Oh how sad to have to watch all that being auctioned off. I don't know if people wear hats to church any more but my 26 year old daughter loves hats and wears them every day. The more vintage, the better. She's an old soul.

Jodi-

is the auction close enough you can go and buy some of your memories back?

Gazania - I'm so sorry; how awful.

I know that this "isn't the way it's supposed to be", since they are actually yours, anyway (sort of), but could you attend the auction and try to buy them? Believe me, I know that that's non-sensical, but if you do love and want some of the items, that might be one way to do it if there is no other way, as you indicate.

How difficult to see your personal items up for sale like that. I suggest you not look at it any more; just keep the memories in your heart. This is quite sad for you.

Oh gee, Pattico! Great minds think alike.

Too bad you didn't have an opportunity to get some of these things beforehand. It would certainly make me very sad as well to see my mother's things and items from my childhood auctioned off like that.

Your childhood dolls and toys are like mine although my mother never kept anything. The vanity is one like I had growing up. As one who attended many auctions over the years, I was always sad for the people watching their stuff go.

Awww, Gazania, I am so sorry that you can't keep the things, your poor heart must be crying. Big hugs to you, sweetie. I have a similar dressing table, it's in the spare room that Beth stayed in. That one sure is lovely.

I have a vanity very similar and I have it in the guest room. It belonged to my MIL. I am also not the type to hang on to every bit and piece so I'd just say goodbye and let it all go.

My Dad died when my Mom was just 47. She aquired a man friend a few years later. This man lived with her for about 20 years. The last 10 years he was her nurse after she had a stroke that left her paralized on the left side. He kept her laughing right up till she died at age 92. He was 20 years younger. Several years before her death we signed the house over to him. He earned it. The last 2 years or so before she died, he became increasingly hostile toward my siblings and I. The day after Mom's funeral, it became clear that he did not want us around. Up to that point we had treated and thought of him as family. Over the next 10 years he ignored all our many efforts to stay in touch with him. He died at age 82 last May in a nursing home after a stroke. He had alienated everybody that tried to befriend him. I am sure dementia of some kind had set in. After his death a cousin came out of the woodwork (There are/were 6 figure bank accounts..you know the type) and went to court and had himself named executor of the estate. The truth is that the house was no longer ours, but the contents are ours. More truth here is that the house is a shambles. He was a hoarder. Garbage was everywhere, I mean rotting food, leaking roof, plumbing stopped up. The smell penetrated everything. The coal burning furnace had everything coated in a greasy film a 1/4 inch deep. Huge black cobwebs hang from the ceiling.

My brother did get into the house and claimed some personal items. Family pictures, some mementos of Mom and Dad and a brother that died at age 10 in 1944. Brother said and I agree, that as long as this cousin is willing to clean up the mess, we will just sit back and watch. It is sad to see many of the things go, but in reality most of it I have not thought of in more than 50 years, so I am not going to miss it now.

Mainly out of curiosity I would go to the auction (100 miles) but there are steps I couldn't get up and no rest room facilities near by etc. I will stay home, it will be easier on me in the end, I am sure.

gazania when my husbands aunts things were auctioned off, I went, and bought a box full of stuff, cause I wanted the old hand crank ice cream maker.

I still have it.

It's a treasure to me. Never regretted buying it.

Moni

You might want to check to see if it's an on-line auction... or if there's truly something special, maybe call the auctioneer and place a pre-bid? We auctioned my monther's things, after the 3 of us siblings took what we wanted...so the cherries were all picked... but as executor, I'll get a list from the auctioneer with each items/box lot sold, to whom and their address/phone number..

Hugs to you, but remember...it's just stuff. You have the important things. They are the memories. No one can take those away from you!