Home Again, Home Again

As you read this, I'm driving to NC. The trip takes eight-and-a-half hours there. I'm meeting my sister-in-law there, and we're setting in to sort and cull in preparation for Mother's move, on Friday, to an Assisted Living Facility.

My biggest chore will be to set up my sewing machine and remake Mother's draperies to fit the windows in her new one-bedroom apartment. When that's done, I'll be helping in the sort/cull process.

Molly's task is to determine what articles Mother will take to her new much-smaller place. My task will be to go through whatever is left, and decide what goes to the church "clothes closet", what goes in the trash, and what comes home with me. I'm taking Jaci's van and will bring as much home with me on this trip as I can. Then in a couple of weeks, I'll go again and direct a packing and moving crew to bring the bigger pieces back here.

I'm not looking forward to this trip. When you're sorting through your own possessions, you can just toss without hurting your own feelings. But when it's someone else's possessions from which you're culling, you have to be much more subtle and gentle. I can say, "Why on earth did I keep this thing all these years." I cannot say, "Mother, what were you thinking when you bought this?"

At least some of the things are already gone. I heard from Molly this week that the dolls are all gone. I would have a terrible time figuring out what to do with a $125 doll.

Okay, so what will I enjoy about this trip? Well, we might be able to sneak in a quick trip up to the mountain cottage. I'll try to arrange a couple of hours to hit Waechter's Silk Shop and Yarn Paradise. Maybe I'll even get out to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway or to the Grovewood Gallery.

But the part that I enjoy the most is when my sweet brother, Jim, wanders down from the Fletcher Park Inn's guest room early in the morning. He saunters in, wearing his pajamas, smiles, and all is right with the world.

P.S. I must publicly state how indebted I am to Molly. When she was downsized out of her job as general manager of a software house over two years ago, she had no idea that the future would turn her into a caregiver for her mother-in-law of 40 years. She has exhibited incredible patience and caring to our mother, and Mother's quality of life is much higher because of Molly's caring.