#54

He can’t refuse an estate auction.  As a result, he has way too many tools.  It’s probably not the same shovel, but I’m going to say it’s the one I watched him and Grandpa use to build my playhouse with.  That makes it more special. 

#52

It was the only room that we didn’t paint.  Not perfect, but good enough.  

#50

The tree should be too short to cast a shadow on her shed.

#49

The cows are gone, but the fence remains.  It needed to stay.   

#48

I’ve seen identical sets in antique malls.  She keeps hers on the hutch.

#46

She said she hadn’t lost it.  I doubted; got mad.  I found it 5 years later in storage.  Sorry. 

#45

I don’t know why, but I wanted a floating clock.  Fishing line and screw eyes in hand, I drilled the first hole…directly into my finger.  After a good cry, I tried again. 

#44

I accidentally bought two Silver Surfers 14 years ago.  He’s still my copilot.

#43

They used to buy one every vacation, at least that’s what I’ve been told.  By the time I came around, the tiny racks were full and just a fixture of the décor.  

#40

It came from Arizona, complete with cactus skeletons and an antler.  It was just always there in the kitchen, so I never really considered how ugly it is until I saw it out of context, hanging in dad’s garage. 

#37

He preceded her years ago.  She still puts out both lawn chairs in their favorite place.  I’ve never seen her sit there.  

#32

We had the best tea parties.

#31

A passion flower vine used to grow right beside it.  They have these strange spherical seedpods.  We would always throw them against the house, making them explode.  He would always jokingly accuse me of causing the crack to appear with my strong throws.  

#29

It’s their front door.  I lived there for 18 years and still probably couldn’t pick it out in a lineup.  It really was only opened for specific “front door guests.”  We were side door people.   

#26

"I don't think you're happy enough. That's right!  I'll teach you to be happy. I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs.  Now boys and girls, lets try it again..."

#25

She kept everything from my childhood.  As he aged, thirty-year-old toys slowly started making their way back into my life.  I still can't believe she kept them so long.  He does love that horse.

#22

For like two weeks, it was magic.  In his mind, the simple Dollar Tree pinwheel had become Dumbo's feather.  Arm stretched high, pinwheel spinning, both dimples deep.   He ran, seemingly non-stop, through the house "flying."  Then one day he put it down on this red box and moved on.  

#20

I was at least ten before anyone told me her real name was Lillian.  When she had to be moved into the home, we helped her clean out her house.  She gave me this set of tiny carved elephants.  I doubt she ever missed them.

#19

My dad called them "cigar trees."  I was always fascinated by the seed pods that hung from the one up the street.  Now I have two huge, gnarly ones in my front yard.  I'm still fascinated by the seed pods. 

#18

Her bell collection covered her entire coffee table and three wall shelves.  It was all I could do not to touch them, as I had been told.  When I got older, I was allowed to ring one at a time.  Now they live in the two center drawers of Grandpa's old chifferobe.   Even looking at them this way, I can still remember the exact ring of certain ones.