The Man Who Left His Wife for a Book

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I have been helping my aunt with this huge mess by calling around to find out info on storage facilities. Her sister, my other aunt, left no will, and the estate is being disbursed according to NYS law. There are a lot of problems, and we have no choice but to help her empty out a house in Queens- a house that has been in the family for 100 years.

Now we have the Collyer gene deeply imbedded in us, so you can imagine..no actually, YOU CAN'T imagine how they have three houses FILLED UP with stuff. Antique stuff and recyclable stuff, and I fear - garbage stuff.

I have memories of the Queens house 40 years ago, when it was still fairly neat - except for the two bedrooms of my aunts - which were always filled with bags of "stuff". To a child, it looked like such fabulous stuff. After my grandmother and great aunt died, the bags of "stuff" filled up every room over nearly every inch of the floor in 2 apartments.

And now, it has to be cleaned. (there is much more to this story, but I will save that for the book)

But I am having my own battle with stuff---and the books and papers that Larry brings home. Now to be fair, as an artist I LOVE paper and art STUFF, but he tops me. The last few years I could be heard stomping my feet yelling " I WANT TO DIE IN BED, BUT NOT BECAUSE THE CEILING CAVES IN WITH YOUR TONS OF BOOKS OVER TOP OF ME. HOW MANY COPIES OF MOBY DICK DO YOU NEED???

How we figure this all out...the aunts and my house, remains to be seen However, If Larry had to give up his books or his wife....I suspect I might lose. I fear that the clutter always wins.

Tonight's photos were shot with the OLD camera from the car when I was driving to work last week at 7:45 AM. It is a soft and warm light, though the nip in the air reminds me what month it is.

Patti O Mover

Comments

Tangled Stitch said…
Lovely photos and good luck with the house cleanup.
4:03 PM
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