Q: After the war, we were able to buy a large home with the help of my husband's GI bill. It is where we raised our four children and continue to celebrate almost all of their birthdays and holidays.

Now, as we begin the creaking stage of our lives, we plan to sell our home and find a smaller place that we could manage more easily. Our home and attic have become our entire family's storage barn. Over the years, when our kids needed to change housing, their excess items became ours.

We are a parking place for bikes, tax files, dollhouses, baby carriages and even a boat. Now that we will be moving, where can these items go?

Of course, rental storage facilities are available but they are expensive, and as many of us have experienced, once our items are in storage, we rarely share a visit with them. Even when we do, it becomes a major chore, because the only thing we want to take out is at the bottom of the box.

What would be your solution?

A. You have reached your deadline! Reality is that time changes everything, and your family is responsible for now finding a new home for their goodies. Their options include selling items, donating to charities, sharing with their siblings or their neighbors, etc.

Give your family a three-month deadline to remove what it wants, and then you call charities to pickup whatever is left. You will need to monitor their clearing out, otherwise you may learn that your children will procrastinate till the last minute, when you are in the midst of your own move.

Looking forward to a new home, and you and your husband continuing to share your love for each other is now your goal!

Q: We have 18 couples who have been lifelong friends. One is celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and has invited us all for a big party.

It is a themed party, and a prize will be given to the winning couple who comes up with the most creative idea for what they would do the day before they die, if they were to learn their mortality dates.

We're thinking. What's your winning suggestion?

A. Well ... One idea would be to pay off everything you owe, like your mortgage and car. You could even buy a three-carat diamond, new sports car and the best golf clubs available. Then, rush to the bank and close your checking account.

Another is: "We will announce to our children that we never legally married and are not quite sure who each has for a father."

Tell your children that because you want to make sure they stick to the families' work ethic. Tell them you've changed your wills and that all of your assets will go to the church of their choice.

This party should be one of your best ever. I wish I could attend!

Doug Mayberry makes the most of life in a Southern California Retirement community. Contact him at [email protected]. To find out more about Doug Mayberry and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.