E’s sole possessions when we moved in together in 1980 were a five poster king size solid pecan water bed, 450 records, two six foot boards and six cement bricks.

He had no intention of spending the rest of his life with me when we moved in together. He was just trying to halve his rent so he moved in with me. He purchased little round stickers which he affixed to each and every record. His first initial was put in the bottom right corner of each of the 450 records that he owned and my first initial was put on the twelve records which I brought to the table.

Over the forty years we have lived together, we have moved those records to sixteen different homes. We would pack them up in dairyland milk crates and tote them, at first, from one apartment to the next. then one house to the next. It wasn’t that we were trying to stay one step ahead of the law, with all of those sixteen moves. With every move we hoped to improve our lot in life, but we have never been arrested so it must have helped.

After the fourth move we were engaged to be married and the stickers weren’t relevant. After the sixth move there was no room in our bedroom for the five poster king sized solid pecan water bed, it was tossed and we slept on a 3/4 mattress on the floor. I want to mention that I was pregnant with our second son sleeping on the floor. It’s not relevant, I know, but I’m just saying…..

Each time we moved the bricks and boards would be set up, usually in the living room with the records meticulously placed alphabetically on the shelves. E had a routine. They were his prized possession.

He loves those records and when everyone else embraced cds and cast their records to the thrift stores, E held on to his. Even after we moved to the island and had absolutely no where for them to be displayed, they came with us. Our neighbour has kept them safe and dry in her workshop for three years. (Thanks Anne)

Our daughter since she was fifteen has had her dibs on his records. She didn’t want my wedge wood china or silverware when it became available. She wanted his records. E promised he would make a note in his will.

Yesterday we arrived for Christmas and visited our daughter in her new condo. We brought with us seven liquor store boxes of records. She is now the owner of E’s babies… We just do not have room on the island and never will. He is happy they have a good home with two people who will care for them and listen to them.

It was lucky E put those stickers on the records lo those forty years ago. If our relationship hadn’t worked out how would we have ever been able to figure out who owned the John Denver and Kenny Roger records and who owned the Led Zeppelin, Rolling

Stones and Who.