Where Is His Stuff?

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

My dad was known for not throwing much away. For a long time we had the original box that our Atari computer came in, actually we had the box longer than we had the actual computer. (Dad liked to save boxes.) It would seem then that over the past few months our family would have to spend hours putting away all his stuff cluttering up the house, or be surrounded and reminded constantly that he is gone.

However, The Cottage remains pretty much the same - it turns out none of the things kept out around the place were really his. My dad's stuff is all hidden away. The basement storage room and garage is filled with items from his family that he wouldn't use but also wouldn't get rid of and other bits and pieces of memories, furniture, tools, and other miscellaneous things. So before I continue, I would like to clarify that we still have tons of crap of his around, but it isn't out in the open living areas.

The crowded coffee table is filled and covered in books and magazines, because my mom and guests like to read. The corner of the living room has piles of rug hooking supplies - my mom's hobby. My dad's hobbies didn't really require items, he was more of a people person and like to play squash, bridge, and race sailboats - these pursuits don't tend to leave clutter. The only items that feel are truly Dad's are some nick-nacks on various shelves, in among other things collected/saved by my mom, the family, heirlooms etc. My dad also kept Daily Bridge Calenders scattered around the house to read, and I think those have been cleared out and thrown away (especially because many of them were from the 1990s).

What I think this proves is that for all her complaining, it is my mother that is the more cluttered and messy one. I remember coming back for Christmas after my first semester away at Carleton and my mom saying that she thought with me out of the house there were be a big change especially in the amount of junk lying around. She was disappointed that it hadn't seem to change (in fact the only real difference identified is that they ate more sausages once I left, since I never liked them.) Now, with me out of the house for the past 10 years, Mike in Edmonton, and Dad gone - it really is only mom, and her stuff.