Some commenters can see that my cleaning is to downsize to make it easier if a move should come. I want things to be easier for someone who may have to clean up after me. We hear many sad stories of messes that were left for someone else to clean up.
My friend Betty and her brother were appointed to clean up their father's house and estate. Betty and her brother hadn't lived near their Dad but another sister had lived near her Dad and looked after him. Their Dad lived in a very small village without a bank store or other facilities. Their Dad had to go to the next town for his banking and shopping. He didn't have a car so his trips were infrequent. As a result, he was usually far behind in completing his business. He always had numerous checks in the house which weren't cashed. He used cash for all purchases and had cash in many parts of the house.
Betty and her brother worked all day finding cash and checks. They had to go through the whole house to find things. They planned to go to the bank in the next town. Before they left they started a fire in the garbage barrel to get rid of things they had discarded.
When they got back from the bank, the sister who had lived beside her Dad all her life asked, "Did you find the thousand dollar bill?" Betty replied," No! Was there a thousand dollar bill?" Then the awful truth hit her. The thousand dollar bill was in the trash barrel which had been set on fire. Betty raced out to the trash barrel and found that the fire had only smoldered. Going through the scorched and burned material she was able to find a very damaged thousand dollar bill. The thousand dollar bill was accepted by the bank.
So I'm trying to leave things in a condition that would not be too difficult for somebody to clean up. No, I don't have any thousand dollar bills. I've never had one.
I'm sure many of you have heard the horror stories of cleaning up an estate.
Wow I have never seen a thousand dollar bill I wonder what colour it is.
ReplyDeleteRed I think it is wonderful that you are taking care of cleaning up things so your family will not have to do it later. You are a wise man. Hug B
I was going to say I haven't seen a thousand dollar bill but I have. I volunteer with a group that has a casino and sometimes thousand dollar bills are used in pay outs.
DeleteNOt only have I heard the stories I have been semi-involved in the clean-up of my parents place.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you say semi-involved. You don't want to get any more involved than that.
DeleteMy mother went through a tough time cleaning up the estate of her parents. Said it was the most stressful thing she's even been through!
ReplyDeleteMany times there are family disagreements which make things worse.
DeleteI have not only never had one, I have never seen a thousand-dollar bill. Glad the bank accepted it! :-)
ReplyDeleteThousand dollar bills are used in the casinos. One of the groups I volunteer with has a casino fund raiser.
DeleteI have lived a nomadic life so I'm fortunate not to have this problem. The Romany Gypsies just set fire to there ancestors possesions. I have no experience of this so it may be apocryphal.
ReplyDeleteNomads can't accumulate many things. I'd like to live that life.
Deleteoh my gosh! i think i'd have thought it was a fake and burned it anyway! :)
ReplyDeleteThis old guy was different so you would know he might have a thousand dollar bill.
DeleteI don't want anyone to have to clean up after me either. I have never seen a thousand dollar bill...sure wish I had a few to hide:)
ReplyDeleteWork in a casino and you'll see them.
DeleteWe are still working through disposing of my mother's stuff, but it is a learning thing, and I am disposing of as much of my own NOW. My kids keep me on track!!
ReplyDeleteCleaning up your parents stuff is a good learning experience.
DeleteSeriously? I didn't even know they printed $1,000 bills! I must say your post title is an eye-catcher.
ReplyDeleteThese bills are printed and used in casinos for the big payouts.
DeleteA thousand dollar bill??? What's that?? LOL
ReplyDeleteAt one time it was a lot of money but not now.
DeleteI keep starting to clear things and then after a while decide that it can wait for another day. Sometimes, only sometimes, another day comes and another bits gets tidied. Why would one actually keep $1000 bill in the house? Someone might not notice it and it could get burned. Oh yes. It did.
ReplyDeleteThis old guy was very different.
DeleteI'm with you on this. I don't want anyone to have a hard time cleaning up after me, so I keep things in some decent order.
ReplyDeleteAt the rate I'm going I might still have lots of mess to clean up.
DeleteNo hidden money in my house. Now-a-days we live almost cash free.
ReplyDeleteYes, people use less and less cash. This old guy was a few years ago and he was a very different bird.
DeleteWhen my sister in-law cleaned up my Moms place and I when Mom and dad went into the Nursing home.
ReplyDeleteWe found money in the top drawer and bottom of my Moms bedroom dressers. No thousand dollars.
Yet it was a shock to see she even hid money .
I've always thought about this as some people do hide money in their house.
DeleteI remember helping clean out my grandmother's house after she passed. In her hope chest were many of the gifts I'd given her over the years--unopened.
ReplyDeleteThat must have hit you like a ton of bricks. How sad that she never opened anything.
DeleteHow close was that in losing all?
ReplyDeleteApparently there was lots more money than the one bill.
DeleteYou write the most interesting posts!I adore your stories.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteIt seems so sad to me to be cleaning out someone's belongings - remnants of their life. I agree with you, I'd rather make it much easier.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's a stage of life that we have to go through.
ReplyDeleteRed I can't even imagine having to do this ever again, I helped to a degree having to go through my Mother's things and that was tough. I commend you for thinking of others and downsizing and that's been something I too hope to have done, a little at a time and lighten my load so to speak. And I agree with your last comment, it's a stage we all have to go through at some point in time.
ReplyDelete