Hats, Cleaning out, self discovery

We are still cleaning out Mom's and Dad's house.  It was built in 1962 and I grew up there.  Mom resides in an assisted living facility.  Dad passed away in 1995

I've made important discoveries.  The first is that my parents were nuts!  Well, at least pack rats.

And the second is that they liked hats.  There were tons of them.

Not that there is anything wrong with hats.

We just didn't know. Never saw them.  Don't know where they came from.  There is probably a story behind all of the hats.  And we don't know what it is.  

A third thing we learned about our mother is that she probably needed some additional care before we moved her.

Without revealing too many personal details, let's just say that the three items in this picture are a 1998 local phone book.  A 1997 calendar, apparently unused and a pack of standard staples, 5 packages of 5000 staples each wrapped together.  In case you are a little rusty on your arithmetic, that's an unopened package containing 25,000 staples.  All three of these items were sitting on her desk.  Back to the first thing I learned, above. 

  

Just another sample of our day. 

Staging in the garage.

A closet filled with my Dad's things as if he had just left them.  Remember he's been gone since 1995.

Step Son never knew my Dad.  Dad liked his shop.  It was always very tidy and clean.  He took good care of what he had.  Taking his shop apart was the hardest.

Just a second, tissue time again.  This collection hung like this in the garage.  Dad liked this.  My fellas are going to take it down and re-hang it in the reception area of our business.  That will make me happy.

Then they brought me this package.  They found it in the attic. It had been mailed from Cleo Springs, Oklahoma by Mrs. Boyd Noble to Mrs. John Bennett.  Obviously, Mrs. Noble's first name wasn't Boyd.  She was my father's sister, my Aunt Vera.  Mrs. John Bennett was my mother, Cathy. 

Anyway, this package was unopened and bound with twine when it was placed in my hands.  Why had it never been opened and what treasure was inside?  Want to see?

Clothes.  Shirts and skirts, home made on a sewing machine.  Another story here which I do not know.

A big trip to the dump.  Another big trip to Goodwill.  All I could take.  Went home and had a drink.  That's all I have to say about that for now.

No.  Two more things.  First, thanks to Daughter in Law for having a good dinner ready when we returned.  And second, Love you Mama and Daddy.