I have been meaning to write this post for a while. Every time I think about it, I realize that I will have more information “later” and wait. Then there is the whole “I am busy” thing… but no time like now, eh?
We moved to Mount Crumpit at the end of February/early March. We moved to the “big house” in May. Since arriving, we have found a lot of interesting things. Many funny things relating to the family, such as:
My dad’s report cards from high school. He wasn’t lying… he did as well as I did in school. It is amazing he (and I) graduated. College, he (and I) did very well.
Letters my grandmother wrote to various people.
Newspaper articles about the house, family members or any number of other topics she clipped.
Several collectibles – several have no obvious value, some do have obvious value. Such as:
Stamps. Loads and loads of stamps.
Linens she inherited from other family members
playing cards (tons of them)
puzzles (dozens of them)
Various household necessities. I’ve noted before the volume of kitchen utensils (dozens of pots and pans, eating utensils disproportionately light on the forks, etc.) Most recently Hubby discovered the large number of yard tools broken yard tools.
7 weed eaters
1 hedge clippers
3 lawn mowers
1 lawn tractor
2 chain saws (1 does work)
1 tiller
1 brush hog (missing a wheel)
4 blowers
All that and a yard that looks like it hasn’t been properly trimmed in a decade. Then again, not sure how old all the broken tools are. I have my guesses as to how they got broken… but I digress.
Today’s big find was the original blue prints for one of the houses on the property along with what looks like the original “contract” for the contractor.We haven’t finished going through this pile, but it is proving to be the most interesting.
We found receipts for many things bought in the house over the years. For example, we found the ad, receipt and delivery order for the washer and dryer. The ad and receipt for the telescope I have seen in a few photographs I found. this list goes on and on. I plan on scanning some to post, just because it is so absurd.
Then again, my grandmother being so meticulous over her entire life is proving to be very helpful in my getting to know her. It was hard to see the forest through the trees when she was alive and there was so much CRAP everywhere. Now that things are cleared out, the gems shining through, I am getting to know a side of my grandmother I always wanted to know. I am learning a part of my father I never knew. I don’t blame him for not sharing these parts of his life because they weren’t always all that positive. He hasn’t passed on the negativity (which I applaud him for), but only shared the positive aspects of his life. I always had little glimpses, but never got a full picture of my grandmother and father. Now I am learning more about them that I never expected. Unintended consequences, I guess.
This place has its share of headaches (and your share too). But I think it will turn out to be pretty amazing on many levels.
P.S.
When asking people to change the light bulbs on the porch (since the scaffolding is up and they are REALLY tall, we discovered that they were a) broken and b) so broken that it is just worth replacing the whole fixture, not just the bulb. So broken that they didn’t really get how they worked before without catching on fire. (sigh)
