Oh, I know, I know. We are supposed to keep our refrigerators clutter-freeso that our kitchen looks organized. Maybe a few family photos, but that’s it.
But that’s NOT it, not for me.Although I am probably going to shift its stuff to my file cabinet in my office once our new kitchen is completed. But for now, just a couple more weeks, everything remains in place.
So let me tell you about what’s on the fridge: my life in refrigerator magnets.
First, there are Mapquest directions to both local vet emergency hospitals, just in case a pet sitter doesn’t know how to find them. Of course, our pet sitters are all well-versed in where these hospitals are, but I am neurotic, so these printouts give me some comfort. Like an Ativan.
How about the directions for cooking various things on our Weber grill? M. refers to these ALL the time. So they serve a purpose.
And there are some receipts. And our monthly “family calendar” so we both know the daily major events.
But really, the best thing is that you can read big chunks of my life on my refrigerator magnets. I moved to Los Gatos, CA in 1984 and a few years later, the town celebrated its centennial. Plus I had a cat at the time. I had to have this magnet. When I look at it, I think of the years I lived in the town of the cats, how young I was and how little I knew. It really is a memory keeper.
If you know me, you know that I bought this and that I know this to be true. At my very core do I know this. Just look at my refrigerator. Or my desk.
Who cares about making history–certainly not me! But I do like the validation that we simply do not have to “behave.” Oh, hell, who needs the validation? Certainly not me! But I have had that magnet for years.
This one was a gift from a friend who happens to be gay, but not my gay husband. By the way, just because this has come up a time or two, no, my husband is not gay. My “gay husband” is another person entirely and he is not my husband. I hope that clears things up. No? Well, Google it. The bear is my father’s totem and when he passed in 2008 I adopted it as my own. But he was still living at the time I bought this–the year was 2002 and my dear sorella (sister-friend) J and I cruised to Alaska. We had so much fun I simply had to have a memento. Oh, see that Mapquest printout? Yes, it’s to a vet hospital. Told ya so. M and I were planning another Alaska cruise this summer, but we both cooled on the idea and cancelled it. That’s what I think of now when I look at it.
Any woman with a gay husband would have to love Oscar Wilde because any smart gay man has exactly this brilliant sense of humor. And of course, “temptation.” Can we talk? I am a pushover for a bunch of things. I won’t tell you what. But temptation is a problem, for sure.
My girlfriend in Santa Fe sent this to me last year, a reference to my original blog, Middle-aged-Diva. Yeah, no longer middle-aged, so… She and I went to grad school together back in the day and have reignited our friendship at this stage of life. And are having a blast.
High school bestie gave this to me recently and it has to be one of my favorites. While we aren’t exactly of the era pictured, our moms were, and we go back far enough that we knew the moms. Oh, I love this!
Speaking of moms, mine gave me this one, so it is particularly beloved. My mother was fond of giving me knick-knacks with my name on them, as if I might forget what it is. No, Mom, I have not forgotten. My name is Carol. I even know what it means: song of joy.
And if you’re still reading this, I hope you’ll tell me about your own refrigerator magnets–or if you do not have any.
These are great! I am a fridge magnet junkie. But we recently got a new fridge and the front is not magnetic, so I’m forced to squeeze ’em in on the sides. (First World Problem #637.) I’ve got guitars, pugs, skulls, Southwestern stuff, an armadillo, a British taxi cab and one from the Broadway production of Hedda Gabbler.
I love fridge magnets too! Mine are usually from places i visited or quotes i liked. Plus a few from my family who get one from the visits abroad.
I like the drunk & disorderly one best and the bear.
Good to know more about you.
Whew! I feel better about my mind now! My desk and my refrigerator are a hot mess! On the refrigerator, I have a picture of the last time all my children were at home under one roof for Christmas. A picture of my husband and my beloved dog Jack that was killed by a truck in front of our house several years ago. Then I have the Dr.s numbers, the plumber, the best pizza place and a bear with my last name that my niece bought me. A couple of hens living it up in the hen house with wine and all from my best friend. Don’t even get me started on my desk!
I love magnets. Now that we have a stainless steel fridge, I have to keep them on the side. But I still have them holding up photos of my family and postcards.
I also have bunches of magnets – some hold pictures of family members (especially grandchildren) in place – and others are like yours, special sayings or images that are meaningful to me.
I just love your ‘drunk and disorderly’ magnet! lol I’m a fridge magnet hoarder too. We’ve moved several times and my magnets always find their way to our new home. This last time we upgraded to a fancy, doubledoor, stainless steel fridge and I still have my crazy magnets hodge podge all over it. 🙂
I love my fridge magnets. We mostly have photos held up with fortune cookie fortunes glued to old magnets. And for a very long time we had Teddy Roosevelt’s head, cut from a photo and attached to a magnet, which ‘photobombed’ everyone else’s photos!! I think Teddy may have taken a dive under said fridge though…
Oh my, I am really torn on this subject. You see, I have tons of really beutiful magnets that I have collected throughout all of our travels, as well as some beautiful handmade and painted magnets. (Truly, none of them are tacky). But now we have a beautiful stainless steel fridge in our remodeled kitchen and my husband no longer wants to display the magnets and they also scratch the fridge. So, I have them all in a box and I’m thiming of possibly displaying them in a shadow box type project, not sure yet. But I will never get rid of them.
Oh Carol, you may hate me but I don’t have any magnets! Our fridge is not magnetic but even if it were they just make my head spin- and it spins enough. Clutter free is my middle name. However, I DO have a bulletin board….
Carol I’ve been looking forward to reading this post ever since I saw the title this morning — and you didn’t let me down. GREAT idea. Fun read. And I laughed out loud at the Drunk and disorderly. You really do seem to have a gift for enjoying life and connecting with people.
OMG! I have a fridge full of magnets too. Most of them are from places I’ve visited. I tried to control myself and not buy any on my last trip and now I wish I had. It’s so fun to look at them and remember where I’ve been. Very cool topic to write about.
I love all of them! I have a cat one, a dog one, a lobster one, a cupcake one, and a few more. When we bought a new fridge it wasn’t magnetized in front but just on the sides. That is enough for a few things that must be posted like my horoscope every year on my birthday, a calendar, and various things like measurement equivalents, etc. that no self respecting refrigerator should be with out!
The front of our fridge is not magnetic (some fancy schmancy matching cabinet thingy) but the side is. And it is filled with the places we’ve been: Paris, Sedona, NYC, Spain, blah, blah, blah. I love collecting them at those destinations because they totally remind me of the moment way back when. I might have to get a second fridge….or stop traveling. Nah! Who doesn’t need a second refrigerator?! LOVE your drunk and disorderly magnet – perfection!
I really enjoyed this post Carol! The refrigerator in my house is a built in with a wood panel on the front, so no magnets for me, sadly. I have to make do with a small bulletin board over the desk in the corner. Your explanation about your “gay husband” cracked me up. A few years ago I told my mom that I really wished I had a gay husband. I confused her so much and spent a long time explaining myself!
I love refrigerator magnets. Like you I too had my life expressed in them. I collected them and bought one as memorabilia wherever I went. I was particularly fond of some foody looking ones. I miss them – we had our kitchen redone and our refrigerator isn’t magnetic anymore. I have them in z ziplock now but they are those things that make me feel like I am a hoarder and will eventually have to part with. But I enjoyed your blog and the fond memories of my magnets.
This is awesome! I never realized how much you could learn about someone from their fridge magnets! Our current fridge isn’t magnetized so it’s much less cluttered than our old ones were.
You must have a really big refrigerator! Wow….your magnets are like a scrapbook of your life and peak into your view of life. It’s like a blog on a refrigerator. My refrigerator is way to boring!
I have to admit I have zero fridge magnets! I am a bit of a minimalist and have nothing on my fridge and don’t want anything hanging on my fridge. Weirdo I know, but it is true!
I love that your magnets have a story of their own. And they are so very cute! I have magnets as well that I love especially the one of my pug Neo who waits for me in the afterlife.
I used to love and collect refrigerator magnets. But when we moved and got a shiny new refrigerator we decided not to put anything on it. So I have them in plastic bags stored away. You have a nice selection and it totally brings back memories, just like photos.
Love the memory magnet fridge decor, we have that too. I’m constantly trying to keep our fridge clean, both inside and out. I’m thinking I should give in and turn that appliance into my white board, then I might actually get my work done.
Here you’ll find my blog, some of my essays, published writing, and my solo performances. There’s also a link to my Etsy shop for healing and grief tools offered through A Healing Spirit.
I love comments, so if something resonates with you in any way, don’t hesitate to leave a comment on my blog. Thank you for stopping by–oh, and why not subscribe so you don’t miss a single post?
These are great! I am a fridge magnet junkie. But we recently got a new fridge and the front is not magnetic, so I’m forced to squeeze ’em in on the sides. (First World Problem #637.) I’ve got guitars, pugs, skulls, Southwestern stuff, an armadillo, a British taxi cab and one from the Broadway production of Hedda Gabbler.
Not magnetic??? Unheard of!
I love fridge magnets too! Mine are usually from places i visited or quotes i liked. Plus a few from my family who get one from the visits abroad.
I like the drunk & disorderly one best and the bear.
Good to know more about you.
Whew! I feel better about my mind now! My desk and my refrigerator are a hot mess! On the refrigerator, I have a picture of the last time all my children were at home under one roof for Christmas. A picture of my husband and my beloved dog Jack that was killed by a truck in front of our house several years ago. Then I have the Dr.s numbers, the plumber, the best pizza place and a bear with my last name that my niece bought me. A couple of hens living it up in the hen house with wine and all from my best friend. Don’t even get me started on my desk!
Oh no, not the desk, Rena!
I love magnets. Now that we have a stainless steel fridge, I have to keep them on the side. But I still have them holding up photos of my family and postcards.
I’ve begun to downsize my collection….
My mum is an avid magnet collector. From all countries!
I’d love to see her collection!
Love your story in fridge magnets! 🙂
I also have bunches of magnets – some hold pictures of family members (especially grandchildren) in place – and others are like yours, special sayings or images that are meaningful to me.
Thanks for sharing.
Every magnet does tell a story!
I just love your ‘drunk and disorderly’ magnet! lol I’m a fridge magnet hoarder too. We’ve moved several times and my magnets always find their way to our new home. This last time we upgraded to a fancy, doubledoor, stainless steel fridge and I still have my crazy magnets hodge podge all over it. 🙂
I just found way too many m ore!
I love my fridge magnets. We mostly have photos held up with fortune cookie fortunes glued to old magnets. And for a very long time we had Teddy Roosevelt’s head, cut from a photo and attached to a magnet, which ‘photobombed’ everyone else’s photos!! I think Teddy may have taken a dive under said fridge though…
Oh my, I am really torn on this subject. You see, I have tons of really beutiful magnets that I have collected throughout all of our travels, as well as some beautiful handmade and painted magnets. (Truly, none of them are tacky). But now we have a beautiful stainless steel fridge in our remodeled kitchen and my husband no longer wants to display the magnets and they also scratch the fridge. So, I have them all in a box and I’m thiming of possibly displaying them in a shadow box type project, not sure yet. But I will never get rid of them.
Thanks for clearing up the whole gay husband thing. Not a magnet person although I have a couple special ones. My fridge is for toddler art.
Kitchen magnets do tell you a lot about a person. I only have one on my fridge. It covers a scratch! 🙂
I love fridge Magnets. Right now mine is covered in colourful kids letters!
Our fridge is a hodge podge of magnets, too! We have some homemade ones, some photo ones and some from our travels.
Oh Carol, you may hate me but I don’t have any magnets! Our fridge is not magnetic but even if it were they just make my head spin- and it spins enough. Clutter free is my middle name. However, I DO have a bulletin board….
This is such a cool way to track different moments in your life. Your magnets are so much cooler than mine.
No magnetic fridge for me, sadly, for the last 20 years. I still miss seeing magnets when I walk into the kitchen.
I love this! It reminds you of so many memories each time you open the fridge!
Carol I’ve been looking forward to reading this post ever since I saw the title this morning — and you didn’t let me down. GREAT idea. Fun read. And I laughed out loud at the Drunk and disorderly. You really do seem to have a gift for enjoying life and connecting with people.
OMG! I have a fridge full of magnets too. Most of them are from places I’ve visited. I tried to control myself and not buy any on my last trip and now I wish I had. It’s so fun to look at them and remember where I’ve been. Very cool topic to write about.
Apparently, I’m doing it wrong, because I don’t have any interest magnets on my fridge. (Clearly I need to go and get some 🙂
I love all of them! I have a cat one, a dog one, a lobster one, a cupcake one, and a few more. When we bought a new fridge it wasn’t magnetized in front but just on the sides. That is enough for a few things that must be posted like my horoscope every year on my birthday, a calendar, and various things like measurement equivalents, etc. that no self respecting refrigerator should be with out!
The front of our fridge is not magnetic (some fancy schmancy matching cabinet thingy) but the side is. And it is filled with the places we’ve been: Paris, Sedona, NYC, Spain, blah, blah, blah. I love collecting them at those destinations because they totally remind me of the moment way back when. I might have to get a second fridge….or stop traveling. Nah! Who doesn’t need a second refrigerator?! LOVE your drunk and disorderly magnet – perfection!
I really enjoyed this post Carol! The refrigerator in my house is a built in with a wood panel on the front, so no magnets for me, sadly. I have to make do with a small bulletin board over the desk in the corner. Your explanation about your “gay husband” cracked me up. A few years ago I told my mom that I really wished I had a gay husband. I confused her so much and spent a long time explaining myself!
I love refrigerator magnets. Like you I too had my life expressed in them. I collected them and bought one as memorabilia wherever I went. I was particularly fond of some foody looking ones. I miss them – we had our kitchen redone and our refrigerator isn’t magnetic anymore. I have them in z ziplock now but they are those things that make me feel like I am a hoarder and will eventually have to part with. But I enjoyed your blog and the fond memories of my magnets.
This is awesome! I never realized how much you could learn about someone from their fridge magnets! Our current fridge isn’t magnetized so it’s much less cluttered than our old ones were.
You must have a really big refrigerator! Wow….your magnets are like a scrapbook of your life and peak into your view of life. It’s like a blog on a refrigerator. My refrigerator is way to boring!
A likeminded spirit! I have a collection of fridge magnets, as well. Mine started in college.
This is a wonderful write up Carol I guess I suffer from the same as you =) love my magnets
I have to admit I have zero fridge magnets! I am a bit of a minimalist and have nothing on my fridge and don’t want anything hanging on my fridge. Weirdo I know, but it is true!
I love that your magnets have a story of their own. And they are so very cute! I have magnets as well that I love especially the one of my pug Neo who waits for me in the afterlife.
I have one magnet left – from the dog trainer that helped Bubs live more than three days in our house. I do love yours though!
What a great selection. We have some sentimental magnets on our fridge also, especially the ones my kid have made.
I have a lot on my fridge. I have my son’s school calendar along with a few pictures
I used to love and collect refrigerator magnets. But when we moved and got a shiny new refrigerator we decided not to put anything on it. So I have them in plastic bags stored away. You have a nice selection and it totally brings back memories, just like photos.
I had to get rid of all mine whene we went with stainless steel. They don’t stick!
Love the memory magnet fridge decor, we have that too. I’m constantly trying to keep our fridge clean, both inside and out. I’m thinking I should give in and turn that appliance into my white board, then I might actually get my work done.
loved the magnets but loved your humor even more. Thanks for posting.