A Room A Day #1

I've had a long day today, two very big annual events for my job are happening today through Tuesday, and Friday. I'm exhausted now that I'm finally home, and with a drink in my hand and a piece of candy stolen from the Halloween stash, I'm thinking about my parent's house. How easy would it be to tackle a room a day? A room a week? I don't even mean to suggest that I or my parents could start and finish a room in one day, but that they could start a room, and make some progress. Make some progress and then walk away. I know the house didn't become the way that it is purely based on laziness, it's a mental condition. They need to understand the issues and reason through each room.

I learned the last time I tried to help my mother at the shop, that the more you let them touch and relate to, the more they'll keep. If I could convince my parents that each room is just that, just a room, maybe they could see their house for the build up it's housing, and that there isn't any room left for the family. So here is A Room A Day, in the order that I rationalized several months ago. I see now that If my parents actually agreed to attempt this, that they might switch the priorities around, but I would let them assign the order, if it meant finishing something. At least one room.

This is my parent's house.




1. The Porch

           It has two walls, and is cement. It has a rickety wood railing that is chipping and cannot support any weight or a strong gust. I'll include the stairs and driveway here too. There are several large, bigger-than-gait steps that are never clean, and planter boxes parallel to them that look nice when in bloom, but are rarely weeded or maintained otherwise.

I remember, we had a preparation party at the house before my sister's wedding and I couldn't believe my mother was having people over while the house looked as bad as it did. I was extremely self-conscious. There was a large pile of rocks at the top of the driveway outside the now family room in. That pile of rocks was delivered about a month before the wedding (2005), and stayed for several years.

I pulled up their house on the county assessor just now, and if you look at the top of the driveway...there's still a small pile of rocks. I have to admit, however, it could be much, much worse. The outside is unkempt, but for five planters, a roll of what seems to be tarp or plastic, a few boards or something under the living room window, and the pile of rocks, it could be so much worse.

The closet and foyer just inside the door are often in disarray. I remember one of my most hated annual chores was cleaning out the foyer closet. That was a place you put things you didn't want to think about. More than once I would dump a bad grade school report card there, smelly shoes, a partner-less glove.  My dad had a high shelf in the closet, referred to as "The Cubby." Change, bills, insurance cards, and several other missing items were often found on this shelf or on the closet floor below.

I chose this area as #1 because it's the first thing anyone sees of the house. Not because they should be concerned with what others think, but because they should be aware of what a little junk can become. My parent's house is hoarded on a sliding scale. The front is better than the back, right wing better than the left, and ground floor much better than the basement.