Extras
Photos: Cleaning House
During the six weeks in 2016 spent excavating the hoarding house, the author and her friend, Jacqueline Larma, documented what they encountered. Click on the thumbnails to view larger images.
Detail of the wet and disintegrating newspaper stacks along the outside wall of my mother's house. Photo by Jacqueline Larma.
Day 1 - In front of the garage with Marc removing everything inside my mother's car before we take it to be salvaged.
Day 1 - Marc walking on the "path" of crunched down objects and garbage inside the house between the dining room and living room.
Day 2 - View from the upstairs hallway down the "stairway" to the living room.
Day 9 - Melissa's childhood cast iron bed buried in ruined possessions and garbage. My mother slept there after my sister left home. Photo by Jacqueline Larma.
Day 9 - Marc taking a break in the backyard contemplating his next task.
Day 9 - View from the dining room, looking into the kitchen on the left. Jackie's photograph captures the disorientation of the cleanout. Photo by Jacqueline Larma.
Day 10 - Marc and I taking our "Having a Great Vacation!" pic for social media with our decorated N-95 masks.
Day 14 - View out of the front of the house from behind the ripped lace curtains of my old bedroom. Below, in the driveway, is one of the three dumpsters we filled. You can also see some of the 320 contractor bags lined up along the curb. Photo by Jacqueline Larma.