I acquired a thing.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

My grandma's estate is finally getting rummaged through, and my mom offered this to me. It's my grandpa's letter opener, made from an antler. I will be making use of this.

There were other interesting items -- unfortunately the estate is currently in debt (long story), so most everything of value is for sale. The kids sorted through the invaluables/momentos, whatever is left is fair game. My parents can't save everything and they don't want to turn into hoarders in their golden years (and they definitely own a few items themselves).

Unsolicited advice: make a will, make a will, make a will, make a will.

[CB]

@dr-zoidberg I really should get on making a will...

That knife is super cool though!

[Noodles]

@dr-zoidberg my wife's dad told her he had a will. He didn't. Total headache. And he buried all his money on the 2.5 acre property. We never found any of it. He said there was a treasure map. There wasn't. We just sold the place. I never liked that guy.

[Rusty Vandura]

@dr-zoidberg We did, we did, we did, we did! And a trust!

This magnifying glass was on my grandmother's desk throughout my childhood. I visited soon after her death 30 years ago and when I was there, I snagged it. I'm glad I did, because my aunt had a rummage sale and sold all of the cool old s##t for pennies. All of it. That letter opener is a prize to pass off to your own offspring.

[Rusty Vandura]

@noodles Forrest Fenn's Treasure...

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/forrest-fenn-treasure-chest-pictures-trnd/index.html

[Dr. Zoidberg]

@rusty-vandura My mom owns a similar one that was a gift from her dad 40 years ago. The base is metal, but it's the same size and circle-cut-at-the-bottom but a split threaded base you butt to pin down with the base... Thing.

[Rusty Vandura]

@dr-zoidberg Yes, same with this one. I used this to focus the sun's ray and light stuff on fire.

[LooseonExit]

@dr-zoidberg

Yes! Make a will when you're young. Revise regularly and/or with major life events. Make a trust for your kids. Update regularly.

My mom's home is full of their stuff, some of my dad's parents things, and her parents things. It will be a lot to deal with (in manymanymanymanymanymanymany years I'm hoping). The wife and I are more about experiences than things so we don't have much of anything, but I made sure there's one thing that I have from when my dad passed. I also have something from my mom's parents that's special to me.

[fintail]

@dr-zoidberg Hear hear. My grandma passed in October - fairly minimalist compared to boomer-hoarders like my mom (seems to skip a generation), and she had everything planned from the will to the funeral expenses. She was a great lady to begin with, and gave us all a final gift of not having to go through estate distribution drama.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

@fintail My wife and I keep talking about it, but we need to shut up and just do it. Watching this disaster, I wouldn't wish it on anyone I cared about.

[gmporschenut also a fan of hondas]

@dr-zoidberg And if you get married or divorced your will becomes invalid.
#1 make sure its valid. My Aunts inlaws passed away and their wills were petty much hand written notes, done 60+ years earlier, before one of couple's 4 kids were born. Stuff was tied up for years

[Dr. Zoidberg]

@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas I'm already married, and if she divorces me I'll have nothing left to will away, so it's perfect!

[kiltedpadre]

That's a really cool letter opener. Something that distinctive is a great moment.

I'm still trying to parse through a lot of the leftover items after my dad passed. I'm slowly but surely making some of it disappear. There are only a few things I definitely plan to keep.

At the same time I need to whittle down some of my personal excess junk so my son isn't stuck with a bunch of things to sort through.

[BritsnSwedes was MINIGTI]

@rusty-vandura @Dr-Zoidberg The coolest thing I ever found in my grandmother’s house was the souvenir book from her high school prom, signed by no less than DUKE ELLINGTON. I found it on the desk one of the last times I was there before she died. I should’ve totally grabbed it then because I wasn’t around when the house was cleaned out and I’m sure it got trashed .

[Shop-Teacher]

@dr-zoidberg That is a very cool thing.

We really do need to make a will.