In last year’s post, “Service of Breaking a Favorite Object,” I wrote about beloved belongings that often have more sentimental than intrinsic value. I asked if you treasure such things.

A friend sent me a recent New York Times article by Shannon Doyne, Student Opinion columnist: “What Do You Own That Holds a Special Meaning or Memory? A lucky dime, an old shirt, a sentimental piece of refuse — do you own anything that has a meaningful story behind it?”

I related to the article. I found a Kleenex and cotton handkerchief in the pocket of one of my husband’s Uniqlo jackets that I now wear. They are still there and are comforting.

To comment Doyne asked U.S. and British-based students 13 and older–and 16 and older elsewhere. “All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print,” she advised.

To get them started, Doyne provided a few examples. One man still has the “lucky” dime a friend found on the sidewalk just before he also handed him what would be his future wife’s phone number. He’s been married for four decades.

Another reported wearing his dead brother’s shirt when he feels he needs “a little extra courage or belief in myself….when I have a day when I really need to feel his friendship and support, it feels like armor.”

I picked just a few of the 61 comments from kids that Doyne posted. A large number of the students cherished mementos of grandparents or siblings who had died. The reasons, when identified, are poignant and charming. Check out the comments to the article to read more.

Here we go:

“A special item that holds a strong meaning for me is my violin.”

“The secret chest of the really lovable grandfather who I’ve never met.”

“My grandma’s hair clips are very meaningful to me, more so this week, so soon after her passing.”

“One item that holds immense sentimental value for me is my mom’s hospital bracelet, which she wore on the day I was born. This simple piece of plastic signifies the moment my life began and serves as a tangible reminder of the overwhelming love and joy that surrounded my arrival into the world.”

“I keep old birthday cards.”

“My grandma’s necklace holds a special place in my heart. Every time I wear it, it makes me feel like she is still with me. I also have a pillow with a picture of us together, that I keep close when I feel sad or I’m not in a good mood. It reminds me that I am never alone and that I will always have her by my side. One wish that I could see her one more time, see her smile, and give her a hug, like she always used to give me.”

“Everyday that I look at my father’s fire helmet I experience a mix of emotions, both happy and sad. I recall the first day he let me wear the helmet when I was little, to when it was presented to me at his funeral.”

“I own my grandpa’s fishhook as a memory. …I wear my grandpa’s fishhook on my hat because he died when I was 8, and that’s the only thing I have of his to keep me reminded of him.”

“Something I would say has a really special meaning with lots and lots of memories would be the plushies on my bed. Every single one has a memory that I hold close to me.”

“If I had to choose one cherished object, it would undoubtedly be the album that my mother meticulously compiled and decorated, starting from the very moment I was born.”

“A blanket from my childhood that means a lot to me. Every time I see it, it reminds me of being little and feeling safe and comfortable.”

“I own one of my baby brothers blankets after he passed. I own this because its something to remember him by and he used to sleep with these every night.”

“I have a sentimental item that is a Hot Wheels toy.”

“In my previous house, there is a small hooded area with trees and greenery that leads to the small gym of our high school. In that hooded area, me and my friend Bobby found almost an ‘invincible’ stick that wouldn’t break no matter what we did.”

“An object that I would share to people is my first ever cologne. It is a YSL EDT that my grandfather bought for me years ago. Although I was a child, I admired the gift and it was something that I cherish till this day. The reasoning behind why I would choose this is because it was the last gift he gave me before he passed.”

“When my brother died in 2020, I grabbed a few items that reminded me of his presence and spirit. Now, when I feel I need a little extra courage or belief in myself, I throw it on. At first I was afraid to wear it. I’m notorious for spilling food on myself. But when I have a day when I really need to feel his friendship and support, it feels like armor.”

Do you own anything that has a sentimental memory behind it?

   

It was an eye opener decades ago when my husband pointed out to this bargain shopper that I didn’t save money when paying $39.95 for a shirt marked down from $75 because it was only worth $39.95 if that’s what people were willing to pay.

I’m fascinated by people’s spending priorities. Remember the old joke about decorative products? The scene: a big box store. Q from the customer: What’s the difference between the $30 and $50 window shades?” A from the sales associate: “$20.”

Can’t Sneak by This Price

I was waiting over 15 minutes for the bus the other windy day. Those sharing the sidewalk and shivers with me started to chat. Conversations like this don’t happen as much anymore, but I love it when they do.

One of the future passengers had wrenched her knee in a bad fall and was coming from PT at a nearby hospital. She raved about her sneakers that looked rather shabby. She told us she had paid $800 for them. She explained that their distressed, worn appearance was deliberate and the brand’s hallmark look. The only man waiting, his leg in a brace, said “I know about expensive sneakers. I have two teenage daughters.” If you want to pay hundreds of dollars for a pair, check out Golden Goose.  [I am awed by the cost of my wonderful Hoka sneakers that, if on sale, cost $110 and up.]

Canvasing for Totes

Meanwhile Trader Joe’s can’t keep their sturdy pastel mini canvas tote bags in stock. According to Google “Trader Joe’s $2.99 mini pastel canvas tote bags are commanding extreme resale prices in Europe, with some listings hitting between $10,000 and $50,000, and even a $1 million listing for a set, as they become a rare, sought-after status symbol in cities like London.” 

They were sold out instantly on St Patrick’s Day, the first day they were available this spring, but I snagged one the next day for an out-of-town friend who had asked for a bag last year when I’d missed the chance.

What a Gas

How high will the price of gas go before it impacts your commute, errand schedule and excursions? The national average currently flirts with $4/gallon.

How do you determine when to pay what seems a lot to some for a service or product? Are people enchanted by exorbitant price tags for bragging rights? Do they figure that if expensive an item or service must be great?

   

Sometimes you have to scratch your head in wonder.

Drug free

The other day I cleaned out a medicine cabinet, something I should have done ages ago. I found a cache of ancient prescription meds so I dropped into a chain drugstore where I’ve tossed expired antibiotics or painkillers before. It used to sport a giant sign and be easy to find. The druggist was at lunch, so an associate took me to the new spot. The receptacle was hidden behind a giant column—with no sign to identify it. I’d just been in that area and didn’t see it. What’s the point of downplaying such an essential service?

You can’t bank on it.

After conducting business at a bank with very few branches and none near me I asked for the mailing address should I want to deposit a check. The clerk told me you can’t do that. However, when I confirmed this online, I found an address to which I certainly can. Curious. Lack of training?

Thank goodness it Isn’t So

I checked Snopes when I saw terrible news in a Facebook posting. The claim, a Snopes worded it: “NBC News war correspondent Richard Engel was injured while reporting in Israel before March 13, 2026.” Continued Snopes: “This rumor started with content generated by artificial intelligence. Engel said the fake stories had ‘serious consequences’ because the stories would sow doubt and confusion if something did actually happen to him.”

Snopes further quoted Engel: “I just saw a photograph of me laying on my back in a hospital bed with tubes and Mary, my wife, looking lovingly in my eyes as if this is some sort of final moment. Totally not true. Mary, her only comment was, ‘I don’t think my nose looks good in that photo.’ So, nobody’s freaking out on this. I’m not freaking out. Mary’s not freaking out.”

I didn’t send that

I got a threatening demand in an email to pay bitcoin immediately or else all sorts of horrors would befall the documents in my laptop and terrible things about me would be sent to all my contacts. It had the earmarks of a scam, but what unnerved me was that it appeared to have been sent by me.

Do you have similar examples that make you ask “Really????”

   

I first wrote about neighbors in May, 2011. It was a happy post about helpful neighbors.

The other day Alison Stewart, the host of “All of It” on WNYC, spoke with Dylan Redford and Harrison Fishman, producers of the HBO docuseries “Neighbors.” I’m not a subscriber, but the topic—testy, difficult neighbors—intrigued me.

Some of the show’s callers shared doozies. Jenna from Fishkill, N.Y. had a landlord in Brooklyn who moved her things around when she wasn’t home and installed a camera to capture her comings and goings. The last straw: He left a dead rat in her bedroom. She got out of there.

An audience member texted “treadmill in Brooklyn apartment.”

A caller said a neighbor was tossing garbage at the bottom of her yard. Another neighbor caught the perpetrator in the act.

A former acquaintance loved her apartment in a NYC suburb close to Manhattan, where she worked. She’d been there for years and her rent was low. But when her downstairs neighbor, who constantly complained about the noise her boys made, punched her in the face in the stairwell, she had to go. The landlord would not take her side. She felt threatened.

Friends of my parents had a neighbor who disliked the enormous trees that fronted their Westchester property creating a magnificent natural privacy wall. I think the trees, that obviously had been there for decades, interrupted their view. They had the trees chopped down when the friends were away.

I was sued by neighbors in a co-op building. The co-op president pleaded with them to present the bill to their insurance company for water damage to their kitchen caused by the uncoupling of my washing machine in the middle of the night. They refused. My husband had known them for 30 years. We sold the apartment.

Do you have good and bad neighbor stories to share?

   

The premise of the “Antique Road Show” draws viewers who wonder whether the dusty picture or sculpture in the attic, a watercolor inherited from Aunt Mildred or gewgaw picked up for a song at a flea market or garage sale may be worth $millions.

In this regard, owners of a 17^th century painting received good news. The private collector owned a painting, “Vision of Zacharias in the Temple,” (1633) which in 1960 was determined NOT to be by Rembrandt. But they decided to have it examined again.

After a two-year study the picture, on permanent loan to and on view at the Rijksmuseum Museum in Amsterdam since early March, was confirmed to have been painted by the Dutch master. “The Rijksmuseum receives many emails from people asking for information about paintings they have inherited or bought, Dibbits said. In this case, they knew it could be something special.” Taco Dibbits is the museum’s director. Ian Youngs, BBC culture reporter, wrote about the findings.

Youngs reported: “The signature is original and the wooden panel dates from the correct period, the researchers said.

“Its value is not known, but the world record auction price for a Rembrandt painting is £20m, set in 2009.”

Jo Lawson-Tancred wrote on artnet.com, “In the distant past it had been attributed to Rembrandt, and appeared in the first major Dutch exhibition dedicated to the artist at the Stedelijk Museum in 1898.

“After 1960, however, specialists decided the work might have been painted by one of Rembrandt’s collaborators such as Jan Lievens or Salomon Koninck, according to the Dutch news outlet Het Parool.”

Wrote Lawson-Tancred, “a macro-XRF scan that revealed ‘pentimenti,’ traces that reveal a composition has been altered. These are typical of the Dutch Old Masters painting technique.

“The work’s oak panel was accurately dated to around 1625 and 1640 by dendrochronological analysis,” she reported. “A material analysis showed that the paints used were the same as those used in other Rembrandt works from the period. Other factors that support the authentication of this painting include its overall high quality and its thematic similarities with the rest of Rembrandt’s oeuvre, including Daniel and Cyrus Before the Idol Bel (1633) and Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem (1630).”

The picture “portrays the moment the high priest Zacharias is visited by the archangel Gabriel, who announces that he and his wife will have a son—the future Saint John the Baptist. Though the angel is not directly visible in the composition, a burst of radiant light suggests his divine presence,” the European news reporter wrote.

Persistence pays. Have you similarly followed up, in any number of instances, to discover that what at first was a “no” eventually became a “yes?”