The end of November was a busy one for me. I helped move my mother across town. Now moving in itself is a chore, but to give you a better understanding of what I was dealing with here, I've got to go back a few years. *Let me just note.. Mom if you're reading this I love you quirks and all!*

My mom moved in with my Grandmother years back to help out when her dementia and physical ailments became very apparent. When my Grandmother passed away I tried to help my mother with not only her grief, but going through the house. Maybe it's because I had never really dug so deeply into my Grandmothers belongings, but I came to realize that she was what I'd refer to as an organized packrat. My mother called her a "collector." At the time it was really hard for my mom to get rid of things, so everything just kind of stayed in its place. My Grandmother was a teacher for almost 50 years and had cupboards of school bricka-brack. Pictures, files, books and arts & crafts. She sewed and had every tool and or sewing item ever made. Enough buttons to be-dazzle a church. Boxes of material from floor to ceiling and every pattern I think she ever used neatly stored away. Dolls, dolls and more dolls. Sheets of music from when she played the piano. Cupboards of National Geographic and Arizona Highway magazines. Christmas decorations up the ying-yang. Every letter she wrote to my Grandfather during the war boxed and just waiting for me to sit someday and read them. Stamps, beautiful china and of course the old sentimental childhood home bringings of her 3 children...my mother, aunt and 2 uncles.

Now lets throw my beloved mother in the pot. My mother is what I'd refer to as an unorganized packrat and a procrastinator. She likes to call herself a "collector" who "likes to take her time."  Although she does indeed collect some beauties, it's all the other stuff she's unaware of that's she's collecting that I'm talking about here. Books, books and more books. Did I mention books? Magazines to add to my Grandmothers collection. Christmas decorations up the ying-yang. Arts & crafts galore. Seashells, gardening stuff & tools. Office supplies, cleaning supplies, toys for my son, clothes and treasures she had forgotten she even had. I could go on, but by now I think you get the idea. This brings us to recent times.

I knew my mom was wanting to sell the house back in September. It was just filled with too many memories and had become too much house for her. In October she told me a sale was pending, but there were a few glitches holding up things. Then came the day in November when she said the house was sold and she had to be completely out by Sunday...this was Tuesday. WHAT??!!?!?! Holy snap please tell me you're joking. Nope.. no such luck. The issue here is, with the exception of a few things, 90 years of my Grandmothers belongings and all of my mothers belongings were still sitting ever so comfortably in their rightful place, no matter where that might be in the house, the garage and the shed. I'm talking everything! UGH! My family has always seemed to come to me when something really needs to get done. Why? I guess because I always get it done. Not to mention I can pack and move loads in one trip that would take others at least three. Hence the pack mule. Lead, follow or get outta the way. LOL There was noooo way I couldn't help. I recruited my boyfriend and we raced like monkeys on fire for 5 solid days. Come to find out we had 14 days instead of 6. Still not great, but better.  

I'll admit that it's been quite some time since I've spent hours upon hours, day after day with my mother. Instant flashback into yesteryear. Her "collections" always drove me bonkers, but they are hers.. not mine. We could have gone rounds about what to toss or not, but what was the point?  My mom is 70 years old with her own physical aliments now and quite honestly this was an emotional move for both of us. This is only her third time to ever move, she's no longer down the street from me, and neither one of us would ever step foot in my Gramma's house once the keys were turned over. Moving out, moving on and trying to let go can be alot to handle when you save it all for the last 14 days. I just breathed my way through it and boxed almost everything and moved it into storage. Basically transferring 3/4 of the house into storage. I suppose one good way to look at this, is I know exactly what I'm in for when I have to go through the storage unit.... again.