Have you ever noticed the odd things that people have in their car? I was talking to a neighbor a few days ago, and she mentioned a turkey baster that she keeps in her car. When she explained to me why, it made perfect sense. For years I tried to keep my car relatively clean. But I have recently given up. Every once in a while, especially after mud season, I have my car “detailed.” It stays that way for a little while, but then the dog hops in after wading in puddles and that puts an end to the clean car. I have a large bucket in the back that holds assorted things like paper towels, jumper cables, assorted shopping bags (the ones that I never use), towels for many reasons; and the last time I went through it looking for something, I found a roll of Snelling stickers that Gael must have put there. I don’t remember ever seeing them before.
I also have a 2×4 board and a small piece of pipe that Gael insisted that I have in case I have to change a tire and need leverage when removing the lug nuts. I can’t remember the last time I changed a tire. I don’t remember the reason for having the board there either. Then there are the things that I do use occasionally… an umbrella, one of those little foldable ones; pruners for cutting pussy willows in the spring and occasionally some lilacs by the side of the road. Tissues are a must, and I still have a container of hand sanitizer from a few years ago. My little flashlight comes in handy often. And Chapstick for the winter months. Now that it is creemee season, napkins and a small cloth are a must. When the kids were small, a wet washcloth was an absolute necessity. I do have a tire pressure gauge too but never need it. Something I recently bought was one of those walking stick things that folds out to a small chair. Haven’t had to use it yet, but the day will come.
There are people that keep their cars immaculate, right-off-the-showroom clean. BJ Gonet is one of those people. Good for you, BJ. Please wipe your feet before getting in her car. Then there are the people that have stuff piled up everywhere gathering dust. For most of us, we are somewhere in the middle, comfortably cluttered.
One thing my daughter gave me a while ago is a little brush. When I’m sitting in traffic, I get it out and dust the dash and all those nooks and crannies that are hard to reach. Another must for me is a bag of dog biscuits. Many friends and neighbors have dogs,. so when I meet them on the road or go to their house, their dogs always run to the car and look for a biscuit. I was at a neighbor’s house a while ago and left the car door open for some reason. The neighbor’s cat jumped in and ate the dog biscuits I had on the seat.
Most people have GPS in their cars, but I don’t. I prefer the paper maps and have a Vermont road atlas that I use all the time, sometimes just to see where I’ve been when I take one of my drives. Right now, I have a towel on the front seat for the dog and a cover for the back seat when she is back there. It does help a little. Which reminds me, I must go out to the car and wipe the steering wheel off. I had an ice cream cone yesterday and the steering wheel is a bit sticky.
Oh, and one of the more significant things in my car is a St. Christopher medal that I was given by a dear neighbor, Father Spear. When I got a new car in 1992, he blessed it for me and gave me the medal that he always kept in whatever car he was driving at the time. He and his housekeeper, Alice Collins, were the best neighbors anyone could have. Both are gone now but I have good memories and the medal that I treasure.
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