Yes, I moved. From Connecticut, where I've lived for a dozen years, down south to be nearer family. Once travel became possible, and I could visit family, it became apparent that my parents have been slowing more quickly than a year or so in the past. As the least-hampered child, it was logical for me to move closer to them, and also to my grandmother, who continues on although fading and frailer.
So I started to make plans, intending to find an apartment for a year so I could get my bearings differently from when I stay with family. However, those plans, as Robert Burns would say, 'gang a-gley'. First, I somewhat accidentally bought a house not far from my parents.
You've heard the joke about "I don't want to go to garage sales because I don't need a garage"? My mother heard of an estate sale and suggested I go with her to look at a couple of items that hadn't sold, including a lovely cabinet sewing machine with all sorts of accessories and threads and so forth. And of course the house was going up for sale as well, and long story short, I ended up buying it. (Also the sewing machine.) I tell people that I am walking distance to my parents' house, but they are not walking distance to mine. 😉😇😊
I didn't move immediately, in part because of winter, and in part because I wanted to make some changes to the house. The garage was unfinished, just taped drywall, so I had it finished and painted, and added a floor (over the cement slab) and cabinets. I changed out most of the lighting fixtures which were builder grade and mostly ugly. Especially important was to get rid of the low-dangling chandelier in the dining area, to open up the space more, since the house is open-plan and mostly one big room with bedrooms attached. I found some cool, mid-century, space-inspired fixtures that float near the ceiling and give huge light and freed up all kinds of space.
It was funny that these sorts of things were left, as the home has other upgrades such as a patio shade that works electrically, and sunports in the main spaces. I am going to have to get used to those giving light and realizing I've not left a ceiling light burning.
I wanted to tell certain persons personally that I am moving, so didn't let too many people know. A few figured it out when I started donating furniture, and large quantities of household items. Others remained surprised until the end.
I'd hoped to have more time to tell people, but apparently the "location, location, location" mantra works and even though I sold my home "as-is" because the refrigerator died just before I listed, I had offers over the list price within two days and entered a contract in four. The closing was a month later so it was a mad time of packing and getting rid of things and I had a trip already planned to visit my parents (conveniently I could go a couple days early when showings started to be requested) and then the North Texas Irish Fest. I came back and packed madly again, then the movers, then it was cleanup and clear-out. I had to get a handyman in to do a door repair which had been botched by my Realtor®'s handyman, and tell the neighbor who had been renting half my garage to move his car, and getting a removals company to take the remaining furniture and repurpose it to other homes. Some of the kitchen items went to Journey Home, which was very glad to receive them.
I also made this difficult decision:
My car - "The Ruby Slipper" as my grandparents named her - had an issue that was going to be expensive to repair, and would cause her to fail an emissions test. Since the repair would be a minimum of twice the KBB value, and her registration was still valid, I decided to donate her to the local PBS/NPR station through a charity donations system. Yes, I would have gotten a few hundred to sell her outright, or possibly as a trade-in, but I enjoy the programming and figured this was easier for me.
I had rental cars on my last days in Connecticut, and although I asked for the cheaper sedans, both times I was given an SUV. While driving was tricky (I'm not used to such a behemoth) it was very handy to have them as I offloaded household and other items all over town. Both the Free Center (which conveniently had a community swap on one of the weekends) and Bici Co. received deliveries, as did some wonderful friends who tolerated getting all kinds of kitchen and food items. One of the couple is a sometimes baker with whom I've exchanged baked goods, and the spouse has contributed beverage mixes, and they are lovely people. I said I want to see what the baker does with some fancy items.
I've been unwinding the rest of my life. Both my congregation and the yoga studio continue to have online options that I will continue to use, at least for the foreseeable future. I will no longer be on-site active in our lay leaders group, but have offered to write the monthly drash if somebody else will read it. I am letting my museum memberships lapse and I will be joining museums here, and likely a makerspace, but first I'll take time to unpack, and settle, and get bookshelves built. The kitchen is completely different from my old one and that will take adjusting, especially as the counters seem taller and the cabinets are definitely more difficult to reach. I do have a pantry and am working out how to organize it most usefully to me.
And so a new adventure begins. As my current email .sig file says:
"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned,
so as to have the life
that is waiting for us."
E. M. Forster, English
novelist (1 Jan 1879 - 7 Jun 1970)
PS: A surprise was in my mailbox today - friends sent a "we'll miss you" note and a housewarming gift:
I am sharing the cookies with my family.
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