Misty watercolour memories

June 28/11.

Today is the closing day for the guy who bought Mum's house. He bought it with just one condition - that the house HE'S selling closes without issues on June 28th. Our agent says everything looks good. Still working towards our closing date of July 7th. Nine days and counting! One of our big jobs at the hidey hole today was tackling the dreaded basement closet! We had packed it with all Mum's old pictures, photo albums, very old Mac computer, university yearbooks, letters, files and on an on. (All the stuff that takes forever to sort through).

Since we're running out of time, we finally decided to give up on trying to sort it all out. Instead, we packed it all into my car to be taken to my garage where it will temporarily be stored.

By the time we stuffed it all into my car, it filled the trunk and all the back and front seats. (except for the driver's seat!)

Funny how today, we were surrounded by memories, not just of Mum, but also of our beloved grandparents, Mabel and Arthur Burridge.

We found the McMaster University "letter in a frame", given to the family when Grampa was officially (posthumously) inducted into the McMaster University Hall of Fame in 1984. He was the sports director there in Hamilton for many years (before he and Gram decided to launch their antique shop at Pleasant Point, north of Lindsay). We miss them so much even 30 years after their passing.

Later, while going through the pictures and photo albums, only one had me break down in tears. Hadn't seen it many years. It was a photo of Gramma with my cousin Kev, (her grandson) - (Kevan Staples of Rough Trade fame), at his wedding in 1981. She just looked so very happy, and so does he! She was the world's best Gram - (right Kev?) I told Carrie, "Just can't look at this album right now." Think it will have to wait for a day when the emotion of the house closing is wrapped up.

Carrie also found the original invitation to Kevan and his wife, Marilyn's wedding. It was a gold tube which contained not only the invite, but "gold flecks" that flew out of the tube when you opened it! (Kevan and Marilyn will celebrate their 30-year wedding anniversary in September!)

And what to do with the old doll's house? It's been in the family for decades and belonged to our late cousin, Ellie when she was young, so how can we part with it?

Among the items I'm taking home is the rusty old screen for the slide projector. (Just holding it brings back memories).

It belonged to my Dad (Rex Loring), and I can still remember him showing slides on it, even though he split with my Mum and left our home when I wasn't quite four-years-old. (will have to let Dad know we still HAVE the screen!) Another day, Carrie and I will go through the slides, one by one and figure out which to keep. (That should take care of another days of tears!)

After hours of work, Carrie took a brief break on the lawn, where we've been putting out items for anyone to take. The caning on this chair is broken, but she still found a way to use it!

By the time I got everything home to my place, I knew I needed help getting it all into the garage.

Luckily, my son Max and two of his friends happened to be at the house, and were kind enough to pitch in and come to my aid!

(left to right - Michael, Max & Claire) - Thanks gang!
Tomorrow, back to work again. One of these days, the job might actually be finished. That seems hard to believe right now!