Mother Warned Me

She warned me to watch my back. Good advice.

It seems my brother wants to strategize to keep the car (he could use a second vehicle) and proposed I use insurance money to pay the estate's bills until the house is sold and I can get paid back out of the estate. Rather than part with the car which would give us a lot more of the estate's funds to work with. I'd be open to keeping the car if possible but I'm content to sell it. I did wonder if there might be an alternative. I'm trying to wrestle with what is possible and what I think Mother'd have wanted. For example: if I find any, do I keep her silver set? She'd want me to keep it.

I think my parameter is if it comes down to keeping or selling, if I already know what she wanted I'll go that route, there are some things she did not want the SIL to have (her knives, for example, so she bought the SIL her own set one holiday) so if it becomes a problem and I can't buy out my brother's interest, I suppose we just sell. I want to honor those wishes. Brother's allowing me to keep Father's burial flag and Mother's wedding ring set. I want the flag because it was important to Mother and the wedding ring set would perhaps traditionally go to me for my future wife but I wanted it because she effectively never went out anywhere without it even when a widow. If there was any single possession that represents her it's that ring.

I originally considered using insurance money left to me as an ultimate last resort to keep the estate's creditors placated until the house is sold but going right to that nuclear option seems disturbing at best. I pretty quickly I realized Mother would not want that and it's not my legal obligation to do so. I'll endeavor to avoid the urge.

I made a great mistake telling him about the larger policy. Not only human, but a strategic error. That's a bottle I'd love to re-cork. My uncle warned me about being too free with information.

Yikes. I just saw a mouse at the window. Just what I didn't need to see. I'll put bait out I guess and alert my neighbor.

I've invited Vegas over in a couple weeks to help me clear the house out. He's very willing; I'm quite fortunate to have this friend nearby. Ok, nearby isn't so near but at least we're on the same continent! I've invited him to stay at the house. I'll fix a spare room for him to use.