Jeanne spent the past few days sorting through our things and efficiently loading the coach. I had my doubts, but she eventually whipped it into shape and everything seems to have its place. In the meantime, several trips were made to the storage facility to drop off items not really need. We developed a less-is-more outlook.
The house closed escrow on January 30. I returned to the property on January 29 to remove a few remaining items and take pictures of the empty house. I still can’t believe that we were able to clean the place out. The family had been there since 1955. I know that certain things were brought into the house in 1955 and, except for two earthquakes, had not moved until I got rid of them. It was physical and emotional struggle.
We had to decide what to do with an extra set of keys after escrow closed. After much discussion, Jeanne convinced me they belong with Mom. So today I went to the cemetery to say goodbye and bury the keys at the grave site.
So, that’s it. With Mom’s house sold and our stuff in storage, there is no going back.
Contemporary note: There is more to the key story. The house locks had never been changed and Mom used the same key for 48 years. Needless to say, the key was worn to the point of fragility. Jeanne and I were at a Panda Express when I said “well, we won’t be needing these anymore”, tossed the house keys on the tray and headed for the trash. Jeanne almost burst into tears. She said we couldn’t throw away Mom’s key with the uneaten noodles and rescued the original, worn-out key. I’m sure the key is at the cemetery to this day.