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.
