Update...

We're alive and well and in the new house. Things are still chaotic. Last week was extremely busy and exhausting! I believe Saturday was our first night spent in the new house, but the days all ran together, so I'm not really sure. (I just asked Jared, and he said that last Wednesday was the first night. LOL I really have been frazzled!)

Today was my first day back at work. I was looking forward to getting back to some routine, and it felt great. The drive took about an hour and fifteen minutes (one way)...not as bad as I thought.

There's still lots of work to be done around here, but I hope to be back to blogging with greater regularity. Sorry I've been gone so long.

Plan B...

I have been looking at the photographs of the new house that have been sitting for far too long here at the top of my blog, and scolding myself for not writing anything new. I feel a little guilty, knowing that most people are assuming that I'm not writing because I'm just too busy moving. Well...

I am sporadically busy, but we have made what seems like very little progress in the moving. Carey was called in to work on his days off, so we put off the major move and instead have been driving over a pickup truck and SUV load at a time (an hour plus each way might I add...I know, I know...very inefficient way to get it done). The furniture should go next week in a BIG truck.

So what have I been doing? (That is a rhetorical question, and I do not wish to hear any guesses. I mean it Kelley. Ix-nay the ark-snay.) I've been turning on electricity to the new place, and seeing about moving the telephone/internet service. I've been making sure that both places are adequately insured. I've been picking out paint, and preparing to start painting later this week (at least behind where the refrigerator and washer/dryer will be installed next Monday, so we don't have to move them out again after installation.) I have been going through stuff and trying to pare down. I have carefully moved every single Christmas ornament, bulb, garland, and bough from their home in the guest room closet here to the guest room closet there...and it all fit!. I have been making myself lists of things that need to be done (but not quite yet), and lists of ideas that seem ingenious at this moment, but I'm afraid will be forgotten tomorrow. I have even made myself a list of ideas for future blog posts.

Oh, and I've taken a few photos of the old place...the miniature horses that the new owner has put on the land here (see photo above)...the flora and fauna that I will miss.

Ready...

new kitchen

Today was spent at the new house. The previous owners left it very clean, but you know there are just some things you want to clean yourself anyway. Jared climbed high and low cleaning inside cabinets and drawers all over the house. I vacuumed all the floors, and spent an inordinate amount of time figuring out all the light switches in the house and labeling them. Then I went around putting sticky notes on the walls where the large furniture pieces will go, in case I'm not there when furniture is unloaded.


new dining room

I came home and took a couple of Advil. This moving thing gets harder every time. I didn't even work that hard today, but the constant standing was torture. Thankfully there is a window seat in the dining room, since we haven't taken any chairs yet.


new laundry room

The laundry room (above) is quite possibly my favorite room in the new house...built in cabinets...a huge sink (out of sight to the left)...rods to hang laundry over the washer and the sink...large enough for a freezer. The washer and dryer will be in the far left corner, near the door to the outside. All of our large appliances will be staying with the sold house, so we will be having to purchase a new washer and dryer, and a refrigerator and microwave for the kitchen.

Tomorrow I have to really push to try to get things done on this end. The moving starts Monday.

Packing status...

I have been packing books for what seems like forever--I don't mean hours, I mean days!--and yet I still cannot see an end to the job. Each time I tape up a box, I turn back to the shelf to find that it is still full. They seem to be breeding! It's very frustrating, and saps my drive.

The bookcase in the photo is one that Carey salvaged and refinished about twenty years ago. You have to understand that he is utterly opposed to painting wood. What is it about men and wood finishes? But a little while ago, he was walking through the room, and we were talking about where furniture pieces are going to be located in the new house. When out of the blue, he looks at this bookshelf and says..."I guess we can paint this." I could not believe it. I have never even asked, because I was sure I knew the answer. Hmmm.

I had better not be doing all this packing for nothing, as we STILL have not closed on the sale or purchase of properties. ugh