The House

I went to probate court with the lawyer this morning. I just had to raise my right hand and swear that I would be a good executrix of the will and then sign something. They gave me a piece of paper saying that they'd probated the will. This is what I will need for the bank and other accounts, I believe.

The lawyer had talked to Anna, who said she preferred if he talked to Mike, who said that they had no intention of giving me the house as Mary had desired because it was Anna's inheritance. Shame on them! Shame, shame! How can she go to church and feel like a good Christian?! Well, the lawyer will contend that Mary didn't take Anna to court because she knew it would have been too much for her at the age of 95 and had hoped that Anna would do the right thing, i.e., what she had requested. They will try to make me look greedy and like I was influencing Mary to change her will and that she didn't really know what she was doing. I will try to make Anna look greedy and like she renigged on her agreement with Mary, which she did, so I have no problem with that. I need to talk to some other people to see if anyone else ever heard Anna or Mary say that Anna said she would move in and take care of Mary. I told the lawyer that Mom would probably not be a good witness to call, that she would get easily confused. One minute she says one thing and then the next swears to the opposite. I don't know why she does that, but it's clear that she would not help our case. I know she's upset that I will be dividing the family, but I feel that it's Anna who chose to divide the family by trying to take advantage of Mary and then not letting Mary have her house back. And what family is there to divide? We never have anything to do with them anyway. My family is behind me and that's all that matters to me.

Now, I must, absolutely must, get changed and get outside to do some yard work. It will take several days to cut the grass because it's so high and rained recently. I'll have to recharge the batteries several times.

Oh, the lawyer said it will probably take six months to settle the suit. Anna can't make me move out during the litigation but if I lose, she can charge me rent (an amount decided upon by the judge) for the time I was staying in the house after Mary died. At this moment, I'm here illegally. Can you imagine how that feels to me? I can't begin to put it into words. The place I have lived in for over eight years, where I tended to Mary as well as took care of the yard and repairs, is now an illegal place for me to be staying. I need to call and have the locks changed in case they get any ideas about the things in the hosue being theirs. The lawyer said I should call an insurance company and take out insurance on everything in the house in case something should happen (fire, tornado, etc).