Last July, my dad passed away, and in November, so did my mom. They had lived in their home for 57 years—a very long time. Both of them were Depression Era babies, and the value of saving and not wasting anything was instilled. The keep it because someone might need it idea was what the generation lived by.
Last weekend, my sisters and other family members
gathered at our childhood home and began to weed through the contents.
Financial docs were saved. Items each of us specifically wanted were set aside.
Cupboards cleaned out. Contents taken from bathrooms, bedrooms, hall closets
were sorted for the Disabled Veterans store or went to the trash. The attics
got special attention, too. Anyone need four fans? Or six Dremels?
Then we tackled the garage. Pops saved way too much
under the someone might need it umbrella.
Drawer contents were dumped into old shoe boxes for sorting. People claimed
tools, and stuff identified for a second look was placed on a table.My brother-i-law and I sorted shoe boxes of household junk. I picked up a long tube which looked as if toothpicks would have been stored inside it. Dangling from the same chain was something else. I collect Viewmasters and single shot viewfinders.
I looked at the device and lifted it to my eyes again. I laughed. My B-I-L said, “What is it?” I said, “This will make your day,” and passed it to him. His laugh was loud and drew the family’s attention. “What is it?” “A viewfinder.” We all had a look.
The truth is I never thought my dad would have one with
hoochie coochie girls. LOL. I’m betting it was a Navy thing.
The three women in the pix had bare chests with
sombreros strategically placed over their thigh juncture. Curls of blonde hair
artfully arranged on their heads. Three legs in a matching jaunty pose. Worthy
of a second look.
Yeah, everyone wanted this treasure.
Have you ever found a treasure that really surprised you?
10 comments:
Loved this story. What a wonderful way to bring a smile to your face on a day that could have been so sad. There's a joke about having your best friend wipe your search engine clean before your kids get a chance to see anything. That always makes me laugh. As a mystery suspense writer, my kids might think I had some radical leanings with my Al Qaeda and WMD research!!
It is wonderful that you are doing this. I bet it brings back so many memories and leads to more smiles and tears. My dad is slowly doing this now. His current home is too big for him and he wants to go smaller. I'm glad that he's thinking of this now and I like that he's going through the things. I hope it helps him with closure.
Hi, Liz! I wasn't sad at all. I wish they would have shared before they had passed and enjoyed seeing the recipients use/wear what they'd given. I kinda wonder if the viewfinder was from the Navy???
Hi, Melissa! Bless his heart for doing this now. I read somewhere people should set up boxes with names on them and put things inside they might like. My house is big and I wonder if we should go smaller, then I think clean up!
Hi Vicki! That's a wonderful story! It's shocking what you can find as you walk through time while sorting through old stuff. I'm sorry about the loss of your parents. :(
Hi, Karilyn! I thought it hilarious. Everyone gathered around the table to have a peek at the "peep" show. And thank you for your kind words about my parents. I know your father is ill and think of you.
That's hilarious and I can't wait to see you use it in a book. No one likes to think of their dad or their mom looking at a peep show, but they're human. Back in his time this was probably really sexy. What a funny tale. Cleaning out a house has its funny moments, but sad ones as well. Great story.
Wonderful story. I can imagine you all laughed--but also learned something new about your dad.
Having done the big clear-out for both my in-laws and my dad, I've vowed to myself, and to my kids, that I won't become a pack-rat as I get older. I hope I can stick to that vow. I didn't find anything as exciting as hoochie-coochie girls amongst my dad's stuff (what fun!) but I did find back copies of his organization's monthly newsletter, from the 1960's, several containing his picture. Such a handsome man, and that smile! *sniff*
Hi Vicki, Great story! It brought back memories of our own clear-out of my parents' home. So many treasures...I remember spending days alternating between tears and laughter.
Hi, Sylvia! Hopefully, there will be a story with the Hoochie Coochie girls. I guess we could write one. LOL
Thank you, Barbara! a stand-out moment for sure. Thank you for stopping.
Hi, Luanna! We've found pictures we've never seen before and the steamer trunk with my grandparents things in it. More treasures to come. I bet your dad was very good looking. I would love to see his pix.
Hi, Joanne! I've had sisters get teary. I'm good. Maybe I'd prepared myself for a long while. I wish they had done more to prepare themselves. Hugs!
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