Things happen for a reason

Remember that as I try to, "things happen for a reason, usually we do not know at the occurrence but later see the wisdom."   Yesterday was one of those days I had to hold onto that.

Uncle on downhill slide and yet hospital discharge imminent; hospitals are in the acute care business and he does not need that.  The discharge planner mentioned nursing home placement but I refused.  He will return to his personal care home under hospice care; he may return to a more familiar setting and become more alert rather than as confused as he is in the hospital.  I pray he not be bed bound but if he is in his final decline that it come soon and that he is comfortable.

Meantime yesterday I contacted the woman who had done the estate sale at aunt's a couple years ago for me to see if in her professional opinion (25 years in the business of estate sales) it was worth hiring her  for uncle's home.  She barely stepped inside the basement where we were working and was astonished, "Are you kidding?  Do you  have enough to make it worthwhile?  I can see just from here that his collection of tools and sporting equipment will be a good sale."  She works on commission and so at the worst I will net nothing after expenses, but that is doubtful according to her.  I told her the neighbor had been offering to buy the home and telling me to just take what I wanted and leave the rest and he'd dump it.  She shook her head and said, "No don't listen to him.  He wants to sell this."  She said this sale could be a "picker's dream" and certainly would attract men and not to worry, the old sturdy furniture is exactly what sells easily around here."  She is booked until June so likely July we can proceed and that means a return trip to PA.  2011 is looking to resemble 2009 when aunt died and we spent so much time here before and after--there's the Alaskan trip we had thought of, now down the road, another year!  Such is life, we plan and God laughs. 

Later in the day I caught up with the neighbor and told him I was hiring a woman to do the estate sale, he winced.  Then we talked price; I told him I needed an appraiser and mentioned the $ range and what I would discount for avoiding realtor fees.  He countered with his offer, the first time I'd heard this, at less than half.  At his price I would be giving it to him and if I wanted to do that I would find a charity to benefit first by donation.  So back to Plan B, proceed with estate sale then realtor listing.  The housing market is very slow  in these parts, but we are not desperate to sell.  It would be nice, but we can wait. 

Strange how even so seeming "good hearted people" like Walt the neighbor can have an ulterior motive.  I did offer to pay him $$ for the mowing he  did voluntarily last summer; I have offered this before and he has always refused. He refused reimbursement  again yesterday; his last words were, "well you know my offer if you change your mind."  I'm not that crazy nor desperate!  I have contacted my nephew to pick up this job on his landscape mowing business and I will pay him as he hires workers.    That was my original intent anyway so nothing new.

Jerry said Walt likely wanted to buy the home  cheap and fix up/ fine tune then flip it.  That sounds right, but  not on my watch.  So it was a disappointing outcome, but if I  can keep the faith that things happen for a reason, it will all work out.

Meantime the nursing home at home in MN where Jerry's mother resides called us yesterday; she  slipped and hit her head in the bathroom.  reportedly she did not break anything but when we saw the call come in, we thought, "now what?"  Jerry talked to her last night and she was not concerned, said she had just slipped.  Who knows?   Life strangely twists and winds and pushes us beyond what we find comfortable.    And the rain continues  to keep the ground soggy here in Western PA.