How Does Your Garden Grow?

I have decided that it may be a waste of time to plant vegetables and flowers outside. Perhaps I should stay inside without the bugs and the dirt and just plant them in my closets and cupboards. It makes perfect sense to me. Everytime I open a closet or cupboard in preparation for this move, I find that things have multiplied, filling the area. I don't remember having to water, fertilize, weed or divide. So how did everything grow out of control in such a short time? On the bright side, I am discovering things that I forgot I had. It is like a treasure hunt. I'm finding clothes that have apparently shrunk just from being in the closet. I could swear that they fit when I hung them up! And just where did all of these shoes come from? I only have 2 feet. And come to think of it, why are there 5 hangers available for each item? There is surely a mating process going on in my closet. For shame. Turn off the light and the little buggers make friends while I sleep. I can hardly wait to go through the linen closet!

Cruising Through A Day of Rest

Not much going on today. I think I just got way to tired from all the activity yesterday with the closing of the house. Anymore, all that paperwork and listening to instructions is very confusing and tends to wear me out. Our friends called today. We already had a cruise booked in November with them, but we all decided we would like to go for 2 weeks instead of 1. So - after a few phone calls - we got that all worked out. It just makes sense that if we are going to fly back to Florida from Ohio we might as well vacation for 2 weeks. At least that is what we convinced ourselves of. I went into the chat room of DASNI and talked with Mary, Mari, and Bill. We had a great chat today a laughed a lot. Going to chat with these wonderful friends always improves my mood and my day. After that, more phone calls relating to the move to Ohio. I also talked to 3 of the grandchildren today. My oldest granddaughter turned 15 today. Happy Birthday Sarah! They live in Ohio and it will be so nice to see them more often. I think I will just rest for the remainder of the day and hope I can sort through some more things tomorrow. I really need to part with some of my treasures!

Day 2 - The Closing

I didn't sleep much last night. The thunder from the continuing storms rumbled most of the night. It reminded me of what seemed like the rumble of my thoughts racing through my head. What am I doing? Are we making a mistake? What if we don't like Ohio? What if we get to closing and something falls through? These days, I tend to create such rumbling monsters in my head. Morning came and I was tired from listening to the storms, dreading going out in the rain - dreading selling my home. This would be the final cut. The final cutting of the cord of what has been my life for 22 years. The final cut from a job that I enjoyed, the friends that I love, the constant sunshine. Why did it have to rain and be so gloomy. It just made my mood more gloomy. I struggled from the bed, sure that this would be a miserable day. But when I pulled the blinds, the sun shone so brightly that it made me squint. I opened the door and the sweet smell of freshness hit me and then a realization washed over me. God has sent the sun and the freshness to me as a sign that this is a new beginning. Suddenly everything was clear. We had breakfast and with a song of thanksgiving I went to close on this house. Everything went smoothly, just as I had prayed. Things appear to finally be falling into place. Tomorrow I will continue with the plans for our new adventure.

First Frantic Day Before The Move

I think the enormity of moving from Florida to Ohio is finally setting in. Tomorrow we close on our current home. It seems very foreign to be leaving our home in this beautiful retirement community. We moved to this community over 4 years ago and have enjoyed the golf courses, the pools, the beautiful clubhouse, THE SPA. We have made wonderful friends here. I have so much enjoyment watching the Florida critters from my sliding glass door. It looks out over the 13th green and birds, bunnies, snakes, ducks, and sand cranes provide hours of entertainment. And although the heat in Florida can be intense, will I adapt to the cold and dreary days of my home state - Ohio? This disease has forced us to make some amazing decisions and this move is one of them. It will be wonderful being close to my family and Ohio friends again. It will be an adventure for sure. I think I'll just try to remain upbeat about this and accept that this is what is necessary for us at this time of our life. I'll see how I feel tomorrow when I put my name on the line and part with my home.