Design to Sell

How do you dismantle a house and a home where you grew up, where you hid from life when it got to be too much, where you went to see Mom cause you were hurting, where your Mother spent her last 54 years?

You dive in and hope that she approves of the changes you are making. She loved the warmth of the carpet in her bathroom, but it really had to go. I'm sure she would approve of the tile Mike picked out.


You don't speak when you catch someone stopping her cleaning to look through some pictures she found in the bottom of her dresser. She also lets you go through all the recipes hoping to fine that one you really want (them damn brownies).

You spray her perfume in the air when you box up the clothes.

You try on all the sweaters hoping to fine one that fits you. You smile when you find one and can feel her hugs when you wear it.


You have three piles to decide on - 1 labeled Kathy, 1 labeled Mike and 1 labeled garage sale. The other 2 brothers don't want anything. I've filled 3 boxes with things that I know Kathy or her 2 daughters would want. - I just know it! (We will be renting a u-haul to get it all back to AZ when she goes home). All Mike wants is two copper plates that hung in her living room, so I have filled a box for him of things that remind me of his Mother.

You move furniture to the garage. You take pictures off the walls and dust the cob webs. You mow the lawn and pull the weeds. You clean and dust everything. You shampoo the carpets and go through bottles and bottles of Fabreeze and Carpet fresh trying to get the smell of 2 smokers living there out of everything.

You pack and clean and pack and clean and pack.

Monday the for sale sign goes up!