I'm sure that others have had to do this and survived it. I would love to know their secret. For the first 3 months, I would break out in a cold sweat when I entered the house and looked at all that I had to deal with. It's the house I grew up in and though dad has been gone for 13 years and I'd gotten used to that, Mother hasn't been gone that long and I still expected to hear her in the next room. So, I'd putter around there for a while and then leave when I couldn't take it anymore, which some days didn't take long. First, I took all the small collectables and valuables out and brought them home with me a few boxes at a time. Then, I had a friend that has a small flea market business come in and take some of the larger, cheaper things out. Now, after 6 months, I still have a house that looks like someone still lives there! But it doesn't end there.....
There is a garage apartment behind the house. It's large, 5 rooms and has a double stall garage under it. This was my father's woodworking and Indian Motorcycle restoration shop.There are Indian motorcycle parts and memorabilia, all of his woodworking tools, from handtools to lathes, planers/joiners, table saws, bandsaws.. the list is just HUGE. If the house made me sweat, the garage makes me break out in hives. On top of everything else, they had a vacation home in another state at the time my father died. When that house was closed, my husband and I rented a truck and brought EVERYTHING in that house back to the main house. For whatever reason, mother wouldn't go through it or let anyone else touch it. SO, what I have is another entire 3 bedroom house of furniture, pictures, pots, pans, dishes, even a box of old canned food (yuck) piled into that garage on TOP of everything that was there when my father was working!
As it stands now, the house has been closed for the winter.. the pipes drained, the water and gas are off. I haven't even been there for over a month now. I'm hoping that when the weather breaks and it begins to get warmer and the days get longer, I'll have a new burst of energy to get going and really get a handle on everything. For the time being, I'm doing my best to research the things I've brought home in boxes and start getting rid of it a little at a time. We've just past the first week of winter and I've still got some time before I have to dig in and see what else I discover on my hunt. It's a new year and time for new beginnings. Guess I better get on with it.
Thank you so much for visiting my page.
I'll be posting descriptions and links to photos of the more interesting things I've found and some that I need help identifying and dating. I thank you for stopping by and offering me your insight and your knowledge.
