Back from California

[retro-man]

Well what a trip it was. My poor aunt had dimentia I guess before she went missing. She was collecting anything that she could find. You have no idea of the amount of clothes and stuff she had in that house. We filled 7, 3 1/2 yard dumpster plus. we had the house fumigated prior to out arriving for fleas and fruit flies, but this did nothing to the spiders in the house. Oh my goodness, I have never seen this many and so large eight legged creatures. Every time you moved or picked up something there was one looking at you. She did have quite a few nice things that she had collected on her travels all over the world. There is going to be estate auction in a couple of weeks out there. I took quite a few pictures while there of the area and other scenes. Oh and a few that I new you guys into old stoves, would like to see. Got to try a lot of wines from the local vineyards, walked the beaches and ate at a lot of great restaurants. I was in Shell Beach. Awfully nice area of California. So on with the pics.
Jon

 

[retro-man]

This was a bush outside the studio out back. The first was an orange tree in the backyard.

 

[retro-man]

This was the view from the front door to the left looking at the "hills of California"

 

[retro-man]

This was the view to the right. There is the Pacific Ocean at the end of the street.

 

[retro-man]

Here is a small amount of debris that we had already gone through waiting for the dumpster people to come and empty.

 

[retro-man]

This is Kevin a very good friend of mine from there who helped take care of my aunt. He is an emt and firemand also. What a great person.

 

[retro-man]

This is where alot of the seagulls and pelicans sit day and night waiting for the schools of fish to come to dinner. My sister said what a pretty white rock. I informed her is was painted by the birds. She understood.

 

[retro-man]

This is in back of out hotel. All the hotels are on the jagged part of the cliffs. That large rock was all lit up at night with orange lights. Was beautiful.

 

[retro-man]

What would a trip be without a beautiful sunset over the pacific

 

[retro-man]

Ok here are some pics of the stove.

 

[retro-man]

Another

 

[retro-man]

With the top open

 

[retro-man]

Oven cavity. Certainly large capacity.

 

[retro-man]

Broiler section

 

[retro-man]

The Badge

 

[retro-man]

Kevin had put this up a number of weeks ago. This was my aunt and her favorite birds that she used to feed daily. This was on the bench she always sat at.

 

[retro-man]

This is along the area where she would walk. No gaurd rails. Just straight drop off.

 

[retro-man]

My sister took this picture of me and kept saying step back just a little farther please

 

[retro-man]

While we were walking the pier on Friday afternoon we came upon 2 females getting married. Quite a few people watched from the pier and we all cheered and clapped after. They turned around and had no idea how many of us were up there. They waved and said thanks.

 

[qsd-dan]

You should have considered taking the majority of that stuff to a thrift shop of some sort. It's a shame that it all went to the trash.

Nice pics though, and the stove is sure cute.

 

[retro-man]

Well actually a lot of things went to the salvation army and goodwill. A friend of kevins took the beds and gave them to people he knew could use them. We saved tons of stuff for the estate sale. I didn't include them. We took truck loads daily for reuse.
Jon

 

[rp2813]

Ah, yes, that is certainly a classic Shell Beach neighborhood. I'm sure you're familiar with the English style estate on the cliff at the south end of town. I've heard it's owner is "family" but can't remember who said so.

My partner and I may be headed down to greater Pismo for the first weekend in November. Any chance the sale will be held then?

Oh, and that bush is a bouganvilla and it grows like a weed in many parts of California.

Ralph

 

[toggleswitch2]

~My poor aunt had dementia, I guess, before she went missing.
I am sure the uncertainty of her whereabouts is difficult. May all of you find closure, and hopefully some good news.

~She was collecting anything that she could find. You have no idea of the amount of clothes and stuff she had in that house. We filled 7, 3 1/2 yard dumpster plus.

I had a relative with collyerism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers)
All I can say is, stop hoarding, gathering and collecting NOW, before it gets any worse *LOL*

~Awfully nice area of California.
It does look gorgeous.

The stove looks like it has four burners on top, but only three knobs/controls for them. Do I need stronger reading glasses? Looks like the oven has no thermostat. My granny's had a similar set-up.

Thanks you for taking the time and effort to document your journey. May we be informed of your aunt's first name? I am sure so many of us want to send out good vibes.

PEACE!

-Steve

 

[retro-man]

Toggles, there was a knob missing on the front so no need for new glasses. You are seeing correctly. Her name was Helen Thompson. I always new her as Aunt Eleck. That was the Polish name for Helen.
RP2813 I spoke to my sister today and they are going to move all the stuff from the house and have an estate sale elsewhere, at some point in the future. There isn't enough parking on the street as you can see and too much stuff.
Glad to be home but doing the same thing here with my wifes grandmother, whom we just placed into a nursing home. She had almost as much stuff as my aunt. I need to clean out my own house and we keep bringing more stuff home. Oh well what can you do.
Jon

 

[rp2813]

Hey Jon, I completely understand the need to move the sale elsewhere. When we had the sale at my mom's place people were having to park blocks away and they were lined up on the front lawn waiting for the sale to start. It took a couple of months for the lawn to recover.

What's to become of the house? Anybody going to move in or otherwise keep it in the family? It's a beautiful spot that, in spite of current conditions, will only increase in value. If I were going to invest in a vacation getaway, the Pismo area is where I'd be looking as it's still affordable compared to most other beach communities in the state.

Ralph

 

[toggleswitch2]

#311979.

WOW.

Looks like there were 6 knobs.
left to right:
2 for left side, top burners.
MAIN gas on/off
2 for right side, top burners.
Oven knob/control.

If it's anything like my granny's Royal Rose (circa teens/twenties), the contol knobs for the top were rectangular, and thus would have fit as described above.

On my grandmother's there was no safety feature in the form of "push-to-turn". Als for safety, most U.S. gas cookers/stoves are turned "off" with a clockwise motion (the natural motion of the right hand[ed]). Such motion turned hers "on".

 

[gadgetgary]

Speaking of Tag/Estate sales....

Have you ever been to one where you take a number, and wait for your number to be called so you can go inside to view?

Toggs and I went to one this past summer. It was quite the experience. Only 10 were allowed in the houst at at time.

 

[peteski50]

pics of the stove

I really like that stove - would love to see some specs on it.
Peter

 

[polkanut]

I've been to the type of sale were you take a no. Kind of a pain, but at least you don't have to deal with the "herd mentality".

 

[toggleswitch2]

I want what SHE has.............

I love picking up total garbage articles at these sales and acting all contemplative. After reluctantly putting them down, watching the women snatch them up and get all covetous.

*LOL*

It was the same while I was selling womens'shoes to get through college. Women are so busy watching the other women that they have zero focus of their own.