Slowly* But Surely

As Maggie, our GPS-controlled voice would say "we have arrived!" 

Of course, once the moving vans left, the next Big Job on the To Do List bubbled up: unpacking. Sure it's tough, but there is no time limit on this one. Missy M asked "are you setting yourself goals, like 'unpack 10 boxes every day'?" Uh...no...we are retired**, dear, so our schedule is our own.

The only real "goal" I have is to make this house feel like our home as quickly as possible. That, and to get out of the "moving mode" into the "settling in mode" by getting our things in place in the new place. Every time we have moved (19 times in 41+ years!), I am reminded of a quote from my favorite John Wayne movie, "The Quiet Man"...said by the marvelous actress Maureen O'Hara in character as Irish lass, Mary Kate Danaher: "Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of having my own things about me. My spinnet over there, and a table here, and my own chairs to rest upon. And a dresser over there in that corner, and my own china and pewter shinin' about me." *** Having my own things about me...I can definitely relate to that!

I recently re-read a post **** I wrote on the occasion of settling in after our last move (MO to NC in 2009), where I talked about returning to the blessed routine of doing laundry. Guess what? Nothing has changed! Well, the machines are newer, but we still have focused on getting the laundry room operational as quickly as possible. And I thought you might like the new addition: a decal I purchased from Sign Junkies on Etsy, pictured below. Messaged the photo to Brother J, who asked if I would charge myself 25 cents per load, as Daddy had back in the Henning days...or if there had been a price increase due to inflation? Ha!

Speaking of my Daddy...

I unpacked a box of pictures yesterday and found this one. I cross-stitched (back when my eyesight was much, much better...;-) this saying as a Christmas gift for Daddy in 1988, when he and Nana/Momma/Edith lived in Smithville, TN, and we had moved to Kernersville, NC. On the back side of the frame was a picture Mr. T snapped when Daddy opened the present. He loved the gift...and the saying. I love that we decided to keep this one.

Speaking of Christmas...

Another good thing about this huge chore of unpacking: since we haven't seen a lot of our stuff that has been packed since last Fall (just before the NC Estate Sale held in mid-October 2016), each box-opening is akin to Christmas morning: "Ooh...aah! I couldn't remember if we kept this or not!"

So, where are we in the process? Well, we've opened, emptied, knocked down, and recycled most of the boxes in the main living areas as well as our bedroom and the two bathrooms. We have placed most of the furniture where we think it should go (except...I now know the china cabinet needs to be moved from one wall to another...sigh); the rugs and their liners are on the floors (which does wonders for that awful echo created by an empty structure); clothes, cleaning supplies, and cookware are all finding the cabinets and closets where they will live here on Kings Way; and we are figuring out the science of stuffing 20 pounds of potatoes into a 10# sack (still? didn't we already get rid of a mountain of belongings?!?).  We now understand the art of downsizing a bit better: it's a two-step process, meaning you shed all the things you think you can live without...and then you buy a smaller house and figure out what will fit and what else is no longer classified as "essential"...and let go of that, too. Big Sigh.

After taking some time out to tend to yard work (in our yard as well as Missy M's...since she's taking a well-deserved break at the beach this week), Mr. T has started on his office and got the laptop and the air printer set up and connected to our wireless network. He spent most of yesterday installing towel bars, toilet paper holders, and other items required to be level, plumb, and straight. After getting the kitchen and laundry up and functioning, I will be starting on my office/craft room/guest bedroom (whew...it's a small room which has to wear many hats!). That should keep me busy.

Oh, and when we run out of things to do in the house, there's always the garage and the attic. "No rest for the wicked, and the righteous don't need none."*****

Slowly but surely, it is coming together. And you know what? We couldn't be happier.

Surely. 

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* Slowly...: Since my days as a Rosette at Mississippi University for Women, I have collected turtles, the symbol of doing things "slowly but surely." Only...that is contrary to my character, as I have never been blessed with that ability. My natural inclination has always been to be going 90 (at which pace one rarely does anything "surely") or nothing (at which pace one rarely does anything!). The whole turtle collecting thing came about as a result of a misinterpretation: as pledges, we were learning a club song called "Bond Eternal," which is sung fast...making the words run together. "Bond Eternal" sounded like "Bonnie Turtle" to me...and a tradition was born when, for my asking 'why were we singing a song about a turtle?,' I got the honor of creating, carrying, and introducing to all a pink and silver (Rosette colors) papier-mâché turtle called Bonnie.

** About being retired: Someone recently asked Mr. T if he liked being retired, to which he responded "I'll let you know as soon as I get to experience it." Ahem. It has been a less-than-leisurely 18 months, hasn't it?

*** About The Quiet Man: Not only was this my favorite John Wayne movie, it was also said to be Maureen O'Hara's favorite role and film. When we went to Ireland in 2008, Mr. T and I were determined to find locales where they made the movie, and we did! We were thrilled to discover and cross over The Quiet Man bridge, located 5 miles past Oughterard, on the N59 heading west. Here are the photos:

**** About that post from 2009: check it out here: http://adsit2.blogspot.com/2009/06/routine-blessed-routine.html

*****About that quote: That's what Uncle Billy always said in Jan Karon's Mitford Series. Love those books by a North Carolinian about North Carolina.

Along Came Irma

More than once, I have described this downsizing-retirement slo-mo-relo move from NC to GA using the analogy of a roller coaster ride (comparable to the Zippin' Pippin*!). As of today, nothing about that analogy has changed. Ahem.

(Still laughing about this Tweet!)

The good news: we got our stuff all moved in 8/31 (in spite of a prolonged visit by Tropical Storm Harvey, who had been wreaking havoc in Texas). Boxes, boxes everywhere. Lotsa boxes. 

We had planned to get Casa 303 all ready for Mr. T to take the dogs with him and stay in the Loganville house while Missy M and I traveled today-Sunday to Walt Disney World (her birthday gift to me!). And we've made great strides toward that goal with our unpacking and setting up: the electricians came and finished the fan installs; the kitchen is now open for business; the beds are set up, the bedding and towels boxes have been located and opened; and the washer and dryer have been hooked up and are operational. All ready, right?

And then along came Irma.

{Sigh}

Missy M (who had taken today off work) has been working since 9:00 this morning to rebook our trip with the least amount of financial loss...and she has done a remarkable job! She was on hold with Delta for over 2 hours and managed to get our flights rebooked for January with NO CHANGE FEES...even on my companion ticket that was set to expire at the end of September! Way to go, Delta! She's now well into her 4th hour on hold with WDW Guest Services (but she has spoken with someone in Reservations who said there shouldn't be a rebooking fee). Way to go, WDW! 

Bottom line: it's an inconvenience, but we are safe and sound and avoiding the chaos that a Cat 5 Hurricane creates. 

Of course, some of the spaghetti models now have Irma skirting the east coast of Florida and then turning north...toward Atlanta! Soooo...Mr. T is currently at the grocery...for bread and milk, of course. Treating the threat of a hurricane just like the threat of snow.

Just one more hill on our roller coaster, right? To recap the ride, so far:

> Decluttering & getting ready for the Great Downsizing Sale = going up the first big hill. 

> Big Sale done! = going down the first big hill.

> Prepping the NC house for putting it on the market = up the second big hill.

> For Sale sign in the yard! = down the second big hill.

> Showing, showing, showing. Waiting, waiting, waiting = clattering along the flat rails.

> Deciding "we have had enough of this! Take the house off the market!" = up the third hill.

> Selling the NC house! = down the third hill.

> Househunting in GA = the loop-de-loop near the end of the ride.

> Finding & "losing" 4 GA houses = up the last BIG HILL.

> Buying the "right" GA house = down the last BIG HILL!

So, now as we come clattering into the station, we are experiencing those last little ups and downs that make all riders go "woo!" as their stomachs attempt to reach equilibrium. We are so close to being able to exit the roller coaster ride and finally get our feet on the ground...and our bodies in our own bed once again. 

So very close...

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*Memphis-area friends of a certain age will remember the Zippin' Pippin roller coaster from the Fairgrounds and Libertyland. It was said to have been Elvis' favorite. Read more about it here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zippin_Pippin