Sorry for that might be following the menial life I lead. It was way to busy this weekend to be writing or thinking about writing.
Friday I got up early and hit the road. Got to Enid about 8:30 and there were people lined up wanting in the house for the garage sale. It was a horrible day weather wise – damn cold, windy, wet and all that stuff so the idea of the open garage door was out and we had them come in the front door and tour around. We did ok selling stuff for Dad but I am sure he was not happy to see all his remaining possessions go for cheap to people he didn’t know. Earlier in life when it was two (he and mom) they could let stuff go they could move to new things. They moved to that house in 1995 after Mom found out she had cancer and had gone through the first set of treatments. They realized that they needed to be in town so left the farm for a house in town that had no yard. The thinking was they didn’t want to be tied to caring for a yard and mowing and the other things if they could get back on the road and travel while they had the chance. They just wanted a home base to come back to. They did keep the farm for awhile then sold it or rather traded it to my cousin as he wanted to be on the farm. That worked out ok for them as they had not need to go back. In the interim they did travel a little but even that dwindled down to very little as Grandma was in the rest home and needed more attention and Mom had the cancer come back and the days of free travel were over. Mom passed in 2001 and Dad kept up the house and did well with it for the past 10 years but in the very last year things started to be more of a problem and he needed more help and none of use children were there enough for that so it was all agreed that it be best he move to a place he could get help and not have to cook and clean and take care of anything but himself. We made that move 2 weeks ago and at that point had the plan to hold one big garage sale and clear out the house and get it sold as well so there is nothing left to maintain, although it was in real good shape it is a constant maintenance need.
We sold a lot of stuff on Friday but advertised a half price day on Saturday. It was all going to be gone somehow. The big items of Mom’s china cabinet and the oak TV /entertainment center were not getting much attention so I agreed to take them home and try to sell them with some time to get a better price for them or maybe if someone of the grandkids decided they need them they are available for that as Dad would like to see them stay in the family, at least the china cabinet as Mom really loved that piece. I think she loved it so much as it was the one thing that she got that was not totally needed or necessary or totally functional. I know to women that is not a correct statement but to them in their 54 years together they almost never got anything that was not multi functional or really needed. Dad would get it if Mom wanted it but she seldom asked for anything but when they moved off the farm that cabinet became a center for all the memories of what she had gotten from her parents and all the stuff she collected over the years. AS kids we didn’t listen enough to remember where all that stuff came from or how important it was to her. To us it was just old stuff with little use, but I see now as you get a bit older it becomes your hold on the history you remember. The cabinet was left as over the last years of her life she forced each of us to take certain things that were handed down. After she was gone Dad continued the process of making each of use take more of the memories from that cabinet but it remained as a monument to the final years the final happy times and the final memories of that house and what they had there.
We did move a lot of the smaller stuff to his apartment and will still have a lot to gather up some day but it is there for him to see every day and hold onto some of the memories of the past.
On Saturday I made the trip again and we were busy selling the remaining items and had the Hope Outreach guys set to come at 4 to get what was left. I had Ryan come and we loaded the two favorite pieces in the trailer and brought them home to hopefully sell at a better price so he can be happier they were not just given away or maybe someone in the family will decided they need them?
I know it was hard on Dad to see it all being hauled out. There were a few bright spots when some people he knew came and picked out things to take home. I also know that at the prices we charges we helped a lot of people fill needs they had with excess stuff we had. We also sold a lot of JUNK! But in the end we cleaned out the house completely and nothing was left but a few pieces of scrap wood in the garage. Now to get the house cleaned and sold to finally eliminate that last hold it has on him. He admitted that twice this last week he had been down town or off shopping and had driven almost to the house before he realized he didn’t live there anymore. It is a hard thing getting older and having to give up the things you hold. We hold them not because they are valuable but because they have memories tied up in them that we just can not let go of.
Today was a day of rest… I didn’t get much of anything done, after the two day of rush. My brother and sister in law came over and spent the night with us as there was nothing left there and Dads place is too small for visitors to stay in. We had a nice evening setting on the back deck and talking about family stuff. WE continued this morning until they had to leave and it was nice to just set and visit. We all miss that a little and now it will not be as easy for the family to all land at MOM’s or DAD’s for a visit. He did love that, no matter if it totally wore him out, so we will have to make a strong effort to go visit him now in his new place. I called him tonight and found out that while I took a nap he got out and went to the POLKA dance so our hope is he will get a bit more active and have some time of enjoyment. – WD0AJG