Friday, July 27, 2012

Almost

In 3 days, the movers come and load up our stuff (a formidable amount) on their trucks. We then clean the empty house like mad, so that the buyer can take his last look around and make sure all is well.

We sleep at a nearby hotel, and the next morning we do our own walk around the new house to make sure all is well before we finalize our purchase. Sometime later that afternoon, we meet the movers over at the new house and they bring our stuff in.

Even with the complexities of a 2-day process, it sounds simple enough. Only about a million in-between details, and at least as many pieces of paper to process before it all actually happens.

I'm nervous, excited, anxious, remorseful, hopeful. I know I haven't really had time to focus on what it is going to feel like to walk out of our empty house and leave it for good. Maybe it's a sign that I'm growing up, that I'm learning to look ahead rather than panicking to hold on to the past. And hey, I'm the one who thought moving was a good idea. I still think that, but it's hard. It's an emotionally, physically draining process, no matter what.

A couple of days ago, this groundhog took up residence in one of the rock walls in our garden. We got to watch him make friends with one of the wild rabbits who already live here -- seriously, they sized each other up as they nibbled at two different patches of clover on the front lawn and somehow they decided that neither needed to flee and they've been meeting up in the early evenings ever since. He's out and about quite a bit, although as soon as he hears me open a door or a window (to try to get a better picture) he scurries back to his den. So my pictures are all taken through a window with a screen on it, which is why this one isn't too sharp.

I was lamenting to Dean that this cool creature decides to move in just as we're moving out -- how unfair is that? He wisely said that it's a sign that the place will be watched over, and loved, and that it happened now as a last gift from our yard -- something for us to remember it by.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Ever forward

A quick note to say hello, blog, and to tell you that I miss you.

All is well. We found a house that we all love, and we are well on our way to owning it. The process of selling our current home rolls right along. On August 1st, one lawyer will sell our current house and another lawyer will buy our new house for us -- while we busily manage the movers. There are nearly countless details left to tie down to make it all happen, but merrily (more or less!) we roll along.

I continue the utter slog of putting. things. in. boxes. The task still seems endless but there is a deadline and it will be met. I'm trying not to think too much about the unpacking process on the other end, other than that as hard as I'm finding it to be ruthless about getting rid of stuff now I am committed to getting rid of lots more once we land. We are drowning in stuff, and we just don't need it all. Oh, the dust and the cobwebs and the utter endless piles of stuff; I am committed to a new way of life.

Now I need to go back to putting things in boxes.