Gummy Lumps

Some of you know what a Gummy Lump is. (I know my nieces that are teachers know!) I heard about them in a book I was reading many years ago, "All I really need to know, I learned in Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum. Here is an excerpt:

What I’m talking about here is something I think of as the gummy lump. Once it was a shoebox, decorated and given to me by the oldest child. Then it became a repository of other relics of childhood given to me by the younger children. The shoebox became my treasure chest in time…. Anyhow, this shoebox isn’t looking too very good now. It’s a little shriveled and kind of moldy where the jelly beans and gumdrops have run together. It’s still sticky in places, and most of it is more beige than red and white. If you lift the lid, however, you will begin to know what makes me keep it. On folded and faded and fragile pieces of large-lined school paper, there are words: “Hi daddi” and “Hoppy valimtime” and “I lov you”…. Glued to the bottom of the box are twenty-three X’s and O’s made out of macaroni. I’ve counted them more than once…. The treasures of King Tut are nothing in the face of this. Have you got something around the house like a gummy lump? Evidence of love in its most uncomplicated and most trustworthy state? You may live a long, long time. You may receive gifts of great value and beauty. You may experience much love. But you will never believe in it quite as much as you believe in the gummy lump. It makes your world go round and the ride worth the trouble.

Lately I have been trying to declutter my house. I have mainly been working on my bedroom because that is where everything goes when guests come. I came across some of my Gummy Lumps and wanted to share them with you.

This is one that I made in High School for my mom. She was a smoker and when I took welding class I made her an ashtray.


This next one is the Crème de la crème. It was made for me by all three of my daughters, less than a year ago. They were all home and when they get together they can be quite silly. I had found an old craft kit to make bows and the girls thought they would have a lot of fun. Every time I walked into my quilting room they hid what they were working on and they were laughing so hard. Well, I eventually found out what it was, a very special necklace. It is plastic with water inside and sealed shut. If you look very closely you can see what they sealed inside my "special necklace". It is pieces of their hair and nail clippings!!

Yes, it is from my daughters and I am sure they are going to each try and say they had nothing to do with it, or that I am getting old and don't remember things very well anymore.

I am finding it hard to throw any of my Gummy Lumps away. Maybe I will just leave them for the girls to go through when I am gone.