Packing June 29- July 5, 2014

Packing June 29- July 5, 2014

In case I ever have to move again---or am even thinking of it--I will have this to read to remind me of all the work and effort a move takes.  I have cut and pasted most of these daily reviews from my correspondence. 

Normally I write down in our IG all the things we have done each week, but since I am working without my IG (it is in MI) I figured I could document here and fill in IG later. 

July 5: Sat
Giz and Grampy came to help.  Grampy and Dh went to Lowe's and bought lots of bags of mulch for the yard.  Grampy finished the weedwacking he had started on his last visit.  Grampy also took down our over-sized mailbox that we bought so we could have our maillady just put our boxes in there instead of bringing things to our door (and perhaps getting wet), and put up the normal mailbox that was the original one when we moved in.  It seems so weird to see our mailbox now!  He also took apart our metal hammock stand for us.  He has lots of jobs to keep him busy, and that made him very happy.

Giz was great!  She had open-heart surgery/ 5 bypasses about 1 1/2 months ago and her energy had been so low.  She had really been doing very poorly--very!  But, for the first time since the surgery, she really seemed like herself.  The best about Giz....just her being here made just about all of us work super hard!  I say 'just about *all* of us' b/c while she usually encourages productivity from Dd--yesterday Dd was immune!  She did work *most* of the day, but was mysteriously gone for almost an hour.  She was in the closet under the staircase doing another pastel drawing on my big newsprint pad.  She has been drawing scenes inspired from NARNIA.  Yesterday's drawing was of the "lamp post".  

After G&G left, we kept working and brought down the rest of the odds and ends from the Library and the dog/junk room.  So both rooms are clear!!!   Our living room is still a mess, but at least the upstairs is 90% done.  


July 4th: Fri
I found a job that Dd likes doing---she is painting the trim and walls!  She is doing a good job with that!  I worked on the li brary some more, and am getting close to finishing it--my goal was to have that room done by the end of the day; but I ran out of 'umph' and called it a day before that happened.  Dh worked in the junk room, and it is also getting close.  He took down the metal shelves and put them in the garage.  Dh made a Fourth of July grilling night for us---hamburgers!  He also made a pineapple upside-down cake on parchment paper and the broiling pan, since Giz had already packed our 9 X 13.

July 3: Thur

Took our fourth load of stuff to Goodwill.  Worked on the stuff we brought from "junk room" and put in the living room.  Having those new large boxes really helped get some of the awkward stuff packed---space heaters, and things that I wasn't sure how to pack.  I started back with the library some.  I cleaned off a tall bookshelf and moved it to our bedroom.  I didn't want our library to look like a "library" so I have been trying to space out the bookshelves to have some in every room.  We took 4 bookshelves to MI already, so that helps.  Dh came home Thursday late.

July 2: Wed

Dd read most of the day---These Happy Golden Years by L.I. Wilder--and finished the book!!  
We started a new audio: We have heard this audio over and over throughout the years--it will always be a 'go-to' audio for us.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2) by C. S. Lewis

Took another load (third) to Goodwill today.   I got off to an early start and worked until we needed to go to Walmart.  I needed a few things; and half of what I wanted they didn't have (how can Walmart be out of vinegar??!!)  Dd and I brought load after load of stuff from the 'dog / junk room' and library down to the living room floor and I tried to pack as much of it as I could in some organized way.  That 'organized way' is the hard thing!  How do you pack 3 aquarium pieces?  Well, that has to be matched up with something...but what?!  So, that was the problem.  This is all the mix-match stuff.  I thought packing books was hard...nope!  This is much harder!  That took up all my day, and the living room floor is still covered--day 2 of living room being under chaos.  Dd made chocolate chip pancakes!

We saw baby Praying Mantis's in our backyard. 

Dh had this great idea that we bring everything down from our 'junk room' to the living room floor and this put things together to box up....can you guess where I am heading?  My living room is a tornado of stuff!!!  Oh my!  I've already got a third van load ready for Goodwill!!!  I was still working last night at 8:34 PM (8:40 PM the night before) and Dd wanted to know why I was still working.  'So, we can get back to Pappa sooner!' was my reply.  He seems to be missing us more.  He gets home from work and doesn't have anything to do other than miss us; while I have a ton of things to do all day/all night and not much time to be missing anyone.

I did set a goal that I wanted to have some room cleaned out by the end of yesterday; and I did get the big closet under our stairwell cleaned out!  It stores all our Christmas stuff--tree--etc. and some of our puzzles, coats, yard toys, and other various bits.  I did get it all cleaned out and vacuumed.  I didn't plan on a closet being my accomplishment; as I was hoping for the library or junk room!!!  Oh well.  I had to take my dog to the vet, and they could fit us in yesterday, so that caught my plans off guard.

Side note on Sophie, our dog...(She kept me up all the night before b/c she was shaking, pacing, panting in high anxiety from the big storm we were having.  I figure with July 4th around the corner I needed to take her in to see if we could get help for her.  I had asked them what I could do for her and they had told me to give her Melatonin to calm her down; but that didn't do anything to help her.  So, we took her back to the vet--her third visit in 4 months--and this time they FINALLY gave me a sedative to give her when we have storms and fireworks.  Bless her heart, I just hate seeing my dog so miserable and afraid.  I'm so glad they were able to take us right in and see her immediately!  Praise the Lord for that timing!)

Over the weekend Dd bought 2 Nerf guns to play with the "L" boys with.  She made an 'across the chest' holster (like the cops who have a gun under their arm pit, type of thing) and an ammo belt to store her Nerf ammo...she has a blast solving all her life needs with Duct Tape!  I'm waiting for her to make something really big out of Duct tape!  She knows how to make anything she needs out of that stuff.  She has been using her Captian America shield as her target inside and having a blast....which definitely gets in the way of her packing! 
I should also mention I have been doing a little piddling in our gardens and watering the new grass I seeded 3 weeks ago, and have added more seed to--and have to water it a few times a day.  I love being able to go out and weed a little each day for my sanity.

July 1: Tue

I can't sleep right now.  We just had a massive storm, lost our electricity over and over and over again.. Each time it would go out or come back something would make a loud screech sound.  It was a big deal!  From what I can see, nothing is damaged.  We have another system heading our way later.

I've worked all day...I just sat down!  I got the big closet under the stairs cleaned out all the way and vacuumed.  Then lots of bits from here and there.  My downstairs is a wreck--we have been bringing down all the junk from the junk room to figure how to pack it organized.  I still have a ways to go in both the library and 'junk room'....but, I have made progress. 

Dd read most of the day---These Happy Golden Years by L.I. Wilder
Tuesday night we finished our audio: Harry Potter bk 1

June 30: Mon

 I worked SO hard today.  We had Dh for a few hours this morning before he had to head back to MI, so he worked really hard bring down things from the dog/junk room and continued working on the garage.

Started a new book:

Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride and David Gilleece

I cleaned the huge aquarium---took all morning...then the cat litter boxes, and the floor around the cat litter area--molding, etc....that took way too long too.  Then the pantry floor and molding...Then I took the big dog igloo and pulled it all the way through our yard to the corn field and pulled out all the straw (with lovely ants in it...) and then sprayed it down with the hose and put it in the garden...I mowed the back yard (the front yard doesn't grow as fast as the back.) and did two loads of laundry...etc. etc. etc. etc.. you get the idea.  I even made dinner---chicken and cheese burrito's.  Dd made yellow rice and an Asian dish.  Dd read most of the day---These Happy Golden Years by L.I. Wilder  

Well, my gross-est thing so far about packing and cleaning our house is that we moved our gas stove forward to clean under it....oh my!  I had no idea how gross it was!  Eeek!  So happy it is sparkling clean now!  We took another van load of stuff to Goodwill yesterday.  I really wanted to be giving to Salvation Army and called them 3 weeks ago, but no one called me back until last Thursday.  I hear negative things about Goodwill, but they are just right down the road from us and so convienent.  The packing will start back again this morning, but Dh will have to head back to MI alone today.  We are doing so much better than I thought we would without him.

Since I am forcing myself to focus on the packing, and let our lessons go to the side for another week.  I don't think Dd has had this much time off ever!  She is doing a great job reading both "her" choice books, and the books I've asked her to read.  Right now she is reading Listening For Lions: (have any of you read this?)

Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

  

and she is also reading her choice-her reader:

These Happy Golden Years (Little House) by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Garth Williams (Completed)

June 29: Sun

Today we took our second van load of stuff (big old tv, computer monitor, tape deck, boxes of L's toys, and 2 bags of clothes/shoes) to Goodwill.  I wanted to give it to the Salvation Army and called a month ago, but they didn't call me back until this week---saying they could come July 14th....I can't wait that long!  We also sent a few things back with G&G yesterday to put up in the attic at the farm.  So, we are slowly getting some things out of our lives. 

June 28: Sat

 I stopped working at 8pm---we had a good day and got a good amount of work done.  Giz and Dd worked in the kitchen, Grampy weed-wacked and packed up my filing cabnet.  Dh worked in the garage--huge job...and I brought endless boxes to G&G at their destinations, carried the full boxes out and stacked them in the garage, and cleaned out the purple room.  The purple room is DONE--except for the closet--and that won't take too long.  It is nice to have 2 rooms DONE!  Our house is starting to sound hollow---a big change.

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