Well, not all, but to some rich types up the road, as a favor, since they're heading back to their winter home in Miami tomorrow. Also some neighbor who lives next to them, who winters in DC. The reaction was--pleasing. Positive. Loved the location. Trees. Paneling. Stucco. Stones--everything I hate. Heard some talk about how perfect the place would be for a boutique hotel, and so on. They asked what sort of price I'd be asking. I said oh, gosh, hadn't got that far yet, a real estate fan of Peg's in Boston--former radio DJ--said he'd do a whole spec for me on the place, which he has, he's been here lots of times so knows it well, but said I hadn't even had time to read it yet, untrue. Let them go back to Florida or wherever and think about the potential here. Am happy with that.
Meanwhile I await Habitat Restore or whatever they're called, on Wed., with a truck, and another 30% of stuff will exit. Cannot fucking wait. It's just about possible to breathe here now.
3 more photo albums photographed. And Ken the Man has been busy clearing the south 40 today, I worked with him for about an hour until the initial excitement of puling ferns and brambles receded into merely a pleasant memory and I collapsed on the screened-in porch to wonder if I was having a heart attack. Extraordinary how open the property is becoming, just by losing saplings and ferns and errant lilacs (I keep the good ones). Am hoping that 3 leafed-thing I pulled a lot of was alder saplings and not poison ivy.
Laurie and I went into painting mode: she re-furbishing the little "English Village" parade of houses I made for Peg as a centerpiece years ago and can't bring myself to throw out (actually I can, but Laurie won't let me) , and me rosemaling a wooden box Norske-style to hold the rest of my father's ashes, which wouldn't fit into said box, as it happened, despite my "scattering" most of them for about half an hour around the property last year, so had to head back down the hill to pour some more out under the rhododendrons where the collies are buried.
I then changed my shoes, from sandals into less slippy sneaker, retrieved Peg's ashes, snipped the plastic holder on the bag inside the ugly brown plastic container, and took it back down the hill and shook Peg ashes over Odd and collie ashes, then carted them up to near the garage to where more collies are buried, then back to the kitchen, to begin the VERY PECULIAR operation of decanting some of Peg's ashes into an egg cup size urn her major fan Tom had sent from Seattle, the idea being Peg is eventually buried with Tom and his wife Donna. The whole idea is bizarre but it's in the will. So. Out with the paper towel to cover the butcherblock, and frying to find a demitasse spoon.
The urn came with a mini plastic bag, which I lined a shot glass with, edges back over themselves, then scooped some Peg into it, closed the mini-ziploc, then found it wouldn't stuff into the mini urn, so had to open it up, scoop some of Peg out again and back into her big bag in ugly brown plastic container. I did this about three times until I got the amount right, then screwed the urn closed, put it into bubble wrap, into a mailer box with the pre-paid label Tom had sent, and presto bobs your uncle: one mother ready for Hinsdale Post Office.
She's still awfully heavy though, so am thinking the rhododendrons need a bit more of her, otherwise I'll be staggering with the carry-on all the way to Minneapolis. (More on this when finalized, but it involves A) getting there; B) 4 graves I inherited from my grandmother and never knew I had; and C) heavy Minnesota press coverage. Aiming for Sept. 6.
I drove to Northhampton (45 min) late afternoon to finalize the announcement for DKs memoir with my computer guru-cousin Tim. Now all sorted. Will perhaps push SEND this week, maybe next. Not sure. Getting nice reactions already, and reviews, which pleases DK. We were all ready to go with the launch when Peg started failing. Can't really say oh yeah, my mother died, gee it was really sad--but listen, you're really gonna love this book we wrote!
I have such extraordinary friends, I am at times quite, quite overcome. I feel so impossibly lucky. Plus, the big news, Denis just won £3.75 on the Lottery.
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