Where we are now, a house update

As you know, my dad passed away the day after Thanksgiving, November 23, 2018. He was 92 years old, smart as a tack, but he missed my mother, his wife of 69 years, his high school sweetheart, and his body was giving out. As he told my mother during one of her hospital stays, "It's like a car. The parts wear out!" We decorated my Dad's house for Christmas, putting up his small silver Christmas tree, hung some presents on the front door, set up 4 or 5 Nativity sets and after our individual family Christmases, we gathered at my Dad's house for dinner and Christmas preents, 30 of us. On a later date, my sister and I wrapped china, knic knacs, glasses, everyday dishes and boxed them for donation to Purple Heart. Towels and sheets got folded and put in garbage bags. We brought up old clothes that had been stored in garment bags. Had to sort through them because my Dad's basement is damp and some of the clothes were ruined by mildew. I carried boxes of photos up from downstairs and gifts of wine glasses, and a punch bowl and a complete set of Renaissance Green dishes by J & G Meiken of England. My brother cleaned and cleaned Dad's workroom. He did a fantastic job and the room sparkles in the sun. Or at least it will once the casement window is washed this weekend. So we had 4 upholstered chairs, a double dresser, a chest of drawers, a lift chair and 4 sets of mattresses and box springs. What to do? Fill the landfill? Fortunately, I posted on Craigslist and found a home for every item. And truly, without the help of these pickers, I couldn't have managed to carry the things out of the house. I feel close to my Grandparents and my parents when I handle items they used--my maternal grandmother's cookbook, photo albums that my paternal grandmother made or paint by number pictures she created. I shredded receipts and remember my mother as an astute shopper. And of course, I see my Dad everywhere. After all he built the house where he lived for 56 years. I see his projects. He replaced a toilet upstairs so made a new bathroom downstairs. We still have a to-do list. Clean out the ashes in the wood fireplace, hide the cleaning supplies in the garage, take some photos home, take care of some brush in the side yard, clean the new basement bathroom, make the windows sparkle like new. On Monday, the photographer is coming. We will list with a realtor next weekend. Memories have been made of family dinners at birthdays and holidays, of laughter and fun. And my dream is that a family will buy this house and continue of eat and laugh together.