Or maybe it's not so much a laugh as a cackle. Or a crazed insane gurgling giggle that I can't stop that is accompanied by incessant drooling as I sit rocking in a corner of my clutter filled room. I find that slapping myself in the face with an old worn out flip flop helps to calm me even more as I chitter on and on like a chipmunk on acid.
Have I painted a vivid enough picture of how my week is going so far ? The move yesterday was a piece of cake compared to the aftermath of returning to the "EMPTY" house today only to find that it is far from empty. How did I miss so much stuff and where are those moving guys when I still need them ? Thanks to the help of a good friend and a couple of hundred garbage bags the house is now, once again, ALMOST empty. And my condo is now even fuller than it was before. Maybe tomorrow I'll stay here and put some of this stuff away.
I don't like having 2 houses. But since I am so pissed off at my real estate agent I may have 2 houses for the next year. Today I told my realtor to get out of my house and stuff the contract where the sun don't shine. I want nothing more to do with her or the buyers. I'm not giving in on one more thing with this sale and it is time for her to start representing me and stepping up and standing up for me, her client. It was quite the show. I was at my finest. You should have been there. I'm not sure if my house is still under contract since the contract ends as of tomorrow and since I did not sign the addendum agreeing to push the closing date to July 11 I may no longer have a contract on my house. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
And I am still laughing !
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
WHERE'S MY TEE SHIRT ?o
Do I at least get a tee shirt for moving ? You know . . . the tee shirt that says, " I survived down sizing a big house and moving into a little condo in the Sizzling Summer Heat of South Florida". I think I can cross this off my bucket list of things I NEVER EVER want to do again.
FIRST; of all NO ONE in their right mind over the age of seventy should ever consider moving. EVER !
SECOND of all; NO ONE in their right mind of any age should ever consider moving in the months of June, July or August, or even September for that matter. EVER !
THIRD of all; NO ONE in their right mind should ever try to condense the contents of 7 rooms into the space of 3 rooms in the span of 3 months time. It is proven fact that it can not be done. EVER !
And last but not least NO ONE of any age at any time should ever have to move all their stuff by them selves. So aren't I lucky that I have the family and friends that I do.
Today was "M" day. After having discussed the idea of selling my house with Keri and Steve back in April the decision was made to put it on the market and within days we had a buyer and within weeks I had a contract. The closing date was set for JULY 1 and the race was on. Two and a half months to pack up 12 years of house and home and find a new place to move to was a massive challenge that brought me to my knees and beyond but through a lot of prayer and love I have made it through and come out the other side. God carried me many days when I couldn't stop crying. He sent my children to hold me up, he sent my best friends to cheer me and today I had 2 young men carry a ton of boxes into this tiny space where I'll rent for a year until I figure out where God wants me to go from here.
What I can't figure out is if I should empty the boxes or just rearrange them into different shapes each week to make it interesting. I would go to bed except I can't find my pillow and I'm not sure just which pile in the bedroom has a bed under it. I'll be sure to keep you up to date on my adventures here in SAN MATERA my new community across from the Gardens Mall. Very lovely if I do say so myself. My condo needs some cleaning up but the community is lovely.
FIRST; of all NO ONE in their right mind over the age of seventy should ever consider moving. EVER !
SECOND of all; NO ONE in their right mind of any age should ever consider moving in the months of June, July or August, or even September for that matter. EVER !
THIRD of all; NO ONE in their right mind should ever try to condense the contents of 7 rooms into the space of 3 rooms in the span of 3 months time. It is proven fact that it can not be done. EVER !
And last but not least NO ONE of any age at any time should ever have to move all their stuff by them selves. So aren't I lucky that I have the family and friends that I do.
Today was "M" day. After having discussed the idea of selling my house with Keri and Steve back in April the decision was made to put it on the market and within days we had a buyer and within weeks I had a contract. The closing date was set for JULY 1 and the race was on. Two and a half months to pack up 12 years of house and home and find a new place to move to was a massive challenge that brought me to my knees and beyond but through a lot of prayer and love I have made it through and come out the other side. God carried me many days when I couldn't stop crying. He sent my children to hold me up, he sent my best friends to cheer me and today I had 2 young men carry a ton of boxes into this tiny space where I'll rent for a year until I figure out where God wants me to go from here.
What I can't figure out is if I should empty the boxes or just rearrange them into different shapes each week to make it interesting. I would go to bed except I can't find my pillow and I'm not sure just which pile in the bedroom has a bed under it. I'll be sure to keep you up to date on my adventures here in SAN MATERA my new community across from the Gardens Mall. Very lovely if I do say so myself. My condo needs some cleaning up but the community is lovely.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
KAELIN YOU CRACK ME UP !
Not that my other grand kids don't amuse me but I am packing up my garage today and in particular all my holiday decorations. Most of which MUST GO ! This is a HUGE trauma for me. Any of you who know me know that I love love love the holidays. I am, after all, the woman who has been know to celebrate Ground Hog Day. When I was teaching that was the high point of the school year. After all, what else are you supposed to do with the beginning of February when every one is feeling so down and out after the let down from Christmas and the doldrums of a long and cold winter. Celebrating a cute, cuddly little ground hog by making sock puppets with googlie eyes and crazy hair popping up from their tissue box "burrow" while singing an upbeat song parading around the building entertaining everyone with a class full of adorable 4 year olds just has to brighten everyones day.
But I digress. . . So here I am emptying boxes and boxes and boxes of holiday decorations putting item after item in the Goodwill box because my one bedroom condo just can't hold any of this STUFF when I come across a dopey little vase. It's shaped like an igloo with a penguin standing next to it. (It probably came with flowers in it some Christmas past.) As I'm deciding that is has to go I realize it feels funny. I look at it closer only to see that Kaelin had enhanced its decorations last year while she was here. I remember the day she was here at my dining room table working with modeling clay. The vase was on the table and Kaelin had taken it upon herself to add some finishing touches to the already colorful features.
The more I looked at it the harder I laughed ! After I managed to stop the tears from rolling down my face and get control of myself I carefully wrapped the vase in bubble wrap and put it in the box marked KITCHEN ! It would be just as easy to peal the clay off and put the vase
in the Goodwill box but then I wouldn't get a good laugh every time I looked at it. And a good laugh is so much more important than saving space. Especially when that laugh makes me think of one of these precious grand kids.
But I digress. . . So here I am emptying boxes and boxes and boxes of holiday decorations putting item after item in the Goodwill box because my one bedroom condo just can't hold any of this STUFF when I come across a dopey little vase. It's shaped like an igloo with a penguin standing next to it. (It probably came with flowers in it some Christmas past.) As I'm deciding that is has to go I realize it feels funny. I look at it closer only to see that Kaelin had enhanced its decorations last year while she was here. I remember the day she was here at my dining room table working with modeling clay. The vase was on the table and Kaelin had taken it upon herself to add some finishing touches to the already colorful features.
The more I looked at it the harder I laughed ! After I managed to stop the tears from rolling down my face and get control of myself I carefully wrapped the vase in bubble wrap and put it in the box marked KITCHEN ! It would be just as easy to peal the clay off and put the vase
 |
| Note the back pack ! |
Saturday, June 18, 2016
THE SINGING TERMITE MAN
As promised I will tell you about yesterdays surprise gift from God and I will also manage to kill some time procrastinating. As you see I am honing this art to a very fine skill and I invite one and all to come see the show at the end of next week when I realize I only have 5 days remaining to get out of this house. I assure you all it will be quite the show.
As for yesterdays TUESDAY SURPRISE on Friday . . . remember my mother-in-law Rita ? She always believed that God sent her a surprise EVERY Tuesday. Except sometimes her surprise wouldn't arrive until Thursday or Saturday or perhaps it arrived early on Monday. But when ever something out of the ordinary happened she would declare it to be her Tuesday Surprise ! And so yesterday, on Friday God sent me my Tuesday surprise in the form of a very talented termite exterminator.
During the home inspection for the sale of the house termites were found in a small closet in my bedroom. The closet had been altered to make a recessed shelf in the den for a TV to sit on. Therefore the closet no longer could be used as a closet as it was a mess of wood beams and wall board. That's where the termites came from. Just a tiny little nest of buggers that had a nice little hidey hole all to them selves. They had apparently been there for the 12 years we had lived here. We never noticed them because we had stored suitcases in there along with a metal file cabinet so we didn't bother them and they didn't bother us. They had plenty to nibble on and had no need to travel. But now they were found and had to be exterminated before I could sell.
In comes Ariel Hermoso from the pest control company. A very nice gentleman equipped with the normal squirt guns that one would expect an exterminator to carry along with his mask. (Our modern day Lone Ranger!) Naturally . . . we get chatting and he tells me about his daughter and how he met his second wife and her kids and his kids and do I play the piano ? With that he starts playing a few chords and starts singing some gospel music. WOW ! WHAT A VOICE ! This guy could charm the termites out of the walls with his voice alone. Absolutely beautiful voice. And he is spraying for termites ! He tells me he sings in his church choir and how I can go on youtube to see some videos of him. So naturally I have the computer on and as he is crawling in the closet we listen to a concert with him singing along from the closet. I'm sitting at the computer, tears rolling down my face at the beauty of this music and how it is touching my heart and the gift this man has and he is killing bug not 10 feet away from me!
Does God work in mysterious ways or what ? Was that not a gift from God or what ? I was so hyped up for the rest of the day that I should have been so blessed to have been given the gift to have met this man and had the opportunity to have heard his beautiful voice praising God in my presence.
WOW !!! Do you think the termites died happy ? Do you think termites have ears ? Do you think I better get back to work ??
As for yesterdays TUESDAY SURPRISE on Friday . . . remember my mother-in-law Rita ? She always believed that God sent her a surprise EVERY Tuesday. Except sometimes her surprise wouldn't arrive until Thursday or Saturday or perhaps it arrived early on Monday. But when ever something out of the ordinary happened she would declare it to be her Tuesday Surprise ! And so yesterday, on Friday God sent me my Tuesday surprise in the form of a very talented termite exterminator.
During the home inspection for the sale of the house termites were found in a small closet in my bedroom. The closet had been altered to make a recessed shelf in the den for a TV to sit on. Therefore the closet no longer could be used as a closet as it was a mess of wood beams and wall board. That's where the termites came from. Just a tiny little nest of buggers that had a nice little hidey hole all to them selves. They had apparently been there for the 12 years we had lived here. We never noticed them because we had stored suitcases in there along with a metal file cabinet so we didn't bother them and they didn't bother us. They had plenty to nibble on and had no need to travel. But now they were found and had to be exterminated before I could sell.
In comes Ariel Hermoso from the pest control company. A very nice gentleman equipped with the normal squirt guns that one would expect an exterminator to carry along with his mask. (Our modern day Lone Ranger!) Naturally . . . we get chatting and he tells me about his daughter and how he met his second wife and her kids and his kids and do I play the piano ? With that he starts playing a few chords and starts singing some gospel music. WOW ! WHAT A VOICE ! This guy could charm the termites out of the walls with his voice alone. Absolutely beautiful voice. And he is spraying for termites ! He tells me he sings in his church choir and how I can go on youtube to see some videos of him. So naturally I have the computer on and as he is crawling in the closet we listen to a concert with him singing along from the closet. I'm sitting at the computer, tears rolling down my face at the beauty of this music and how it is touching my heart and the gift this man has and he is killing bug not 10 feet away from me!
Does God work in mysterious ways or what ? Was that not a gift from God or what ? I was so hyped up for the rest of the day that I should have been so blessed to have been given the gift to have met this man and had the opportunity to have heard his beautiful voice praising God in my presence.
WOW !!! Do you think the termites died happy ? Do you think termites have ears ? Do you think I better get back to work ??
Friday, June 17, 2016
ANY ONE SEEN THE PIXIES ?
You know those pixies that I used to tell you about ? The ones that H thought cleaned the house and cooked his meals and picked up his clothes. Yea, those pixies ! Well, if anyone knows where the hell they are would you please send them this way cause I sure could use them right about now to help me pack up this place and get this stuff out of here before July FIRST !
The first question is WHY AM I SITTING HERE WRITING A BLOG WHEN I SHOULD BE PACKING ? Very good observation on your part ! Let me tell you about the fine art of procrastination that I have honed to an olympic event. I began the study of this fine art while in college and had to study for tests or write papers. Thus the reason for having almost flunked out after the first 3 semesters. but since God seems to really love me and have a plan for me that no matter how hard I try to mess up his plans HE always intervenes at the last moment and sends me someone to get my butt in gear and save the day. Thanks to my 2 saviors in college I pulled an almost 4.0 my forth semester to off set the 1.2 that I was carrying from the first 3 semesters and managed to stay in school and actually graduate and become a teacher. There but for the GRACE OF GOD.
Now I can not equate packing 12 years of crap to graduating from college because it is actually more like climbing Mt. Everest. ( Which if you haven't seen the the movie "EVEREST" you really should take the time. It is really quite good. ) The minutes are passing, the hours are passing, the days are passing and I am no closer to getting this place EMPTY than I was a week ago. I DO keep moving stuff out but I think it is regenerating when I am asleep. The stuff that remains seems to be doubling in size and the things that I thought I got rid of seem to be reappearing. My condo looks so nice and empty I really don't want to bring anything else into it and yet there is still so much in this house so I don't know what to do. Perhaps moving away from the computer would be a good start!
And then GOD sends me the TERMITE MAN . . . But that is another blog entirely that you are just going to have to wait for. I"m sure I will want to stop and procrastinate for a while a little later so look for the next installment. Until then . . . FIND THOSE PIXIES AND SEND THEM TO ME !!
OH YEA ! P.S. My air conditioner is not working ! Got up this morning and the house was 79 degrees. It's now up to 82 at noon. AC guy can't get here till 7:00 tonight.
The first question is WHY AM I SITTING HERE WRITING A BLOG WHEN I SHOULD BE PACKING ? Very good observation on your part ! Let me tell you about the fine art of procrastination that I have honed to an olympic event. I began the study of this fine art while in college and had to study for tests or write papers. Thus the reason for having almost flunked out after the first 3 semesters. but since God seems to really love me and have a plan for me that no matter how hard I try to mess up his plans HE always intervenes at the last moment and sends me someone to get my butt in gear and save the day. Thanks to my 2 saviors in college I pulled an almost 4.0 my forth semester to off set the 1.2 that I was carrying from the first 3 semesters and managed to stay in school and actually graduate and become a teacher. There but for the GRACE OF GOD.
Now I can not equate packing 12 years of crap to graduating from college because it is actually more like climbing Mt. Everest. ( Which if you haven't seen the the movie "EVEREST" you really should take the time. It is really quite good. ) The minutes are passing, the hours are passing, the days are passing and I am no closer to getting this place EMPTY than I was a week ago. I DO keep moving stuff out but I think it is regenerating when I am asleep. The stuff that remains seems to be doubling in size and the things that I thought I got rid of seem to be reappearing. My condo looks so nice and empty I really don't want to bring anything else into it and yet there is still so much in this house so I don't know what to do. Perhaps moving away from the computer would be a good start!
And then GOD sends me the TERMITE MAN . . . But that is another blog entirely that you are just going to have to wait for. I"m sure I will want to stop and procrastinate for a while a little later so look for the next installment. Until then . . . FIND THOSE PIXIES AND SEND THEM TO ME !!
OH YEA ! P.S. My air conditioner is not working ! Got up this morning and the house was 79 degrees. It's now up to 82 at noon. AC guy can't get here till 7:00 tonight.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
# ONE LESSON OF A YARD SALE
The number one lesson I learned from this past weekends yard sale with my son's family was
DON'T SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THE GRAND KIDS BUYING TOYS
because a year later the stuff is only going to end up being sold on some one's front lawn for 2% of what you paid for it after agonizing for days if it was just "the perfect gift" for that grand child!
There I stood Sunday morning looking out over a sea of toys that I had lovingly purchased over the past two Christmases and birthday's to see price tags hanging off the ears of the frog that was now for sale on Sandra's front lawn. Granted . . . the twins had out grown the frog and it was time for it to go but it still killed me to see those dollar signs fly by as I realized what it cost REALLY wasn't worth the fun the kids had with it. OR WAS IT ? Hard to put a price on toys. One kids favorite toy is worth a million dollars so who knows if it was worth the price I paid.
I did come to the conclusion that in the future I am buying each of my grand kids ONE gift for birthdays and holidays. YES Kyle and Bridget, I have put this in writing and am signing my name to it! For all these years my eldest child has begged me to buy Abby only ONE gift and I have insisted on showering my first born grand child with dozens of gifts. That has followed suit with all the following grand kids but after seeing the amount of unused and forgotten toys at the sale of the youngest grand kids I realize how very over indulged these kids really are. (Kaelin and Finn less so and Abby and Roman even less than that but non the less we are an over indulged society in general.) And so I really am going to make a HUGE effort to cut back and slow down, (much to the complete and utter dismay of Smith who's birthday is coming up in July so he will feel the direct hit from this promise.) Not to mention the fact that Grand ma is in a different financial bracket these days so gifts will not flow as freely anyway but this yard sale really did wake me up a bit to the excess we have.
The fact that I had contributed about 80% of the toys to the yard sale makes me ashamed to admit that I have stocked my garage like Toys R Us basement sale room. The move from house to condo has caused me to get rid of all the toys. What didn't make it to the yard sale is going up on Craig's list and what doesn't go on Craig's list is getting donated to Goodwill or the Veterans. There's a place for all this and it's not in my house.
Too bad I didn't listen to H all those years ago when he would tell me, "THE KIDS DON'T NEED THAT!"
DON'T SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THE GRAND KIDS BUYING TOYS
because a year later the stuff is only going to end up being sold on some one's front lawn for 2% of what you paid for it after agonizing for days if it was just "the perfect gift" for that grand child!
There I stood Sunday morning looking out over a sea of toys that I had lovingly purchased over the past two Christmases and birthday's to see price tags hanging off the ears of the frog that was now for sale on Sandra's front lawn. Granted . . . the twins had out grown the frog and it was time for it to go but it still killed me to see those dollar signs fly by as I realized what it cost REALLY wasn't worth the fun the kids had with it. OR WAS IT ? Hard to put a price on toys. One kids favorite toy is worth a million dollars so who knows if it was worth the price I paid.
I did come to the conclusion that in the future I am buying each of my grand kids ONE gift for birthdays and holidays. YES Kyle and Bridget, I have put this in writing and am signing my name to it! For all these years my eldest child has begged me to buy Abby only ONE gift and I have insisted on showering my first born grand child with dozens of gifts. That has followed suit with all the following grand kids but after seeing the amount of unused and forgotten toys at the sale of the youngest grand kids I realize how very over indulged these kids really are. (Kaelin and Finn less so and Abby and Roman even less than that but non the less we are an over indulged society in general.) And so I really am going to make a HUGE effort to cut back and slow down, (much to the complete and utter dismay of Smith who's birthday is coming up in July so he will feel the direct hit from this promise.) Not to mention the fact that Grand ma is in a different financial bracket these days so gifts will not flow as freely anyway but this yard sale really did wake me up a bit to the excess we have.
The fact that I had contributed about 80% of the toys to the yard sale makes me ashamed to admit that I have stocked my garage like Toys R Us basement sale room. The move from house to condo has caused me to get rid of all the toys. What didn't make it to the yard sale is going up on Craig's list and what doesn't go on Craig's list is getting donated to Goodwill or the Veterans. There's a place for all this and it's not in my house.
Too bad I didn't listen to H all those years ago when he would tell me, "THE KIDS DON'T NEED THAT!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)