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!

Countdown is on

June 26/11

Back in the Hidey Hole zone for hours today. Running out of days. Was waiting on the front porch for Carrie, when she showed up with her son, (my amazing nephew), Lee. He's 16, a trained athlete, works out with weights and was ready for major-league heavy lifting! (Just exactly what we needed with a basement full of junk to be carried upstairs). Let's just say, we kept the lad busy.

Are they not adorable? - (as Billy Crystal says in City Slickers, "These FACES! I missed these FACES!!") - Love that line.
In the continuing saga of writing a blog that's kinda "out there," (at times!?! - ya think???), - here's the first thing that happened today. Carrie brought a few items to put out on Mum's front lawn, "for the taking." Among them, the cage which belonged to Teddy, (Lee's dearly departed guinea pig). It's been years since little Teddy passed on, so she figured - time to say adios to the old cage. Suddenly, I thought, perhaps we could bring the cage out to the backyard, place it next to Teddy's grave and shoot some farewell photos with Lee. Without flinching, Lee hefted the cage to the backyard for a rather random photo op with the famous "headless statue." (at this point, Carrie cracked me up by saying, "Let's just the put cage down and call him. - 'Teddy! Come on! - Get BACK in your cage'!" - (cue hysterical, inappropriate laughter from me).

Despite the laughs, I can still see that Lee misses that little guy. We ALL do Lee! - Hopefully your Gramma is keeping an eye on him someplace!
NEXT? - Carrie's been wanting to take a couple of shots of Lee next to Mum's birdbath. The history is, Mum always took pics of Lee beside the birdbath to show how much he'd grown each year. Sigh. Tears. Weep. Cry. Gak. NOW, he TOWERS over that birdbath! Carrie & I looked at each other and she said, "Mum would have loved to see this picture." Sob.

We spent a lot of time working in the basement, trying to empty it completely. Came across the famous Jean Pierce gift box. Our late Uncle Ev worked for the fashion maven for many years. Though they both respected each other's talent and expertise in the area of design, they had a tense relationship. One year, Uncle Ev gave a Christmas gift packed in a Jean Pierce box, but he added one extra word with a magic marker. After 30 something years, we still can't get rid of that box. (maybe you can understand why!!)

On top of THAT box, we finally had to get rid of the very LAST Eaton's box. Lee did the honours, tearing it apart for recycling. (another "history lesson". Uncle Ev worked as a designer for Eatons for years and was known as "Everett of Eatons.")

Rip it up real good Lee!
More items had to go out onto the lawn.

These antique things don't always sell. Goodbye to Mum's old Remington typewriter. Can't even COUNT the number of "TV scripts" I tried to write on this thing as a teen, hoping to make it to Hollywood! Never had it in me to actually move from Toronto to L.A., but my best friend, Franelle, DID, and won an Emmy for her work on the Carol Burnett show! I lived vicariously thru her success, but never parted with the typewriter - till now.

Another special treasure we could NEVER part with - a Garth Haines original painting! Garth was a longtime neighbour of Auntie Ray & Uncle Ev, and a master artist. Somehow, our family ended up with this stunning painting he worked on at our grandparents' antique shop decades ago - in the backyard of Century House. It was passed on to Mum and now, WE own a Haines original! (not even sure HE knows we have it!) It's a keeper Garth! Just gorgeous!

On the way driving home tonight, felt the need to blare music to feed "Intensity Entity" - (must have listened to my favourite song, The Quest by Bryn Christopher 10 times today! - maybe even 20, have lost count). "WHAT I'm gonna LIVE for! WHAT I'm gonna DIE for! WHO you gonna FIGHT for, I can't answer THAT!!" Smouldering there Bryn!



Got within three blocks from home on Broadview at Sparkhall (overlooking Riverdale Park), and saw "the bright light". I see it often, ever since Mum passed away. The brightest sunsets HIT me with such - (yes, INTENSITY), it's impossible to igore. Got out of the car to catch a shot, (but of course, it doesn't photograph as vividly as you see it in person).

I often feel (or I guess, hope, dream, wishful-think), that Mum, or maybe Uncle Ev, are sending me "bright vibes" to get us thru these final days before the house is gone. I'm picking up on something. Never sure what. But keep it comin'! Ten more days to go! Cheers everyone! Sending love your way!