Mrs Toomey's house

Mrs Toomey lived across the street from us. She was a really nice, sweet, funny Italian Lady. I loved talking to her, and sometimes we had tea together. She did everything herself, even if her health would not cooperate, and she was always out and about in her enormous blue station wagon. She would always make me laugh when talking to her, because frankly, she didn't care what the world thought of her. She had her own opinions and was not afraid to tell them. We used to talk about all sorts of things, the kids, how she used to take her kids to Old saybrook ("our" beach) too when they were little, how she used to be a nurse, we talked about books she read and I fully intended to read, and she would always let me know when she heard or read something about Holland.

She passed away last December. She had had a couple of ambulance visits to her house, so I feared the worst already.

Now her house has been un occupied, and i think her family is getting it ready for sale. Yesterday there was an estate sale. That's when the family hires someone to sell the entire contents of the house. I decided to stop by to see if I could pick something up to remember her by. It started at 8.00 am, but at 7.00, there were already loads of pickup trucks and vans pulling in the street. Estate sales are big business for bargain and antique hunters. It felt weird seeing these people line up to get Mrs Toomey's things. I would have bought the whole house if I could. They were even selling the supercute indoor shutters she had told me her husband had made to fit each window. Couldn't they at least leave those for the next person to enjoy who would buy the house?

It felt weird going in without her there. Everything was just as I had last seen it when we had tea last time. Only without Mrs Toomey there. People were buying the utensils out of her kitchen drawer, and looking through her books, that still had bookmarks in them halfway through. I wished I'd had more time and peace to look through them, but i was a bit rushed, because Kel had to leave for work soon.


I'd never been upstairs, it felt like I was snooping around. Her blue canvas sneakers that she wore each day were still in her closet, her bed was nicely made. The bedroom that I guess used to be her daughter's once was there as if a little girl still occupied it. With a handmade pink quilt, ballerina wall art and a little rocking chair.

I decided to buy the pink quilt, The handmade blue quilt on Mrs Toomey's bed, the little rocking chair, and, her kitchen table. Her kitchen table was tiny, it had 2 leaves on it, that were always crooked. Her kitchen was very tiny, i think she said her husband had made the table because regular tables wouldn't fit. Plus, i got the chairs to go with it.

I had to haggle a bit with the bitchy sales lady, but now they have found a new home.

The kitchen table, over which Robin once spilled her chocolate milk, but Mrs Toomey said it was o.k, is Robin's desk now. The light blue legs perfectly match the ribbon in the curtains I just got Robin on Ebay. (and the ideas i have for Robin's room coming summer). The rocking chair went to Robin's room as well, and, of course, the pink quilt too.

Raul got the blue Quilt and the chairs will be used allover the house. It was a weird experience to see her house like this, but at least we will have plenty of reminders of her now.


Especially Robin, who misses her a lot. She often thinks about Mrs Toomey at night and says she misses her. But then she says: "but Mrs Toomey is an Angel in heaven now. I think she is having tea in the clouds with the other angels." :-)

A lot of neighbours picked up a few nicknacks so it is kind of a nice thought that her things are now scattered allover the neighbourhood.

picture That Raul took of Mrs Toomey a couple of years ago.

Oh, by the way, i highlighted some words in this text, in case you hadn't realized yet, there's pictures behind them. :-) (you can only see this in the original post, it won't show on hyves)