It wasn't labeled 'a box of string too small to use,' but that's what it was. Toss.
Pant hems removed from too-long pants: Toss.
Family photos stuck in books: Keep (but it means we have to look in every book!)
Moth-eaten clothes: toss quickly - YUCK!!!
36 empty glass instant coffee jars - keep for now, toss later (so mom doesn't get upset).
Mom has moved to assisted living. We're cleaning out her house. This blog is about what we find, what it's like, and how to avoid having this fate befall our children.
Mom is 92 and has lived in the same house for 40 years. When she & my dad moved in they were healthy, active people, just a bit over 50 years old. With 4,000 square feet they had room for everything and more. The carpet was shag (gold) and the house brand new.
Now my dad's been gone for 6 years. My mom's eyesight has been failing for years and her health along with it. She hasn't been able to walk upstairs for a while and drove long past when she should have. The move to assisted living was her choice, but it would have been much better if she'd moved a few years ago when her eyesight and hearing were much better. Why didn't she? She didn't want to leave her 'stuff.'
Now we're the ones choosing what to take over to her new apartment. Even when she asks for something specific, it's hard to know what she means. Yesterday she asked me to bring over her favorite kitchen knives, but with 40+ years of knives in the kitchen, it's hard for me to know which ones she wants. (This begs the question of if she should even have a knife set around when she can't really see.)
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