When I was growing up we had a place in our kitchen aptly called the “mixed-up drawer.” Anything that we couldn’t put in a predictable place ended up here. Ours wasn’t as chaotic as the one shown above. Instead it had items such as swimmer’s nose plugs, random jigsaw puzzle pieces, kids’ scissors(“quit using my sewing scissors to cut paper!!”) and cereal box tops being saved by one kid or another. When anyone couldn’t find something we were told to look in the mixed-up drawer. Failing to find it there we were given the useless advice that the lost object was “where you last put it.”
When I began blogging I read much advice about focusing a blog. It needed to be very clear when someone first encountered your writing or your photography that your blog was about something. You should be able to neatly articulate this focus in your “about” page. When I was asked to be a guest on another’s blog, I was asked to explain my blog in a few words. Tags were supposed to make it easier for new readers to find me.
I didn’t follow this advice. Nonetheless I seem to have a steady group of readers who have come along for the ride. I am grateful for every one of you, old and new, who drop in to read and often to comment. I think about many different things, some of which become a sequence of themed posts, many of which don’t. It turns out that my blog has become my own “mixed-up drawer”–a very important container for my reflections on life, past and present.
Saved By Words 
The Irish/Australian comic Jimeon has a song about that drawer – I remember two lines from a comedy festival about 10 years ago, as it’s so true to life…
It’s the third drawer down
And it’s full of sh*t
I cleaned mine out last week, there’s very little left!
LikeLike
I was able to find a video of him singing that. Priceless. “Third Drawer Down.”
LikeLike
that’s the one!
LikeLike
Too fun.
LikeLike
I still have one of those drawers. In truth, there are two. And I don’t actually know what is in either of them.
My blog started out as a form of ‘journal’, and then I got carried away. I wrote this about my style of blogging, a while back.
https://beetleypete.com/2015/02/24/shotgun-blogging/
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
My family had one of those drawers when I was a kid. I don’t remember it having a name, but it was just like what you describe.
LikeLike
Thanks for the visit. I dropped over to your blog, enjoyed it and will follow it.
LikeLike
I didn’t follow it either Liz. Besties
LikeLike
I didn’t follow it either Liz. Besties.
LikeLike
I didn’t follow it either Liz. Besties from Florida
LikeLike
I didn’t follow it either Liz. Besties
LikeLike
Oh I think we have that kind of drawer too where everything goes.
LikeLike
When I was a kid, undershorts and bloomers were also called “drawers,” which were usually kept in a chest of drawers….which seems a bit odd, considering that “drawers” weren’t worn around the chest.
LikeLike
I think my grandfather called them drawers as a matter of fact. Thanks for jogging my memory on that one.
LikeLike
We called it the junk drawer and I still have one. Well, sort of. It’s quite an organized drawer of odds and ends so it deserves a better name.
When I started my blog I called it ‘cats and trails and garden tales’ which still reflects what you’ll find there most of the time – my cats – my travels – my garden. But I also share whatever inspires me even if doesn’t fit neatly into one of those categories. No one is compelled to read everything. They can pick and choose as they like. Seems fair.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read everything(or nearly) and love it all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. I do the same with your blog and love it all too. 😊
LikeLike
Its interesting that in most Western countries each home has a “junk” drawer mainly found in the kitchen!
Life is full of “mixed up things” it’s what makes it all the more interesting! 😀
Blessings,
Jennifer
LikeLike
I have been surprised by how common these are. Only my mom seems to have used the phrase mixed up drawer. I bet she got that from my grandfather.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your blog the way it is! And of course I have a junk drawer too. To be honest, I also have a junk ROOM in the basement. LOL
LikeLike
Thanks Debi. As I mentioned to Cathy, we have a junk attic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our attic is hard to access (you have to pull down a ladder from the ceiling in the garage) so we’ve never been in it. LOL. But the basement and garage are another thing.
LikeLike
When we were more agile we went up that same kind of ladder and filled the attic. Agh!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have a whole room called “The Junk Room.” I’m afraid that’s what happens when you get so much crap it no longer fits inside a drawer.😎
LikeLike
I love your mixed up drawer and reading about your life.
LikeLike
I am glad. Sometimes I wonder who will care about some mundane thing and then I get a lot of people identifying with the post. Keeps me writing.
LikeLike
Some posts get a surprising amount of traffic, don’t they?
LikeLike
‘The Magicians Hat’ would sum-up your blog better. Every time I dip my hands in it, I pull out something l like! 😉
LikeLike
Great title. and observation. Thanks.
LikeLike
I have an ‘everything drawer’ in my kitchen. In fact, I seem to now have one in every room (there aren’t many rooms though. I can still never find anything. When my son was living in my London suburb flat (and before him, my other son, and before that my daughter back from NZ) I dropped anything that I found after a temporary disappearance into my very large everything drawer (designed for cooking pots I think). Likewise anything I didn’t want to lose. Now we have the flat back I’m finding things I’d forgotten I ever had – it’s like Christmas!
LikeLike
I am afraid our attic is like that. Our problem is it is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter to climb up there. And in the lovely spring and fall weather who wants to waste time going up into the attic to sort tons of stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not everything can have a specific label, there needs to be the miscellaneous category.
LikeLike
Thanks for understanding and reading anyway.
LikeLike
My blog may well be a Mixed-Up Drawer and I am okay with that. I love and appreciate your blog.
LikeLike
Thank you so much. That means a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person