end of an era

Due to my father's new and significant health issues, he and my step-mom are moving out of and selling the house they have lived in for almost 40 years. The number of wonderful memories I have associated with this house is kind of amazing (mind you, I never *lived* there for longer than a month, so much less chance of developing bad memories) especially since it is where family reunions and our extended-dance-remix Christmases were usually hosted. It watched it go from a small fixer upper to a gorgeous house with an award-winning garden, with new changes every couple of years.

They are having a limited sort of open house thing for people to come and see if there is anything they would like to keep; I haven't interacted outside the family with anyone but hospital staff, but am seriously considering going to the "family only" day. I have no idea if there is any stuff I will actually want to bring home, but I have a brain like a sieve, and well, it feels kind of worth the risk to go see my Dad.

It was absolutely time for them to move -- the house and garden require a lot of upkeep, and post-stroke stairs are a bad idea for Dad, so I am glad they found a new (single floor) space that still not too far away, it's just a little odd to think that I'll probably never have a reason to go back to Hoyt Street.