Well, the big de-clutter happened this morning. It was to happen in early afternoon, but I got a phone call in the apartment from the team: they were ready to come over right now, did I want to start early? Sure, I'm ready for them.
Above all, they work FAST. Two of them, and they were done in thirty minutes. They moved: a bed, with mattress and box springs; a futon; a junked particle-board bookcase; a large wooden chair; a heavy wooden table; a small table with a cast-iron pedestal; and a file cabinet that was four drawers tall. And then, one of them said, Anything else? Well, since you asked, I said, take the typewriter. So I let go of the typewriter, about which I was/am very sentimental, have had the dear old thing for years. They took it away.
It hasn't entirely sunk in what all is gone from my life now. The apartment certainly is a lot emptier than it was.
Meanwhile, the "closing" may happen next week. I don't think "sale" is the right word for this arrangement. The big amount is referred to as an "entrance fee." What is more, if one chooses to move out of the community later, most though not all of the "entrance fee" is returned to you. So I think this is something other than a "sale". It all seems to be happening so fast.