One of the most frustrating things about this move is the
way we’ve combined household items from our distant past and thus strewn about
between cargo trailer, sheds, sea containers, shop, RV, and apartment. No one
single thing is where I’ve expected it and it thwarts me that some of my
favorite—most useful—most treasured items are nowhere to be found! How is this
possible? My teapot collection? I have the lids but not the pots. Vintage
waffle iron handed down from my mom? Missing. Likewise, old coffee glass
canisters with definite antique value given to me by my long dead grandparents.
A very large art picture and pair of vintage
architecturally marvelous set of shutters that I was counting on to adorn my
walls? Also MIA.
The helper Marc had lined up to assist was unfortunately not
available on the Friday that Marc chose to do the move so he and I managed to
do it ourselves over the course of the long three day weekend. By that Monday I
had returned and completed the final clean so that we had our walk-through with
the landlord on Tuesday. We were finally done with apartment living--putting up
with hearing noisy neighbors above us; walking through the minefields of dog
poo from the lousy owners who refused to pick up after their dogs; and most
aggravating, having to use malfunctioning 18 year old appliances that were on
their obvious last legs. All in all it wasn’t a bad place to live; just not our
own and most definitely not nearly as nice as the home Marc has built us!
So despite my quibbling, I have greatly been enjoying my
non-settled abode although its completion has become completely life consuming.
I say me because Marc had to leave shortly after our move for a week out west
and now after just four days back here he left again Sunday at midnight for
another week. He played commercial truck driver last time since the company was
short drivers and had a critical wide load that had to be delivered to the
Dakotas so Marc, being the only one left with a commercial license, was shanghaied.
Battling extreme fatigue, he managed to get some necessary things done to the
house but progress is slow. We do now have our new front door installed, but
none of the casing, so we still hear the wind whistling. He’s managed to hang
more of the lights but not all of them and he finally got the filter to the
icemaker in the refrigerator working so we can use it. He has not had a chance
to convert my propane dryer to natural gas however, so I wash in the house and
dry the loads using our dryer in the RV. Hey—at least I had an extra!
Spring is finally here in WI and the trees have started
gently leafing out within this past week and I saw the first daffodils. Local nurseries
are back to being stocked so people are out buying up armfuls of beautiful
flowering plants and vegetables. Even my lilac bushes have the starts of tiny
flowers. It’s actually been drier than normal but the grass has all turned
verdant green with winter’s passing so it will be my chore to do the first
mowing of the year this week. It would be a good time to start enjoying our
front deck if ours was built—ha. Meantime, the view out our front windows is
ever engaging and beautiful and it brings a smile to my face to be here
finally.
It’s a very busy week for me with some out of town shopping
plus Spirit is getting spayed Thursday so I will be her nursemaid for several
days making sure she doesn’t get too rambunctious and tear her stitches. In
addition to some much needed yard work like weed pulling I’m trying to
establish a compost pile. There’s some outdoor yard art to spray paint if the
weather cooperates and some upholstery to clean. My list is long and we just
got internet again last Friday so there’s been lots of catching up to do in
that realm as well. I promise to be back with some photos soon.
