Reflections

Reflections upon packing everything we own:

1. We have toted many, many bags of trash out of the house.  It's mostly things that have outlived their usefulness, are expired, really old, or just not worth keeping.

2.  We have toted many, many bags of recycling out of the house as well.  The recycling bags fill up every day - it's so astonishing and incredible - our version of shock and awe.

3.  We have donated over a thousand dollars worth of items to the Women's Resource Center and to Goodwill over the past few weeks.  Clothing, sports equipment, bicycles, helmets, household items, dishes, coffee mugs, and so on and so on!  Whew!  But it does ease the guilt of getting rid of things.

4.  I have learned that I have too many things that are precious to me.  There are some things that I just cannot part with - most especially old letters, my fat lady sculpture, and a teddy bear.

5.  Even though I have gradually been getting rid of old clothes for months now, I still have way, way too many clothes.  It's very hard to choose what goes into storage, what goes to Florida, what I will wear on the road south.  I change my mind every day.

6.  Adam, Barb and Chris have really helped us clear things out.  Adam has really helped Dick with the barns, and with storing some things for us.  Barb has accepted some historic family items from Mother Gen and some other things as well.  Sharon took GenFest items and some pantry things that I'm not allowed to eat!  They've all been so helpful.

7. I'm so glad that we have hired a moving company to take all of our things to storage.  I'm not so sure what we would have done otherwise.

8. We have too much china, too much crystal, and too many everyday dishes.

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This week we have been working with the vendors for our yet-to-be-built condo. We have seen Deb at Floor Covering Brokers, Erica at Kitchen Choreography, and Beth at Nature's Edge.  We have pretty much finalized all  wood floors, tile, carpeting, counter tops, cabinets, sinks and tubs.

Next project is to select appliances -  refrigerator, stove, micro hood, dishwasher, washer and dryer.  Whew.  We have met with Rebecca at Sears, and with Dave at Max's.  We are leaning strongly toward Max's.  We really like the Frigidaire Gallery series of appliances with the brushed stainless steel (no fingerprints!).

After today, we'll be in T.C. for five more days only.  Our countdown has begun.  I feel like Robert Frost - "And miles to go before I sleep."