Whatever happened to "empty nest"?

[jhetley]

I was just wandering around downstairs, waiting for the second cup of coffee to trickle down through grounds and filter into usefulness.  And contemplating the serried ranks of boxes left here by both Elder and Younger Sons.  Upstairs, downstairs, in milady's chamber.

Wonder when (or if) that stuff will be summoned to its destiny . . .

Comments

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Number One Son spent nearly three years in New York and all the Stuff he'd accumulated in three years at Cambridge ad a year in London came home for the duration - including six large architectural models. His room was revamped, shelved out and turned into a half store/half bedroom. Just about big enough to get visitors in if they didn't mind the shelves.

He came home in June intending to stay for the summer prior to going to Rome (he's at the British School on an architectural scholarship until June 09) and proceeded to 'sort' through his junk. Predictably there was stuff he should never have kept and he started to sling it out and pack what was left. He actually made the bedroom quite comfortable again with shelves limited to the wallspace not banked on the floorspace.

Just as predictably an architect friend offered him a couple of months work on a competition project - in London - so he buggered off leaving half the contents of his room exploded across the landing.

With only a couple of days at home before leaving (early) for Rome the stuff on the landing is now in big plastic boxes - but still on the landing and waiting for some strong person to heave it down into the store room with the rest of his Stuff.

Number One Daughter? She's been away a little longer and is a little more settled, but we still have a desk, shelves, drawers and assorted boxes that won't fit in to the new flat.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I'd guess about the same time my daughters get their stuff out of my family room.

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

All of mine, so far, have come home from college -- either on vacation, or after graduation, or en route from one stage in their education to another -- and unpacked their gear in the living room prior to carrying it back upstairs to their rooms. Only they never do carry it back upstairs.

The Elder Daughter is gone, graduated, and married, and there are still boxes of her stuff hanging around . . . stuff that I don't dare throw out, because the day that I do will be the day that I get an urgent phone call from her demanding that I expressmail to her the contents of that cardboard box in the corner of the living room by the piano . . . "What do you mean, mother, 'you threw it out'?!?"

[quilzas.livejournal.com]

The only articles I have left at my parent's place are things from my childhood that I left behind and they never threw out. Toys and clothes mostly. Ugh.

I've done a couple serious cullings in recent years. And it's about time for another.....

[xengar.livejournal.com]

The vast majority of the stuff I've left there is in the form of books. Once I've got room for a bookshelf of sufficient size, you won't have to trip over my boxes any more. Technically, I've got the space right now, but the layout of this apartment doesn't cooperate.