The Move is OVER!

I had to work the day shift Monday because all the other operators were not going to be there. Three went on vacation the same week (???!!) There are only six fulltime employees, so we are spread pretty thin. The fourth guy had a doctor's appointment yesterday, so there were only two of us.

Tom and I worked on the house Saturday from 10 AM until 8 PM. All we had left was to load mop the kitchen and hallway on our way out, and load the cleaning stuff. We were just to tired Saturday to finish it. We worked in the yard and the house and were really dragging by the time we left. So, we went back there yesterday after I got off work. It only took about an hour.Grand Central Pizza is another Waldport icon. It gets the most tourist traffic of any eating place in Waldport.
And that includes US! Pizza was our reward for a job well done! Grandma loves pizza but it isn't something she will order for herself. She looks forward to us bring it home. She ate THREE pieces!

The couch is GONE

I'm sure all my family will be happy to see THIS photo. My wonderful find from the St. Helens' St. Vincent DePaul Thrift store is now history.
My life in boxes. Why do we in the U.S. identify so strongly with our belongings? I think of those in other countries who live so simply, so unemcumbered. Poorer in material things, but richer in spiritual and family appreciation. When I see how much I couldn't bear to discard, it makes me wonder...
My mom cried when her sofa set from upstairs was removed. She said "It's not easy when you see your life going out the door." I assured her that her life wasn't going out he door. Her life was here, with us. But it was the memories that were attached to the sofa and made her sad. Grandpa and she bought that set when they first moved here. She sees the sofa and remembers sitting on it with him, watching the ocean from their "Sky Room."

I first thing I thought of when I saw the storage area full was the thought I started this section with. "My life in boxes." They are just things. Things are things. When these things are gone, I will have other things. I have the memories whether or not I have the things that prompt the memories. What is truly sad is when the Memories get lost - like with my mom. The things have more importance because she can't remember so much. She knows they were important, but she can't remember why. That is TRULY sad.

Thinking about Moving...

I was trying to figure out why moving is so unsettling. A thought occurred to me that moving is a little like a divorce! You are giving up something that has been a part of your life. Something that helped you make memories. You won't be making memories THERE any more. You had patterns and habits that have to be broken. You have to re-structure your routines, belongings and decorations to fit the NEW place. You sometimes are still exposed to you old house, but you can't go inside any more. You drive by and know that someone else is comfortable there. Their things are where your things used to be.

See? it gets heavy quickly. Very symbolic. It helped me to think about it that way. Makes it more understandable for the emotions I am feeling. Knowing I have separation issues, old baggage; it makes more sense. Also THIS move changes my life more than others have. The situation is different.

Furniture moved

Do you see a common theme here? We are moved into my mom's. Two guys from our church came this morning and pretty much did the move all by themselves. Good bless Steve Arnold and Bob Lines! Tom and I are going to shower, take massive amounts of anti-inflammatory drugs and crawl into bed.

Moving Weak, Oops...week

We're down to the last four days. Today I resorted things I had put into boxes before Heather and the kids came. Doesn't sound productive, but it was. I was much more inclined to organize than just get things into boxes. I also have a better idea of what I actually want to take with me, what I am ready to let go of, and what I can live without for a while.

We have boxes stacked in different places in the house because they are going To different locations during the move. Right now reminds me of moving to Oregon. Chrissy, Samara and I packed and packed. We stacked the boxes in the living room as we got them filled. By the time we were ready for the moving truck, we had lost about half of our living room - ceiling to floor. It was ALL boxes.

Just learned that this weekend - our moving weekend - is the summer festival weekend for our town. Beachcomber Days. Oh, Hooray....