Stuff - but also a real good one
Mar. 23rd, 2006 04:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
susandennisOk so the stove is coming tomorrow morning between 9:30 and 10. I have to leave here at 10 for a meeting in Redmond. Sheri's going to come spell me assuming they do not make it by 10. Hey, wonder if it's like pizza? They don't get here in 30 mins and the stove is free? Cool.
The dishwasher isn't going to get installed until a week from Friday. They are killing me here.
But now for the good bit.
They have a very good rule at 'the home'. Staff is not to take or be given stuff by residents. When residents die, the family members are to clear everything out and are not allowed to give any of it to staff members nor are staff members allowed to accept gifts. It makes sense really.
So, they started Eliza's Attic (no clue who Eliza is/was). It started out in a little room there in the back somewhere. People would donate stuff and then on Saturday mornings Eliza's Attic would open for business and sell the stuff and donate the proceeds to various special projects at 'the home' (one of which is annual holiday bonuses for the staff and monetary rewards for exceptional service).
Talk about a successful project. I mean they place is full of really old rich people who die all the time and have lots of stuff. So Eliza's Attic got a much bigger room and I think is now open pretty much 7 days a week and does a big biz.
Nancy took most of Mother's stuff but there was a giant sized dresser and a very heavy table and a small hutch and some other big pieces that I had Polly donate to Eliza's Attic. (The dresser was sold to Mom's favorite sitter immediately which is very cool.)
Another piece that Mom had that was very very dear to her was a sculpture that a friend of hers did especially for her. It's carved out of solid wood and weighs a ton and, unfortunately, has grown very fragile as the wood has dried over the years. Everyone thought it was just kooky (and not in a good way) except me and Mom. It was just not practical to have it sent here and I don't really have a good place for it anyway, so it went to Eliza's Attic, too.
Barry, Mom's good friend and the assistant director of her wing of 'the home', bought the sculpture! He went by the apartment today and told Polly how thrilled he was to get it because it would mean he would always have Mom with him. And I know that Mom would be thrilled beyond believe that Barry has her sculpture. I mentioned to Polly that I hope they didn't charge him too much at Eliza's Attic and she suggested I call the woman who runs it and ask her to give him the lowest price possible.
So I did. She was so nice and she asked me if I would like to have them just give it to him as a gift. I was delighted and told her that if that could be done without getting anyone in trouble it is exactly what I would love. She said they often do it for special friends and that everyone was fine with it.
Tomorrow, when he goes to pick it up and pay for it, he will be told to put his money away. This just brings me enormous joy. Here's a picture of the sculpture when it was new - I'll send it to him next week. (It's about 3.5 feet tall.)
The dishwasher isn't going to get installed until a week from Friday. They are killing me here.
But now for the good bit.
They have a very good rule at 'the home'. Staff is not to take or be given stuff by residents. When residents die, the family members are to clear everything out and are not allowed to give any of it to staff members nor are staff members allowed to accept gifts. It makes sense really.
So, they started Eliza's Attic (no clue who Eliza is/was). It started out in a little room there in the back somewhere. People would donate stuff and then on Saturday mornings Eliza's Attic would open for business and sell the stuff and donate the proceeds to various special projects at 'the home' (one of which is annual holiday bonuses for the staff and monetary rewards for exceptional service).
Talk about a successful project. I mean they place is full of really old rich people who die all the time and have lots of stuff. So Eliza's Attic got a much bigger room and I think is now open pretty much 7 days a week and does a big biz.
Nancy took most of Mother's stuff but there was a giant sized dresser and a very heavy table and a small hutch and some other big pieces that I had Polly donate to Eliza's Attic. (The dresser was sold to Mom's favorite sitter immediately which is very cool.)
Another piece that Mom had that was very very dear to her was a sculpture that a friend of hers did especially for her. It's carved out of solid wood and weighs a ton and, unfortunately, has grown very fragile as the wood has dried over the years. Everyone thought it was just kooky (and not in a good way) except me and Mom. It was just not practical to have it sent here and I don't really have a good place for it anyway, so it went to Eliza's Attic, too.
Barry, Mom's good friend and the assistant director of her wing of 'the home', bought the sculpture! He went by the apartment today and told Polly how thrilled he was to get it because it would mean he would always have Mom with him. And I know that Mom would be thrilled beyond believe that Barry has her sculpture. I mentioned to Polly that I hope they didn't charge him too much at Eliza's Attic and she suggested I call the woman who runs it and ask her to give him the lowest price possible.
So I did. She was so nice and she asked me if I would like to have them just give it to him as a gift. I was delighted and told her that if that could be done without getting anyone in trouble it is exactly what I would love. She said they often do it for special friends and that everyone was fine with it.
Tomorrow, when he goes to pick it up and pay for it, he will be told to put his money away. This just brings me enormous joy. Here's a picture of the sculpture when it was new - I'll send it to him next week. (It's about 3.5 feet tall.)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 01:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 01:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 01:06 am (UTC)Ok, I get the statue is supposed to be flowers. And I am impressed by the work done. Really! But it's a little freaky. Colorful and nice though :)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 01:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 12:15 pm (UTC)It's very Seussian. I actually like it quite a bit, but couldn't for the life of me imagine it in my house.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 01:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 02:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 02:01 am (UTC)Once again, you have to wonder what it was about your Mom that has so many people adoring her. You had all of us riveted with your stories about her, but it is obviously not just your writing and anecdote selection.
Susan, eventhough you will probably never deliver it, I urge you to write her eulogy some day. I would like to read it.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 02:49 am (UTC)Eulogy. Now there's an interesting idea. I'll give that some thought and, if I do one, it will be for here. Interesting idea. Thanks.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 02:06 am (UTC)My parents' retirement community has an establishment similar to Eliza's Attic, called Molly and Fibber McGee's Closet, or something like that. (I imagine most of them do).
You now have me wondering what the eventual disposition will be of various sculptures of my father's -- by which I mean not just that he owns them, but that he scuplted them, and some of them are, in my somewhat prejudiced opinion, pretty damn good.
I'm hoping not to have to worry about that for a while yet.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 02:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 02:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 03:47 am (UTC)Gee,I think you should have had your sister haul it out here, either ground transportation, or maybe on her back?
No wait, that would entail a face-to-face visit. Ooops!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 03:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 04:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-24 03:42 pm (UTC)