Sunday, August 10, 2008
Free at last; free at last. Thank God, I'm free at last!
Well, maybe. I have arrived in the big D (and I don't mean Dallas or Divorce), and the U-Haul is unloaded. This afternoon, friends of daughter and son-in-law came over and helped. Oh, I'm babysitting tonight.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
I Don't Have Time for This Blog Post
. . . but I have to tell you about the last box in the last closet that I cleaned out. The contents of the box included bills, insurance policies and other papers of my parents-in-law. I only have 5 days before my big move, so I'll try to be brief - but that never works, does it.
The other items in the box were sister-in-law's New Testament inscribed with her maiden name, (I'll mail that to her); the cemetery plots at Corinth, (I'll save this on my computer); father-in-law Brooks' birth certificate (C. Jaye, his mother is who you were supposed to be named after; she spelled her name S y n t h i e J. A y e r s. Notice there was no name listed for the J.); also, a leaflet from the VA outlining the Benefits Act of 1981 for former POW (I'll send this to you, Greg); and Brooks' death certificate. I found a leather tri-fold with the Army emblem and the words "Honorable Discharge United States Army" embossed in gold on the outside. All of Brooks' Army papers and his original SS card were inside including discharge papers, pre-enrollment papers, etc. There was also a handwritten copy of Brooks' family tree.
Two other items were in the box. One was a beneficiary form from my husband's railroad employment before we were married. His mother was to be the recipient. In the bottom of the box was a two page typed copy of a poem written by a graduating high school senior, A. Katherine Wood. I'll save that also and have it available to anyone who might like to read it.
See why cleaning out a home of 35 years takes so long?
The other items in the box were sister-in-law's New Testament inscribed with her maiden name, (I'll mail that to her); the cemetery plots at Corinth, (I'll save this on my computer); father-in-law Brooks' birth certificate (C. Jaye, his mother is who you were supposed to be named after; she spelled her name S y n t h i e J. A y e r s. Notice there was no name listed for the J.); also, a leaflet from the VA outlining the Benefits Act of 1981 for former POW (I'll send this to you, Greg); and Brooks' death certificate. I found a leather tri-fold with the Army emblem and the words "Honorable Discharge United States Army" embossed in gold on the outside. All of Brooks' Army papers and his original SS card were inside including discharge papers, pre-enrollment papers, etc. There was also a handwritten copy of Brooks' family tree.
Two other items were in the box. One was a beneficiary form from my husband's railroad employment before we were married. His mother was to be the recipient. In the bottom of the box was a two page typed copy of a poem written by a graduating high school senior, A. Katherine Wood. I'll save that also and have it available to anyone who might like to read it.
See why cleaning out a home of 35 years takes so long?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
I Remember
3 rooms down and 4 to go. I pick up the U-Haul Monday and leave on Thursday. I hope I can take it all in one load. If there's one thing I'm sad to leave, it is the 6x8 mural in the living room. I doubt if my landlady would appreciate my painting one in her house, though. Does anyone know where I ever got a pair of bright-apple-green-framed sunglasses shaped like those of Edith Head? (For those of you who don't know who Edith Head was, you can Google her and add to your deep wealth of knowledge. Think Dame Edna.)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Hardest Thing I've Ever Had to Do . . . Yes, Ever
Breaking up housekeeping, as it is called. I've been in this house for more than half my life and I'm not young. I've enjoyed collecting - everything. The hard part is not deciding what to take, what to pitch, and what to sell. The hardest part is the doing of it.
I worked for two weeks sorting it all. Most of what I want to keep is packed. I've made close to $1000 in two days of selling stuff, and the amount of trash the sanitation engineers have picked up in the last few weeks has gone from one bag to six or eight a week. Why can't I tell much of a difference? The main sale items have been furniture pieces, and that certainly shows, but the place is still packed.
The really big question is what to do with the items that do not sell. Most people say trash them. Do you think that is environmentally correct? Of course not. The left over furniture and other trappings would take up a large hole in the ground. Should I throw my tv away? It hasn't sold. Giving it away would be a better choice. Okay, how do I do that . . . in less than two weeks?
Meanwhile, there's planning and making the big move. Nine out of ten people say I cannot U-Haul it by myself. That confuses me. Do these people not realize that my CDL permits me to have a regular bus route with 30 screaming kids on board 5 days a week? Maybe they forgot or never knew of the many times the boat trailer backed into the lake with Ronnie sitting in the boat, not driving the pick-up.
What really bothers me about those n'er-do-wells is that they have put doubts into my mind, and now I probably won't be able to do it. That's happened in the past, you know.
take a deep breath, now slowly exhale, only a little longer, you can make it, go, go, go
shut up, i'm going already
I worked for two weeks sorting it all. Most of what I want to keep is packed. I've made close to $1000 in two days of selling stuff, and the amount of trash the sanitation engineers have picked up in the last few weeks has gone from one bag to six or eight a week. Why can't I tell much of a difference? The main sale items have been furniture pieces, and that certainly shows, but the place is still packed.
The really big question is what to do with the items that do not sell. Most people say trash them. Do you think that is environmentally correct? Of course not. The left over furniture and other trappings would take up a large hole in the ground. Should I throw my tv away? It hasn't sold. Giving it away would be a better choice. Okay, how do I do that . . . in less than two weeks?
Meanwhile, there's planning and making the big move. Nine out of ten people say I cannot U-Haul it by myself. That confuses me. Do these people not realize that my CDL permits me to have a regular bus route with 30 screaming kids on board 5 days a week? Maybe they forgot or never knew of the many times the boat trailer backed into the lake with Ronnie sitting in the boat, not driving the pick-up.
What really bothers me about those n'er-do-wells is that they have put doubts into my mind, and now I probably won't be able to do it. That's happened in the past, you know.
take a deep breath, now slowly exhale, only a little longer, you can make it, go, go, go
shut up, i'm going already
Monday, July 21, 2008
Just a Quick Note
Two of the funniest things I've found in cleaning out 35 years of li/oving in the same house: A Walmart bag made out of paper! and receipts from electric, gas, and water deposits from when we moved in the house in 1973! I want to walk into those businesses and ask for my deposits back just to see the looks on their faces. They were $10 each. What a hoot
Friday, May 23, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I'll Never Get to Colorado This Way
I hesitate to read my kids' blogs. I like to see other folks' comments, which leads me to peeking at their blogs, and blog leading to blog, I look up and the clock on the wall(paper) says, "You been sittin' there too long, woman." I thought this was supposed to curtail e-mail time spent. Blogs, Facebooks, and e-mails all have to be check now! See why I titled this blog as I did?
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