There’s Always Tomorrow

Submitted into Contest #185 in response to: Write a story about someone who doesn’t know how to let go.... view prompt

51 comments

Fiction Funny Contemporary

“Am I a hoarder?” my darling 81-year-old husband, Ralph, asks me.

I know this is one of those Do or Die moments i.e. I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t answer him honestly. With over 50 years of marriage behind us, I know how sensitive he is and I don’t want to ruffle his drooping feathers. He’s always told me he likes me to be honest, but when I am, most of the time he doesn’t like my honest answer. What do I say?

“Um… do you want me to be honest, Ralph?”

“OK, so I AM a hoarder eh?” Ralph shouts, not realizing he’s shouting. He’s 90% deaf. “Do you have to be so blatantly honest about it?”

I roll my eyes, hoping he doesn't notice. I don’t remember answering his question. Did I? I think I zoned out temporarily when I sensed his irritation. Perhaps I somehow beamed my answer into his mind since his hearing aid is constantly hit-and-miss. The ubiquitous “they” say that ability to think the same thoughts happens to couples the longer they are together because they know each other so well. Well, that’s up for debate as far as I’m concerned. If he always knew what I was thinking and vice versa, I doubt we’d even be together having this conversation about whether he’s a hoarder.

We are standing in our basement storeroom, surrounded by boxes of yellowed molding books and dusty shelves of memorabilia from five decades of marriage. Every so often I remind him that it’s selfish of us to leave this monumental job to the children. I use my gentlest “drive the point home” voice:

“If nothing else, it’s heartbreaking to dispose of something a parent cherished, especially when you’re still trying to get over the loss of that parent. You get that Ralph, right?”

Ralph gets that, but convincing him to part with what he treasures hasn’t been easy…till this afternoon over lunch. He has agreed to come downstairs with me and take a serious look at what he might consider tossing out or giving away. Oh, happy day!

“Where’d all this stuff come from?” he asks, looking around the storeroom like it’s the first time he’s seen it. He shakes his head. He sounds weary as he continues: “I just don’t get how we’ve moved ten times and had garage sales every time and this storeroom is chock-a-block with stuff. Some of it MUST be yours. It’s definitely not all mine!”

I can sense he's miffed that, without saying anything, I’ve somehow confirmed his conclusion that he’s a hoarder. I feel the need for immediate damage control. I don’t want him to get upset over this now that he’s agreed to come down here with me.

“Oh, of course, some of it’s mine. I haven’t quite been able to part with all the poems and short stories I wrote when I was a teenager. Those are in those two boxes over there,” I reply pointing to the corner of the room near the Christmas tree we no longer use and several boxes of decorations. “For that matter, you know what? We really should take all that Christmas stuff and some of these other things we haven’t used in the 20 years since our last garage sale to the SallyAnn’s, don’t you agree?”

“Well sure,” Ralph replies. “That’s fine about the Christmas and other stuff, but don’t ask me to donate my James Patterson and John Grisham books and all the other paperbacks in my collection! I’m just not ready for that!”

Ralph’s paperbacks occupy space on 3 shelves, each about 10 feet long. Another shelf is piled high with his collection of old comics, car mags dating back to the 60s, and National Geographics. Marvelous reading I must admit, and yes, quite the collectibles.

However, I grimace. This is already not going according to plan. I bite my tongue and try to avoid saying what just occurred to me, but as usual, my mouth takes over my brain:

“Honey, honestly, what are you keeping all the darn books for? Do you plan to read them all again?

“Well, I might!” His tone is defiant. I persist.

“Oh come on love! When do you plan to re-read them? You came home from the second-hand Thrift Store with ten more books just the other day!”

“Well, each of those books was only ten cents.”

He’s getting edgy and I’m getting exasperated. “Ralph, that’s not the point! It’s not about the money. Wait…” I say, suddenly getting a bright idea (an infrequent occurrence nowadays): 

“I know you don’t want to part with your books, but how about we agree that each time you bring home ten new ones to read you donate ten of your least favorite to the SallyAnns? Don’t you think that’s a great idea?”

“They’re ALL my favorites!” 

He’s shouting again. My patience gives out.

“I’m not deaf Ralph! You don’t need to shout.” I take a deep breath and try again. 

“OK fine,” I concede. “Let’s forget your books for now. How about we get rid of mom’s old record player? Mom’s been gone over 10 years now. That thing’s a relic and you said it speeds up on 33s and slows down on 45s. So we can’t even sell it…”

“Linda, it’s not a relic, it’s an antique, and antiques are valuable. It could be worth a fortune. Besides, I heard the other day that vinyl is back in demand and so are record players, not to mention that I’ve got all those great LPs as well.” Ralph crosses his arms over his expanding torso with a triumphant smile. “Gotcha!” He grins.

Now he’s really ticking me off. Before I can stop myself, I blurt,

“Valuable Antiques are those in perfect working condition! They’ve been stored carefully, not gathering dust and mouse poop in moldy-smelling basements!”

Silence descends. I’m thinking forlornly how this conversation we’ve been having every few months since we first discussed downsizing…about five years ago…always ends up like this. Right now, we’re only looking at what’s in the storeroom. There’s still the old laundry room on the other side. It’s full of darkroom equipment: trays, drums, 2 enlargers, and 20 to 30 frames for wall portraits of all sizes. Ralph was a professional wedding photographer for over 40 years. I managed to convince him to take all the wedding negatives to the dump 15 years ago as it’s unlikely our former customers might want reprints in this digital age. That said, I pray he hasn’t read that recent article about film cameras making a comeback!

Meanwhile, almost lovingly, Ralph is running his fingers down the spines of his paperbacks, eyeing his old, well-read comics and those priceless car mags collected since he was a youth. 

Watching him do that, I’m almost jealous. For a moment it doesn’t seem that long ago that he would lovingly run his fingers down my spine when we first got married and we spent more time making love than warring with words.

Ralph breaks my reverie. 

“What’s in this box here?” He asks.

“Why don’t you open it and look,” I reply, trying not to be nasty. “Probably something else of yours you need to get rid of,” I reply dismissively.

He pulls back the interlocked flaps and peers inside. “This isn’t mine. Do you recognize what it is?”

I go over to take a look. 

“Oh, it’s our old Wii set. Remember how we used to play Wii bowling and table tennis with Eric and Sandra when they lived with us before they moved to Florida? Eric must have packed it all up and left it here for us in the storeroom. Oh, we used to have so much fun with them. Do you know how to hook it up? 

“I think I do. I remember helping Eric pull it all apart bit by bit. If I could remember which lead connects to which input in the back of the TV in the rec room, I would love to have a crack at the Wii Golf. Hey, maybe even you would like to try some Wii golf with me?”

“Well, I only played bowling and table tennis. I was pretty terrible at those and I don’t know golf at all.”

“I’ll teach you,” Ralph says with a grin on his dear old face. Twinkles have come back into his eyes and for the first time in days, he looks animated. He’s come alive again. My heart fills with joy. Have we empty-nesters found another way to keep ourselves from dying from boredom over these long winter months?

“Let’s do it,” I smile. “What the hell! I’ll go make some coffee while you hook everything up. The job here can wait till tomorrow, right?

On that point, we both agree.

February 14, 2023 18:30

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51 comments

Cindy Strube
04:44 Mar 22, 2023

Aww, this is cute! “Ralph” and “Linda” are a great couple. My dad is a lifelong pack rat. A lot of Ralph reminds me of him. Also, I have the tendency… Really enjoyable bantering; it brings out the truth of a long, loving marriage. Sure, there are quibbles and squabbles, but under it all there’s a firm backing like the interfacing that holds a sturdy garment together. I look forward to more like this! ; )

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Viga Boland
12:05 Mar 22, 2023

Thanks for reading and commenting Cindy. I’m delighted you see parallels within your family circle. Your comment “ Sure, there are quibbles and squabbles, but under it all there’s a firm backing like the interfacing that holds a sturdy garment together” nails the essence of this story and several others now on my page here. Over time, and with the encouragement of this writing community, Ralph and Linda have taken on permanent names as Martha and Matthew Banter. They continue to “star” in this week’s prompt, “Speak Now.” I am seriously consi...

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Michelle Oliver
23:41 Mar 18, 2023

This couple are hilarious! Love them. I know they are based on you and your hubby, so now I wish nothing more than to come to Canada and meet with you both, your voice on the page just springs to life in my mind. -They’re ALL my favorites! -Oh my goodness this is so me! I have boxes of books, all very good friends, and my husband shakes his head. -it’s not a relic, it’s an antique, and antiques are valuable. It could be worth a fortune- just like Ralph himself! Love it, especially the ending where the job to be done is abandoned in a mome...

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Viga Boland
03:30 Mar 19, 2023

Oh Michelle, you and I are peas in a pod. If you ever do get to Canada, I’d love to meet you. Mind you, I don’t think you’d like it here right now. It’s -6C! As for “The Banters” as I’ve dubbed this couple, I’m just waiting for the right promot to come along so I can put them back in action on Reedsy!

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Michelle Oliver
04:04 Mar 19, 2023

Arghus -6C. A big hard pass! And I know that’s probably not as cold as it can get. Sitting on beautiful 29C today and looking to heat up again this week.

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Viga Boland
12:09 Mar 19, 2023

Oh shut up 😂

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Flora Brown
01:08 Mar 08, 2023

Hi Viga, I haven't submitted a story to Reedsy, but now that you suggest it I'll see what I can round up. Thank you for your kind words about my book. You wrote a wonderful review.

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Viga Boland
03:31 Mar 08, 2023

I look forward to reading it Flora. I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.

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Flora Brown
12:17 Feb 24, 2023

Hi Viga, I loved your story. It had many familiar pieces that many of us recognize. We were right there with you wanting to declutter and your husband wanting to hold on until you discovered a keepsake you both couldn't resist engaging with at least one more time. Looks like this Wii won't be going away at least for a while.

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Viga Boland
15:46 Feb 24, 2023

How nice of you to drop in and read my story Flora. You’re right: that Wii gets plenty of use these freezing winter days and Linda’s Wii golf game has improved dramatically thanks to dear old Ralph’s expert tutelage. Love your comments on this one. Will you be submitting to Reedsy prompts? I am following you in hopes you will share your wonderful life stories with us all. I remember reviewing your first book, “Color your life Happy” for Readers Favorite. It was excellent! Glad we are re-acquainted now on Reedsy. Looking forward to reading...

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KT George
14:51 Feb 22, 2023

I love this couple. You've captured and conveyed what I perceive as the common boomer couple adjusting to life in the slow lane. So many little things, like how they've been discussing downsizing for the last five years and the finger down the spine of the books vs his wife. Loved that imagery! Great job, Viga! Now, where's your dialogue piece? ;)

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Viga Boland
16:19 Feb 22, 2023

Hi Kt. I just showed your comment re “I love this couple” to my hubby. I knew he would smile. By now, if no-one’s figured it out yet, Ralph and Linda, just like Kevin and Mom In my first story are hubby and me 😂 After all, I’ve only been married once, (over 50 years now) and since I’m not a fiction writer, well, “you can’t just make this stuff up” as they say. And another score on my “spines” imagery. Ooh, that’s the second one. Hey, maybe I really can write LOL. 🤔 As for my dialogue piece, well of course it’s written, edited and re-edited...

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KT George
17:18 Feb 22, 2023

I love that couple even more now! 🤗 You can write and write well. Not only that, I believe you ARE writing fiction! Ha. Even if it is based on real-life events. I think you should submit the other piece and stuff your limiting beliefs in a box in the basement. Lol. But if you post it as a freebie, it should show up on your profile. Listen, we are all here to stretch ourselves and get validation to some extent. You are getting it based on the number of likes and reviews. You've got this! Also, I'd love to know more about your book review ...

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Viga Boland
19:25 Feb 22, 2023

Awww Kt…you are too good for my ego…and I love it…and probably need it. Well, I will post my latest bit of senior silliness, but still contemplating paying $5 to have it “approved”. Not a chance of being shortlisting IMHO. That’s not being modest, just realistic. Re book reviews, I don’t have a book reviewing business. I write reviews for 2 online sites in exchange for free books and a few dollars. If you are interested in getting into paid review work, I’m happy to share the info via email. In that case, give me your email and I’ll fill yo...

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Marty B
23:12 Feb 21, 2023

I am looking forward to their next garage sale, those paperbacks sound enchanting- I agree with Ralph “They’re ALL my favorites!”

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Viga Boland
23:25 Feb 21, 2023

LOL…I’ll let him know. Thanks for reading and commenting. Going over to read yours and seeing how prolific you are…not to mention, a “winner”, think I’d better follow you and see what makes a winner 😊

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Michał Przywara
21:41 Feb 21, 2023

That's a fun read :) "They’re ALL my favorites!" indeed. But to him, these aren't just objects, are they? They're proof of a life lived, they're physical memories. I think that's why the ending works so well. The initial tone of this piece is "when we die", but the ending is "we're not dead yet," and instead of pining after what came before they decide to make some new memories together. Very sweet :)

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Viga Boland
22:59 Feb 21, 2023

Awww…that’s a wonderful observation Michal. 🙏 By the way, are you Polish? My descent is Polish. My given name is Jadwiga…the one time queen of Poland. But given how badly that name gets butchered, I just stick to Viga…the back end of the name. Nice to meet you Michal

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Michał Przywara
00:48 Feb 22, 2023

Nice to meet you too! Indeed I am, though these days it's probably more accurate to say I'm Canadian. I completely understand the name butchery :)

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Viga Boland
00:54 Feb 22, 2023

So you’re in Canada too? Whereabouts? I’m in Hamilton, Ontario, though I grew up primarily in the Polish area of Parkdale, Toronto. As newlyweds, we lived in Oshawa/Whitby. You?

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Michał Przywara
02:49 Feb 22, 2023

Winnipeg, pretty much exclusively :)

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A Pattenden
21:34 Feb 21, 2023

I enjoyed reading this so much, it gives us such a lot from a small interaction. Warmed my heart!

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Viga Boland
22:55 Feb 21, 2023

That’s exactly what I hope my stories will do i.e. warm hearts

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Jack Kimball
15:06 Feb 21, 2023

Seven year hiatus? No way Viga. Don't even think about another! I learned much from your story. Your first person present tense is masterful. And the story itself? I loved the resolution of not de-cluttering. Smart move on Linda's part. Let the kid's deal with it I say. The parallel structure with the book spines and Linda's spine really brought me into the story. Nice!

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Viga Boland
18:53 Feb 21, 2023

Aww Jack! You know how to make this old gal smile. Unless the muse deserts me again, I have no intention of taking a future hiatus. At my age, this is my last chance to explore whatever creativity I have left in me. Getting onto Reedsy and finally plucking up the courage to submit has been the best thing I’ve done in years. Such a supportive and talented community of writers. I really loved your compliment: “Your first person present tense is masterful.” Made my head spin 😂. Likewise the bit about the spines. Thank you so very much. If read...

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Barbara Raue
20:19 Feb 20, 2023

Good for a few chuckles. Thanks Viga.

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Viga Boland
21:24 Feb 20, 2023

Thanks for reading Barbara.

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Nona Yobis
03:27 Feb 19, 2023

Another wonderful look into everyday life! You have such a good tone for capturing the incredibly relatable, daily interactions among people, and finding the nuances that make these encounters beautiful.

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Viga Boland
12:48 Feb 19, 2023

Thanks so much Nona. I really enjoy writing stories that bring a smile to people’s faces and warms hearts a little. Heaven knows we could all use some relief from the horrors we read about daily in the news. If I can make someone’s day just a little brighter through a story, I have a good reason to keep writing, and these Reedsy prompts really help. This is giving me a fulfillment I’ve been missing for years.

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Rebecca Miles
17:37 Feb 18, 2023

I could picture these two so well; it's really very relatable, especially Ralph and his hoarder's love for all the books (I think most on Reeedsy will relate to that). I like the gentle teasing but affectionate tone, delivered by great asides. And your dialogue is great too, particularly how you add phrases which don't weight the sentences down but add to character with just the right amount of colour. I've copied some favourites below: He’s getting edgy and I’m getting exasperated. “Ralph, that’s not the point! love the parallel and the pa...

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Viga Boland
18:05 Feb 18, 2023

Oh Wow Rebecca…you just made my day. What you say is music to my aging ears. I really needed to hear all that as I get the old creative gears cranking over again after a 7-year hiatus from writing. I will treasure your appraisal always, especially since I really liked the way this story turned out and so hoped others would too.

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Viga Boland
18:12 Feb 18, 2023

One more thing: I just visited your writer’s page and see you’ve had 5 stories shortlisted. Congratulations. I have added you to my “following” list and plan to read several of your stories. I might just learn enough to one day have one of my stories shortlisted too. 😜

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Rebecca Miles
21:21 Feb 18, 2023

If you hang around here, which I'm sure you will, you'll improve exponentially. There are so many talented writers on this platform and the bitesize nature of the the short story means it's much easier to learn from others and try out things. I went through a run of second person POV recently, most notably in my The End of the Line, and that was only inspired by seeing others do it so well here. I look forward to more from you and I'm sure you'll shortlist soon. 🤞

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Viga Boland
22:53 Feb 18, 2023

Maybe…re the shortlist…but of course that all depends on which judge selects your story and what their genre prefs are. Not everyone’s into humour but my published books were serious and sad, and I don’t want to do “sad” in my waning years. Always wanted to be an Erma Bombeck. Still working on that 😂

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George Childs
17:23 Feb 16, 2023

Well done Viga…I could picture my brother and I having these conversations when he was in his last months and still wanted to hang on to all the stuff he had collected over the years…I know hoarding in quite common nowadays but, personally, I try to keep things light…except for the garage…and shed. Starting to sound a bit like a hoarder aren’t I lol.

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Viga Boland
17:59 Feb 16, 2023

Ha ha ha…love your sense of humour George. Thank heaven, we both had that. Sure helps us to get through the days as we get older, and sometimes find it harder and harder to find something to laugh about. Thanks so much for coming over to this site and leaving a comment. Makes me feel less and less like I’m wasting my time trying to pen these little short stories. I just hope I can keep coming up with some.

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Anita Joldersma
16:30 Feb 16, 2023

How come hoard-ers seem to marry hoard-ees? Finding a good place for the stuff seems to be the sticking point. We want the stuff to be appreciated so we are justified in keeping it all those years.

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Viga Boland
17:09 Feb 16, 2023

Hmmm…interesting observation. Doesn’t apply to my hubby and me. I started packing up, selling off and donating whatever I wasn’t using several years ago. But hubby has yet to any of it and it seems to be getting harder for him with each passing month. The danger now is both of us having more difficulty moving around, bending etc in general. If it wasn’t for my ADHD about walking and swimming, I don’t think I could move at all. It’s already so painful. Thanks for your thoughts Anita.

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Gwynn Rogers
16:29 Feb 16, 2023

I too can SO relate to this as I had to clean out my parent's home. The garage was stacked and all the cupboards filled with canned food. Then when my husband became sick we had to move from a 2300 sq. ft. home to an 800 sq. ft. apartment. My family has an INCREDIBLE history and I had to get rid of so much as the kids weren't interested. Heck, I even have books from the 1750's. So talk about hoarding- that's ME! I truly can relate to your story. You did an EXCELLENT job and it is very cute. You must have been watching me and my husba...

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Viga Boland
17:15 Feb 16, 2023

Oh Gwynne…what wonderful comments…on both your similar struggles AND on your enjoyment of my story. To hear it described as “excellent” is so motivating. Plus, I’m delighted you think it gave you a chuckle. I thought it was funny, as did even my hoarding hubby, but not everyone shares my sense of humour. Thanks a million for coming over here to comment rather than on Facebook. That matters on Reedsy. 😉

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Wendy Kaminski
21:04 Feb 14, 2023

Well shoot, this is too close to home! But I loved it anyway. :) Particularly the ending, but that only cements the fact that the basement will NEVER get cleared out, lol. I do work that involves downsizing for elders with dementia, and man if people would just do it... except, I can't even get my own personal hoarder on-board either, so it's tough! Some favorite lines: - If he always knew what I was thinking and vice versa, I doubt we’d even be together - lol :) - I feel the need for immediate damage control. - funny how loving relationsh...

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Viga Boland
23:29 Feb 14, 2023

Wendy…thanks so much for your wonderful comments. I’m delighted my story hit home LOL. The content is a bit of a burning issue for me and my hoarder. Couldn’t resist writing it and even hubby had to laugh. Thanks too for picking out specific lines that spoke to you. That really helps. No wonder others call you a powerhouse! And your willingness to comment and support others is so motivating. Now, after all that, I copied and pasted that link for the 200lb doodads but it went nowhere. Want to try that again. Hubby is dying to know what the...

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Wendy Kaminski
23:38 Feb 14, 2023

36" console TVs from the early 2000s! And thanks for the kind words, Viga. :)

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Viga Boland
03:32 Feb 15, 2023

I will let hubby know. Thanks Wendy

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Lily Finch
18:48 Feb 14, 2023

Viga, Very sweet story. I like how they resolve the unresolvable for another day by preoccupying their time with a blast from the past Wii gaming system. Nicely done! Aging can be difficult when trying to downsize and being faced with letting go of items once cherished. But different times call for different changes to be made. Great job with this one. LF6.

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Viga Boland
18:59 Feb 14, 2023

Thanks for such quick feedback Lily. Didn’t expect this so soon when it’s just “hot off the press” LOL. Yes, aging is difficult and whether to downsize or not is a contentious issue for so many of us in this unstable real estate market. I’m hoping others will relate to Ralph and Linda’s issues. BTW, stupid question perhaps but have to ask, what does LF6 mean? Like, ok, LF are your initials but the 6?

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Lily Finch
20:29 Feb 14, 2023

Yes, LF are initials but 6 means various things for me. That's why I choose to use it. You need six pallbearers for your funeral procession. Pythagoreans acknowledge six as the first perfect number. Number six is a symbol of completeness. Number six is a symbol of beauty and high ideals. Thanks for asking and I hope that clears things up for you. LF6.

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Wendy Kaminski
20:52 Feb 14, 2023

I never thought to ask, but this is pretty cool, now that I know it! :)

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Lily Finch
21:04 Feb 14, 2023

You crack me up. Thanks for saying so. :) LF6.

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Viga Boland
23:30 Feb 14, 2023

Fascinating! Who’d a thought that’s what it meant? 🤭😜

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Lily Finch
00:14 Feb 15, 2023

:) For sure. And there are six people in my family too. LF6 .😂

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