Hoarding

Hoarding is one of Gertrude and Heinz' downfalls. They keep everything and they truly think they will need it some day. Everything from knick knacks to food or money. The all time favorite its clothing on Gertrude's part. She loves to shop. Her best shopping is done at the second hand stores. She buys clothes without trying them on which kills me because a third of the things she buys don't end up fitting her. Most of them are generally too small and she thinks she can alter them somehow. Then they hang in her closet waiting to be altered or taken back to the store, which will never happen as everyone knows that a hoarder can't do that. She buys more stuff whenever she goes out. One little item after the other gathers and before you know it there is no room left on any shelf or inside any closet. Her sofa is covered in dolls. All of them have names and homemade knitted sweaters and pants. She talks to them every day and makes sure they are sitting comfortably. She also gets very upset if you move them without special care as though they were real infants. So she will scold you. It is a real illness and causes distress for Gertrude when she needs to part with anything. When she is forced to move and part with any article, it causes her major grief. It took her months to get over cups and other little things which needed to be left behind. Now however she has found new places to buy things and she is happy whenever she makes a find. I humour these finds as I know they bring her little pleasures and she doesn't have much left to find pleasure in. The occasional meeting at the coffee shop or visit or small purchase she makes. Other than that life is hard on Gertrude. Her health is poor and seems to be getting worse and now the winter will keep her indoors for most of the time unless she gets better and the winter is mild so that the sidewalks are kept clean for her to walk on. Let's hope for Gertrude's sake that she will be better so that she can have her little outings which give her some reprieve from the dullness of her four walls at home.