From Skilled Hands

It’s about time, I thought. Time to go through the boxes of papers and odds and ends that I bought home after my Dad died. So on New Year’s Eve, I did just that. Receipts from 1972, and yellow pads of paper with lists—lots of lists of tiny figures and notes were spread over the bed. I put a pile of them in a laundry basket to be shredded or burned some time soon. But the treasures! The treasures I shall keep. And I will smile and laugh.

There were my parents’ marriage license and birth certificates. Letters they had written to each other, and cards we had given them as children. The bill of sale when my Dad first bought his optometric practice—it included furniture, equipment and good will. There was the deed from the first house my parents bought—for $14,000.

On August 27, 1953, my Dad bought a 1953 2-door Chevrolet for $2073.87. He selected the following options: directional signals for $16.75, a side-view mirror for $3.55, an oil filter for $15.25, and windshield washers for $11.65. In 1959, my Mom had a car, probably her first. Hers had a heater for $80.25, 2 speed windshield washers for $16.15, back up lites (sic) for $11.95, a mirror for $5.95, and a foam rubber front seat for $19.95.  They splurged on two tone color and porcelanization.

Time has, as it is said, healed old wounds, and I am able to do this with ease. Learning about things that are part of the tapestry of my family’s life is a wonderful thing, and the quirks I remember are right there! on paper!

Onward into the new decade!  Papers sorted and filed.  Embracing the memories and looking forward to the future.

Share this!

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Save to Browser Favorites / Bookmarks

Ask backflip blinklist BlogBookmark Bloglines BlogMarks Blogsvine BuddyMarks BUMPzee! CiteULike co.mments Connotea del.icio.us

Digg diigo DotNetKicks DropJack dzone Facebook Fark Faves Feed Me Links Friendsite folkd.com Furl Google

Hugg Jamespot Jeqq Kaboodle kirtsy linkaGoGo LinkedIn LinksMarker Ma.gnolia Mister Wong Mixx MySpace MyWeb

Netvouz Newsvine oneview OnlyWire PlugIM Propeller Reddit Rojo Segnalo Shoutwire Simpy Slashdot Sphere

Sphinn Spurl Squidoo StumbleUpon Technorati ThisNext Twitter Webride Windows Live Worlds Movies Yahoo!

Email This to a Friend

Copy HTML: 

 If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

More »

Powered by Bookmarkify™