My summer and fall have been spent moving my parents, and then cleaning out a house-load of sixty years for its sale. My siblings have also been a part of this endeavour. Compa has been absolutely stellar in her efforts to clear out the house.
Consequently, this poor old blog has suffered, missing out on photos of Mission Farm in the summer, of my veggie garden, of fall foliage, of the CATS — the clowder now includes Pico, my father's cat, and is minus dear, dear Sophia, who joined Agatha in the heavenly catnip patch... Sophia died 26 July. I haven't even had a chance to mourn her.
We baby boomers are all struggling with elder care and, in those cases where they have not down-sized, their stuff. From all accounts, their generation saved stuff. A lot of stuff. Enough stuff to be equipped for Armageddon. I have heard of one case where the adult son had filled 19 twenty-yard dumpsters and was still counting. In our case, we are only on the third dumpster.
I will walk out of my parents' house for the very last time ever this Tuesday. Part of my heart still thinks I am floating in some surrealistic sort of dream. However, the sight of certain pieces of furniture in the vicarage reminds me that, no, it is not a dream, it is very real and from Tuesday forward, a major chapter of my life ends. My parents are still alive, in different places, but the house that served as our focal point and gathering place shall cease to exist for my siblings, our spouses, families and me.
Goodbye beautiful stonewall. May the people who move in appreciate it as much as I have.
3 comments:
{{{Lee}}}
Oh dear Lee. My heart to you, my friend. What you are doing is so hard, so very hard. And you have been given a rather enormous batch of challenges to deal with in the past few years... It is so much.
I send you every prayer and all my love.
And I walk and pray with you in your mourning and your losses, amidst all the change.
Lee, I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Sophia. I know how dear each of the cats are/were to you. My deepest sympathy at this occasion of your loss.
So, too, is the loss of your parents' home. I am certain there are many memories there. be certain of my thoughts and prayers.
I did not make it up to VT this year, opting for a trip to Seattle for two weeks this September. Then it was back to doing my work here. Perhaps 2014 will see me head to VT once again.
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