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Friday, July 3, 2009

moving on in charleston, wv

jonathan's paternal grandparents built their home on alynwood circle.
mimi and granddad moved there, from pittsburgh, a few years after granddad returned from the korean war in 1954.
after my father-in-law, jeff power, was born (the first cesarean section to be televised live) he was brought home to this house.
my new grandparents have never lived anywhere else.
jonathan and i went to charleston to help them get ready to move into an apartment for independent living.

granddad worked for union carbide his entire career, even using his expertise to write a book.
it was his wish to pass on all his tools to his grandsons.
and believe me, there were a lot of tools.
here he instructs jonathan and how not to blow the house up w the oxy acetylene tanks.

when we weren't packing and moving and organizing what went to whom and where (no cleaning to be done since mimi is a consummate housecleaner) we enjoyed some treats.
we easily talked granddad into a rootbeer float.
and it was mimi's idea to take a peek in the candy store.
we rented a truck to take all the tools and furniture that they had bequeathed to us back to denver. the most special item is perhaps this piano, which jeff grew up playing.

the morning we left i asked mimi and granddad to please stand in front of their house for some photos of the only house they have known in their 55 years of marriage. it was a tearful and bittersweet moment, even for me who was visiting for my first and last time.





5 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for this post, and I love the pictures AND the fact that you guys got the piano! I grew up visiting them several times a year, so when we were there this past March and I knew it would probably be my last time in the house, I was pretty emotional for myself and for them. I even met Jon at this house for the first time when he was a baby, since we used to gather there for holidays and that was usually the only time I saw that side of the family. =)

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  2. I love the pic of jp's granddad peeking over mimi's shoulder - what spunk / what love

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  3. Emily, this is so beautifully written. Thanks for recognizing the specialness of this event and the tender way you and Jonathan served Mimi and Grandad last week.

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  4. Emily, thanks for capturing these moments in photos for all of us!

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  5. Thank you for posting this. Beautifully done. You capture the perfect moments and the emotions really come through. I am so glad you and Jon could be there. I have many fond memories of that house.

    Joanna

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