Over the River and Through the Woods

I am sooooo sorry I have been absent from the blog for soooo long! Life has been crazy (in a good way.) Since it has been so long I have some catching up to do.....

In mid-August, I flew out to Arkansas to clean out my grandmother's house with my cousin Marissa. We thankfully had some great help from my mom, my other grandmother, my cousin, and my aunt. Cleaning out a 2800 sq. ft. house that has been lived in for thirty years sounds like a really grueling task, and at times it was, but all in all we had more bright and wonderful moments than tough ones....and this is why...

(btw. for all you retro buffs...yes...that is a matching pink 1950's oven and stove, with enameled metal cabinets.)

So, one of the best parts about going through someone's stuff, is going through someone's stuff.

We found gobs of old pictures and documents and books that the family hadn't seen in ages or maybe ever (i.e. my uncle's original German birth certificate from 1949, or my grandmother's British passport with her maiden name.)

And these lovely photographic gems of my grandparents!

I love the double exposure in the one above!

This was one of our favorite pictures of my uncle take right after he became a pilot.

And don't these two look strikingly familiar!! (but wait...this is my Aunt and Uncle!)

We also had some VERY hardy laughs.

We found this golden specimen of 60's culture in the back of the cabinet in the bathroom, thankfully seemingly unused...

no, no, he's not naked (we don't do that here on the Collective), he's just wearing a red speedo.

And here is the Wonder Body in all it's glory...

Yes, it is a rope and some plastic pulleys with stirrups.

A little kinky. A little gross. A little of both.

(I apologize now to which ever family member of mine purchased this and is now embarrassed that it is on the internet.

Just don't tell, and we won't know who you are.)

A side form some interesting items we found we also had some comical experiences. While we were working at the house, we heard a critter at night walking on the rafters. (And no, it was NOT a squirrel because it creaked the rafters when it walked.) So, my mother decided a week after we had been in the house to prevent the animal from entering our room through the crack in the ceiling (that didn't deflect) by taping it in this way....

Motherly protection never fails, at least in ambition.

(sorry mom, but this was truely the apex of our week.)

So after a long week we managed to finally create this...

Everything. except furniture, in boxes, in one room.

Whew.

I really do appreciate everyone that helped out with this project.

(Especially Marissa. I'm glad that I finally, after so many years, have gotten to know you.)

I love you all and it was really, really good to spend some time with y'all.

I am very glad and I feel even fortunate that I was able to clean up my grandparent's house. I don't stand to inherit any of it, I probably won't even see 99% of what's packed away in the room above ever again, I may never even see her house again, and, speaking very honestly, I may never see my grandmother alive again, but in an odd way this provided a since of closure for me. And I'm very thankful for that. I feel like I know my grandparents better now than ever before.