Those are the words Husby utters frequently these days. You see, it has come the time when his parents’ worldly goods come out from under the stairs for all to see. These worldly goods will also have price tags on them. It’s estate sale time!
I know I may seem a little too joyous about this sale; after all, an estate sale usually means everyone in the house is dead. Not quite the case in Husby’s situation, but paring down is certainly necessary. It is absolutely amazing how much stuff can be accumulated in 50+ years. Beautiful things, kitschy things, useful things. There are some things so ugly or useless I can’t imagine why they were kept. But people keep things for their own reasons ~ sentiment, entitlement, fear of loss ~ and we must handle those things with care simply out of respect for their love of the stuff, or their dysfunctional need to cling to material possessions. Mrs. Husby is probably rolling over in her grave with our putting a price on all of her things. For Husby this sale is a passageway to freedom, a breaking of the chains.
Of course Husby gathered items that are sentimental to him, adding to our own accumulation of things. Old photo albums, remembrances from his grandparents’ houses and mementos from his youth have all entered into our own house to be kept just a little while longer. It’s an emotional time but it was also inevitable. As an only child Husby faced this house full of stuff like a real trooper and bulldozed his way through every cupboard, closet, and crawl space making sure he knew exactly what was there, what he wanted, and what he wanted to let go.
Some of these things will end up in other homes, some will be on a shelf in a quaint little shop. The trinkets that make up our homes, bring smiles to our faces and stir memories, the things we can’t bear to part with, become nothing when we are gone. Nothing, that is, until someone else finds them and makes them their own.
The estate sale will be held on February 25th and 26th. If you’re interested in attending you can find the details at Classic Touch Estate Sales.
Auntie B's Wax 