So I have been cleaning out my parents’ house. They weren’t packrats, but they lived in this house for over 50 years, so there is a lot of stuff to be cleaned out!
I thought I would have a hard time going over to the house after Mom died. But surprisingly, I haven’t been too emotional over there. The only time I get really sad is when I go upstairs to her bedroom. I fondly remember all those times when I would come over to drive her somewhere and meet her upstairs, watching her as she combed her hair and put on her lipstick. I sure miss that!
The cleaning out of the house is going well. Most of the stuff doesn’t have any sentimental value, so it’s an easy decision to throw it away. We are lucky to have a “swap shop” at our local town dump, so a lot of stuff is going over there. I have made so many trips to the dump that I am on a first name basis with many of the dump employees.
There is one mystery though. A lot of wood is stored in the basement and in the garage. As you can see from the pictures, it is wood of all different shapes and sizes. There are planks, two-by-fours, round broom-stick like pieces, and small pieces. What on earth is all this for? Dad was not handy, although he liked to think he was. Was he planning on building something with all this wood? A shed for the back perhaps?
The pictures don’t do it justice. All this wood was scattered in separate piles around the basement and garage. For both the basement and the garage, I “neatened” the piles up a bit, so all the wood was in one place.
A neighbor suggested that he was planning on using it for firewood, but I don’t think so since there was also a lot of firewood in the basement.
What do you think? What on earth could all this wood be used for?
Artful wood photos were taken with my trusty smartphone.
Professor VJ Duke
April 6, 2016
Maybe for building boxes?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
April 6, 2016
Hey Professor,
That could very well be. After all, one can never have too many boxes, can one? 🙂
Nancy
LikeLike
Bea dM
April 6, 2016
Strange indeed. There’s something fascinating about wood, the fact it’s natural, and comes in different shades and veins. Maybe your father was aiming at doing something creative and artistic one day?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
April 6, 2016
Hi Bea,
Anything is possible. Dad was an accounting manager though, so I’m not sure there was anything creative or artistic inside him. Although, you never know. 🙂
Nancy
LikeLiked by 1 person
knightsheart
April 6, 2016
Shelves for books?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
April 6, 2016
Hi there,
Good guess. Except there are already a lot of shelves in both the basement and in the garage. Unless Dad was planning on building a bookcase for inside the house? 🙂
Nancy
LikeLike
socialbridge
April 7, 2016
Hi Nancy, certainly not an easy job clearing out your parents house. I wonder if your Dad had notions of getting into woodwork and was collecting wood to expetiment with.
I found collections of things in my father’s house that surprised me, including enough greeting cards to stock a shop. He never sentgreeting cards!! It was always a little brown envelope.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
April 7, 2016
Hi Jean,
Thanks for your comment. It’s funny you mention greeting cards since Mom had quite the collection. She gave very generously to many charities and as a result, she kept getting greeting cards from them. I found several drawers full of these pretty blank greeting cards. I kept some of them, but recycled the rest because I would never have been able to use all the cards. 🙂
Nancy
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aliosa
April 8, 2016
Hello Nancy !
Thank you for you visiting ! 🙂
Regards,
Aliosa.
LikeLike
Nancy Loderick
April 9, 2016
Hi Aliosa,
Thanks so much for your comment and video. 🙂
Nancy
LikeLike
Aliosa
April 12, 2016
🙂 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ralph
April 8, 2016
Hi Nancy 😀
My father was the same (90+) who kept a garage full of wood, rusty screws and tools ….. just in case ! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
April 9, 2016
Dear Friend Ralph,
It’s funny you should mention toosl and rusty screws. That’s what else the basement was filled with! 🙂
Nancy
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ralph
April 9, 2016
My mother was the same. Kept everything, nothing wasted. They were both in their 20s during WW2 and the years of rationing into the 1950s in the UK. Everything was re-used. Wrappings for presents, string, ribbons, clothes etc. It stayed with them into their 90s. 😀 ❤
LikeLike
loujenhaxmyor
April 10, 2016
There are those dream projects or the fact that sometimes there is stuff that just looks to good to get rid of.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
April 11, 2016
Hi there,
Yes, I think that was my Dad’s philosophy – you just never know when you will need a good solid piece of wood!
Nancy
LikeLike