conversation, Marika! It’s always great hearing from you. Yes, you must be one of the most passionate baseball enthusiasts that I know! I didn’t realize your baseball shirt collection had grown to such a magnitude! Hopefully, there will be games again soon for you to enjoy. And more shorts to come!
Kindred spirits! I have multiple collections from my travels: souvenir pennies, postcards, and magnets. I love perusing them all. My mom used to collect matchbook covers, so I always have an eye out for them and rarely find them anymore, as you noted. I wish she’d thought to jot down a little note inside. What a great idea!
Hi Julie and thx so much for your comment. I can’t help but bring things home from my travels. They’re remembrances of the good times and the great people I met in the amazing places I’ve visited. And during times when I can’t travel (we’re still in the COVID lockdown here in Canada) those little mementos help keep me happy. Cheers and thx for stopping by.
Hi Doreen,
So nice to meet you here again. I feel a bit envious of your fine collections and at the same time proud to see the lovely chocolate wrappers that came from Trinidad, but mixed in with that pride is a little bit of shame because I was born in Trinidad and while I know we are a cacao producing country, I have never seen or heard of those brands of chocolate. I promise to collect a few when I go back to visit, hopefully this year.
I am not a great collector. Whenever I travel, I bring back the usual things – key rings, magnets, and kitchen towels. I give away some of everything except the towels. Two years ago when I visited Israel I picked up some silk bookmarks. They are beautiful. I’d never seen any like them before, so if I ever travel again, I’ll be looking for bookmarks. Thanks for sharing your collections with us.
Hi Angela and how nice to see you back on Chocolatour after nearly eight years! I hope your writing is going well. I didn’t realize you were originally from Trinidad! Did you know I’ve done a series of posts about Trinidad? I encourage you to peruse the past dozen posts and there is something about Trinidad — and more if you just search “Trinidad.” Would love to hear your thoughts on any of those.
In some ways I envy you, and all of the posters above, but secretly, I shudder and say: What the heck do you do with all that stuff?
I keep nothing. Never have. Even when travelling, I come home with photos only (Ok, maybe a bit of fabric, or art supplies, but nothing else 🙂 ). Even the photos, I rarely view again. I remember my travels, experiences, and people I meet with stories I tell friends and family, and that seems to be enough for me.
I wonder, when I slip off the earth, whether my kids will thank me for the small amount of material I have dragged along with me, or curse me because there will be no titbits to give answers, or maybe more enticing, questions? The question is only for entertainment, however. I could no more keep what you treasure than you could dispose of it. We are who we are.
Thx so much for sharing your perspective, Wendy. Your response doesn’t surprise me and it is certainly just as valid as any of the others posted here. As you say, we are who we are, and we all handle sentimentality and preservation of our memories differently. Have a great day!
Book marks, tea pots and note paper, my 3 favourite things to collect
Book marks from as far away as Africa or as close as our home. During my daughters’ elementary school years, they designed book marks for a reading contest at school. Of course, I saved their submissions and those book marks are the most precious.
I have collected tea pots for many, many years. Just recently I purged a few of them My rule was… if I can’t remember who gave them to me, give them to someone who will appreciate them.
Writing paper from hotels, seminars and far off places are the BEST. Nothing purchased, just collected by me, family or friends. The only problem is I enjoy using it so my collection dwindles as the years go by.
Collecting is fun!!!
Hi Debbi and thx so much for joining the conversation. Yes, collecting sure is fun! I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s contributions. And I sure do love your teapot collection. It’s truly unique!
Doreen this post has brought me happiness today!
It’s neat to have collected something from your travels so you have something to spark memories. Joe has to bring a mug home from each trip but we are running out of cupboard space! I didn’t intentionally start to collect angels but I have a houseful! I think when people saw a couple of them in my house they thought I was collecting them so angels were my gifts for many years. They do however bring me joy!
I also like how you mention the need to declutter/purge/gift others with the things that don’t bring you happiness anymore. In my retirement that is first on my agenda.
I can’t wait to start “collecting” more get togethers with family and friends after this pandemic is over!
Stay safe!
Your comment gave me goosebumps, Frances. I can’t wait to resume our get togethers. I miss them SO much! Yes, it’s interesting how people seem to start buying you more of what they see. My neighbour June saw that happen with her owl collection! Every time there was a special day, she rec’d at least one more owl! Angels are indeed be a lovely thing to collect as they are surrounding you with loving energy. Stay well and see you soon. ❤️
Reading your blog and the posts from others got me thinking about why I have too much stuff. The only things I keep are the ones that bring back happy memories… that toy train from childhood, the family photos, favourite books, and so on. I still feel good when I look at those things.
The stuff associated with bad memories is long-gone.
That’s the way to do it, Bruce! By surrounding ourselves with things that bring us happy thoughts and feelings, we dramatically increase the positive vibrations in our home and make it a much happier place to be. Thx for stopping by.
I come from a family of philatelists (stamp collectors). My father was a philatelists started all 4 of us siblings to be collectors. I started at 7 years old. My daughter is one and i have 6 grandkids who may or may not carry it forward.
Super cool, Janet! I think it’s really neat when a hobby or tradition is carried down from generations to generation. I bet with less mail going thru b/c of increased online correspondence, the frequency of stamp changes (re new designs) must be decreasing?
Probably. I haven’t really done a comparison.
I think this is funny because when my kids look through some of the things I have amassed, they seem to infer that I may be a hoarder. lol. I get a lot of kidding but sometimes I think there is a serious edge to this as they are thinking about what they are going to do with this in a few years.
Hi Jan and thx so much for your comment. Yes, I think that as their parents age, the kids begin to talk stock of all the stuff that’s in the house and everything they’ll need to get rid of. That’s when our treasures become trash.
Wonderful topic for us all to consider! My daughter is on the middle of moving, and last evening she showed me a huge container of her son’s baby clothes. ( he is now 13). She said, “ see, Mom , this is what you taught me!” And its true… for years , I couldn’t part with my children’s lovely baby things, for they all had memories of those precious times. I had also kept many mementos of their childhood. But when we contemplated moving, I went through it all, bought a couple of decorative storage boxes that looked like fancy little suitcases, and packed one for each child with the best stuff… couple of articles of clothing, a few school things , some favorite small toys, some photos, drawings, notes and cards they had made… I presented each adult child with their collection at a time when we could look at everything together and reminisce … we had a wonderful time and shed not a few tears. And now they have their little portable collections and I can’t afford to care what they do with them …
That is such an amazing story, Laurel! Thx so much for sharing! I hope other parents reading this take note and possibly follow suit by packing that special suitcase with treasures for each of their adult children. ❤️
I enjoyed the collection stories. I too collect pins and was just wondering what to do with them. I have some attached to my sports/sun hats. I think I will copy your idea of putting them on a vest or maybe my daughter’s jean jacket I have dating back to when she was a teenager almost 30 years ago.
I also collect shells from my many Mexican and Caribbean trips. Some are mounted in a shadow box my husband made. Others are arranged on glass shelves in the bathroom.
Hi, Irene. So glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, I too, have a cowboy hat that is adorned with pins. (I didn’t have the heart to remove those and add them to the vest — yet!) Shells are such a lovely thing to collect. I think I started that the first time we went to Sanibel Island. I couldn’t believe it was a beach entirely made up of shells! Have you been there? Definitely a sheller’s paradise. debbra@tropicaltravelgirl.com would certainly attest to that.
Is Sanibel Island in Florida? I don’t think I’ve been there. My shells come from all over. The first date back to a trip to Antigua, Barbados and Trinidad-Tobago in 1966 or 1967. I have things from there that it has not been legal to collect for decades, but it was OK at that time.
Hi Irene. Indeed, Sanibel Island is in FLA, right next to Captiva Island. It truly is a beautiful place to visit. For shell lovers, bird lovers, nature lovers, and those who enjoy art. I’d love to go back!
I’ve collected stickers since I was a kid and added magnets after I became a homeowner and thus also owned a frig and a freezer. The magnets are from the places we have vacationed for the most part but we also have a “naughty” adult magnet board near our bedroom in the private part of our house.
Hi Tammy Jo and thx for stopping by. Somehow I’m not surprised you have a “naughty” board. Have you been to Jamaica? I was shocked at how nearly all of their wood carvings were in the ‘naughty’ category!
Once upon a time, I also collected matches, but as my collection of collections grew I realized that would have to put some of them to bed. Today, I have a collection of old tabletop pinball games that we hang in the Familyroom. They act like are colourful posters and often elicit comments from new guests. I also have antique kitchen implements, some of the fun in collecting them is figuring out what they were used for. Thanks for sharing your collections with us.
Thx so much for your comment, Debra. It’s always great to hear from you. I miss our days on BHB. It’s so fascinating to hear about people’s collections and what has inspired them to collect and possibly dispose of those collections and revert their energy to new ones. I hope you’re enjoying this marvellous day of Happiness.
I collect birdhouses and baskets. I get this from my Mum, They are a wonderful memory of my Mum.
Hi Jamie and welcome to Chocolatour! Yes, it’s wonderful to have collections that remind us of our loved ones or carry on family traditions. As long as they fill our heart with joy through positive energy.
I absolutely love your collection of pins, Doreen! And matches too. I’m also sad that it’s hard to find matchbooks these days as they are very personal. Great post
Thx so much for your comment, Kathy. It’s always nice to hear from you. Yes, I really loved collecting matchbooks and am so sad to see they’ve gone the way of the dodo bird. Yet, I’m thrilled that so many people have quit smoking and therefore the need/demand for matches has greatly diminished.
What a great topic. You designed a garment from your lapel pins! That’s an incredible number of them. I know what you mean about match books disappearing. They’ve become as rare as telephone booths. At one time in my life I had a collection of them. But after cleaning out my mother’s house after her passing, I vowed to never collect ANYTHING again that was not consumable. She may have started out as a collector but as the years mounted, her collecting became a minor form of hoarding. We collected an entire bureau drawer full of keys: car, house, padlock, luggage, skeleton, you name it. She saved every plastic sleeve that protected dry cleaning (which she rarely used). They were all neatly folded into a box in her closet. She added a higgelty=piggelty assortment of stamps to her father’s philatelic collection – which I discovered had little to no monetary value. I could go on, but you get the picture and the reason why I fight the urge to collect things.
But I confess that I have boxes of reused gift wrap, some of which goes back to before my mother’s death in 1991–and I’ve recently vowed to stop using gift wrap in favor of reusable cloth bogs! 😮
Hi Linda and thx so much for this comment that had me smiling the whole way thru! Firstly, it reminded me of Reg, who was definitely a border line hoarder that grew from his obsession to collect things such as videos, movies, CD’s, DVD’s and much more. Then, as you spoke about your mother folding plastic bags it reminded me of my father, who had similar habits to your mother’s. When he passed, it took us three months to go through his house as he stashed little bits of cash everywhere–including amidst his collection of rolled plastic bags!
My mother used to collect thimbles. Whenever I travelled, I’d try to find some to add to her collection. I collected teaspoons for the longest time. Sadly, with all of the moves I’ve done, the collections are long gone. I gave the spoons to my son along with my mother’s silverware – hopefully he still has them all. Then there was the postcard collection – also gone gawd-knows-where. You’ve reminded me of what fun it was to have those souvenirs – at least for a while.
Hi Ceci and thx for your comment. Yes, I used to collect postcards, too. They were fun! I used to have a big collection of greetings cards I’d record over the years, bur stripped that down to a very small collection of very meaningful cards. I think we’re all pruning our collections in different ways. It’s good that your son had the desire to take on the silverware and spoons. So many younger people have to interest or respect for that kind of thing.
I enjoyed your post about the things you’ve collected over the years… I also have collections — sand from the beaches I’ve visited, seashells, and more minor ones, including small pieces of blue pottery I’ve purchased on my travels. I used to collect Pepsi-Cola items and lions (since I am a Leo, born in August). I’m ready to sell the Pepsi items and most of the lion collectibles. I agree with you. It’s time to keep the things that bring us joy and start purging the things that don’t!
Hi Debbra and thx for your comment. I remember seeing photos of your seashell collection on your blog. They are lovely! I, too, have collected shells over the years as most of my very favourite places are islands. (We have so much in common. ) Definitely good to begin purging the things that no longer matter to us. We’re not getting any younger!
Your collection of match books was something that I too enjoyed. My biggest collection is my photos. I love looking back and seeing you and I for the past 47 years! Between spending time at each other’s homes or on a few interesting vacations they are my permanent snap shot of our friendship. The rest of you will have to wait for the movie!
Loved your comment, Pat. ❤️ Yes, I, too, love looking back at photos over the past years. I’ve got to clean out my closet upstairs to that I can digitize photos that are stored there on slides and get them printed off and digitized so I can use some in my posts, etc. And it will be 48 years this fall since when we first met!!!