"Closing Time"

       "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end".  Wow is that the truth!  I could get philosophical and discuss how this is a new beginning, it's kind of scary and exciting at the same time, and that I am feeling pretty melancholy about leaving my kids in Hutch, even though I am 100% ok with my choice to move...but I won't bore anyone about that.
       Today I closed on my new house.  Honestly, it doesn't feel like my house.  Instead, it feels like this messy, smelly, complicated shell for which I am now responsible.  Has anyone else ever felt that way after buying a new house?  Anyway, after closing, I made my way to what my parents and I are now lovingly calling "The Cat House".  Why?  The previous owners (who were asked to vacate) had animals.  Lots.  Of.  Animals.  And, it seems, they let these animals have the run of the basement.  The laundry room and fireplace became litter boxes, while a portion of the basement, I'm told, was a labor and delivery room for a Chihuahua - she later used the rest of the basement as a daycare for her offspring.  So, you can imagine the aroma as I entered the house after closing.  My mom's words of "NO!", which were said vehemently when we opened the door at the showing of the house, rang through my head and I began to wonder if I truly was crazy for taking on a project of this magnitude.         My parents, whose ages I will not reveal :-), are my work crew at this house.  They are both retired and have a work ethic that puts me to shame.  There is never really "down time" with them - no pausing to check in on Facebook or to crush some candy, no let's take the day off today, no "Grey's Anatomy is on, we should watch it"...they are WORKERS, and I am ashamed because I am already tired and we haven't even started yet.   They have enlisted my aunt and uncle for help as well.  What's funny about this is, they happen to be a few years senior to my parents.  All are retired.  So in my blog description where I say that this is the house that old people built, I'm not kidding!  And, I did not come up with that phrase, my mom did, so it's ok.
      Here is a look at the house as it is now:

Those are just a few pictures of the "befores".  Wish us luck!