.
HOME IMPROVEMENT and HISTORICAL PURGING...

Small, but significant breakthroughs on the home/historical front this past weekend....

After almost two years of occupation, we finally removed an entry ramp that had become a minor slipping hazard in recent months. The ramp served as an easy way to get my late grandmother in and out - and we had left it in for the past couple years, mostly because it was still serving a purpose. A few slippery encounters later; it became evident that it was time to break out the power drill. After a couple weekend hours, most of the structure (handrail excluded) had been broken down, and the creepy-crawly denizens that lived underneath had been evicted. Selah.

All of this came on the heels of recent home inprovement ventures - including the reorganization of our pantry room clutterfest, the purchase of a utility cabinet, and a vital trip to Goodwill, where I finally purged the long-suffering Zeinth TV that had served our family for the past 20+ years. We also sorted through a scattered catalog of accumulated wrapping paper - sorting it by holiday (Christmas uber alles) and grade.

So....why do I mention all this housekeeping? In some ways, it's the continuation of a prolonged physical and sentimental purge that comes with the passing generational torch. The ramp, television and wrapping paper all represent my grandparents - and the history we had together. Clearing these items out and organizing what remains is the means by which we move on - while reclaiming it for ourselves.

I'm such a sentimental sod....