Out with the old... finally.

You can't say my husband is extravagant. When we were first married, now nearly 16 years ago, we found an old green tooled leather notebook cover (I don't really know the right word for it) in a vintage book shop. He loved it so we bought it, even though it was tatty.

"It's ok," he said, and he proceeded to keep his prayer notebooks in it.

For the next 16 years. 

At regular intervals over the last ten years, I've said to him, "You know, I think that thing is dead. You should probably throw it out." I've even tried to buy him replacement covers and source 'green leather book covers' on the internet. He has stubbornly refused all my efforts to get rid of it, saying, "It's still beautiful. I still love it," whenever I have tried.

Until this week. 

He actually came to me and said, "I think this thing is finally dead. I think I will have to throw it out." He was genuinely sad. I was extremely surprised. I had assumed that bits of green leather would accompany us for the next 25 years. But now, it is going, and I will be a little bit sentimental as well.

Mind you, this is what is looks like.

It has definitely seen its day. Does anyone know where he can get a new one? 

Still going, however, are his favourite pair of shoes. These were bought for $15 at the recycle shop at the local tip about four years ago. About two years ago they were looking pretty shabby but because he loved them so much I googled them to find out where they had come from originally. It turns out they were a very expensive, exclusive pair of Fleuvogs from the US. I emailed to ask if they still kept the same style, but was told that they went out of stock a long time ago. So, no option to replace, unfortunately.

He still refuses to get rid of them, even though they now look like this:

Pretty bad, hey? They used to be bright blue. But the tops have nothing to compare to the soles...

I suppose one day he might get rid of them, but they will have to be really, really dead.

It's quite inspiring, really, to think that my husband loves what he loves even when his things have lost any attractiveness they ever had. He'll probably still think I'm pretty good looking when I'm 85 and wrinkly.