Abby and I went to Abby’s hometown of Ryan, Oklahoma this weekend, to help clean and prepare her father’s house for sale in three weeks. Abby literally grew up in this house, in a town where everyone knows everyone else. She didn’t even have to cross a street to walk to school in the morning – only an alley.

The house, which is a charming white clapboard house surrounded by paper shell pecan trees, has sat empty for some years, since her father moved to a different house on a large acreage west of town. Along with the house, some of its contents are also for sale. Abby and I have made several trips to Ryan just to get stuff that has been squirreled away in the place, like kitchen knives, original art work, even some rather beautiful furniture, that all belong to Abby in one way or another.

Abby is sad that the place is being sold, but also understands that this old house, like all things, must pass.