When grandson/ward Billy was 16, he and I moved into this 80-year-old family home. After renting for too many years to bother counting, this move was my last on this earth. Not KB's by any means, but mine.
Finally, after eight years, I decided the floors needed attention. Starting with the three bedrooms and hall, Mullins Carpet made quick work of replacing Mom's choice of 'mint julep' to my choice of 'celery'--to match the paneling. I've written already about having to move all the things I could. At the time, I didn't think about 'moving.' I just stashed stuff on the back porch, in the attic, stuffed bureaus full of small things. I liked the spaces it left so much that I was loath to put things back.
Next, I decided these hardwood floors in the three-room, open living area needed refinishing. At some point in this house's history, two sets of French doors had been removed-- hence, the openness. The hinge hardware is still attached to the door frames and the doors are in the attic.
Mullins came out again, measured, calculated when the refinisher might get to the job. July at least, Alvin said.
Good. That would give me time to move a lifetime's worth of books--mine, plus Mom's and Dad's--Fostoria glassware, Avon's Cape Cod ruby glass, a collection of blue glass, bookcases, clip notebooks, journals stored in magazine storage boxes, two 2-drawer filing cabinets, a 5-shelf bookcase sitting on Granddaddy's handmade library table--the list goes on.
And where, pray tell, shall I move them? There's still room in the attic (the last choice), on the back porch and in the shed (down the steps, across the driveway).
I'll stack and stuff the old breakfast room beyond the kitchen where the cats feed with as much as it will hold. In cabinets and cupboards that still have any room, I'll rearrange and add what I can.
I'm not renting a storage unit. I'm not having a yard sale. I am having overnight guests, but that's no problem since the bedrooms have new carpet. I will have to hang curtains in the back room. Don't want a guest to have to look out on a back porch used mostly for storage.
Speaking of looking out on stuff, the neighbors who built a privacy fence between us left a 12-inch space between our properties. Guess what they are storing BEHIND THEIR FENCE AND IN MY FACE?? White gutter downspouts. Oh, the festering gall. I wonder if they're doing it on purpose?
Placing containered plants in front of the offensive glaring white helped only a little bit. I'm still working on a solution.
7 comments:
If you give a mouse a cookie...right? De-cluttering is always good for my soul. We have a similar problem with our neighbor. For the most part I've learned to ignore their trash and clutter propped against their garage where we can see it. It helps that vines now cover their pile of bricks. The old sink, not so much.
You should build a privacy fence exactly on your property line, leaving them 12 inches to figure out how to mow. But they might not bother to mow at all, so maybe not such a good idea.
Thanks, ladies. My CA brother suggested taking the pieces to the women and asking if they lost them. A man poet friend suggested putting them in my trash. I guess I'll just plant a hedge row against the visual pollution. Sigh.
Wow, I am tired reading of all your work. How tacky of your neighbors...plant honeysuckle to climb over it, tangle up in it, hide it and eventually give you lovely fragrance in the summer...although it will spread fast too.
Ooh, good suggestion Claudia/Bookie. But they'd be on that vine like a cat on a fly. Then they'd be on MY tail. BUT I do plan to "plant" a trellis of sorts from the four sides of my baby bed (yes, the wood's still good) and plant either honey suckle or ivy growing on the house. Of course, there's also saw briars I could train to it, too. Tee-hee. Thanks for responding.
We have similar issues in the front yard across the street. The junk has been there so long I guess it's become invisible. I'm trying to make myself let go of some of my stuff. But I admit it's hard. I hope you find a spot for everything.
I guess the neighbors are paying me back for the brush pile 'way over away from them in the northeast yard (mine)but in their view out their window. Suppose?
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