House in Progress Diary

Hah, I'm such a gardening suck-up that I the set borders of my flower beds to match my neighbor's on the other side of the fence. Now if we could only be better about mowing our lawn...

I think often about the poor woman who left all this behind. My next door neighbor is 80+ and lives alone in a house her parents built in 1921. One of my neighbors got to go in the house while selling girl scout cookies, maybe 20 years ago. Even then there were only little paths to get around amidst all the stuff. I just wonder what all she has over there.

As of yesterday she is still missing her Mickey Mouse watch. (She's making do with Snoopy for now). She's tried out all the saints praying for Mickey's return. She's asked me to pray for Mickey too.

If you should happen to run across Mickey up there do let me know. I hear he's about 30 years old.

Incidentally, the blue lamps were neither kitchy nor tacky. I rather liked them.

I actually knew 2 women like your neighbor growing up. They were wonderful...really cool ladies. I remember learning my to polka, at age seven, to a wind-up Victrola on Lizzie Walter's porch. I still have a pin she gave me. She was a lovely person.

I am so amazed by the previous owner of this house though. She isn't old. She is only in her fifties. She is writing two books currently. And she is independently wealthy. Which just makes it really confusing...the state of the house and why she left so many things behind, especially family photos, slides and movies. We can't figure it out. And maybe we're not supposed to try. Ah well.

I will say a prayer for your friend's Mickey Mouse watch...she sounds pretty cool to own Mickey and Snoopy.