The move went smoothly!

My health is another matter.  I haven't been feeling well, but managed to get myself and my belongings moved a few days ago.  We are all adjusting well.  I like the house and the neighborhood seems fine - although I still haven't felt like going anywhere.  Maybe in another day or so.

We are at the home owned by Jeannie's friend from high school, and are using a combination of furniture and household items from what she left as well as a lot that I brought with me.   So far I haven't felt like doing much or going out, but I need to change that soon!  Rocky seems to have adjusted very well, but I'm not surprised since he's here with Jeannie and one of her daughters - the two daughters take turns staying with their mom and with their dad.  I hate it that they can't stay here together, but he has been at him mom's and helping her   get her house in order.  He is in and out several times a day and has done several jobs that needed doing and fixes that needed fixing!  There is a big and beautiful bay window in the living room - perfect for the larger of my potted plants!  Two of my favorites, a snake plant (sansaveria), and a spider plant, look great in that window!

Speaking of the snake plant, I need to divide it as it is growing a lot of little plants (I think they call them "pups"?).  I've watched several you-tube videos on propagating this plant, but if anyone has experience doing it please give me all the advice you can offer!  I think I can divide the spider plant with little or no trouble, although I may regret even saying it out loud or in writing! 

So I'm back and hope to post more often - maybe even take some photos and include them in a post!

 

 

The Next Move

The next move I have to make is at the end of November, when Jeannie, Arianna, and I will be moving into a friend's vacant house until ours is ready (probably February or March).  Donald and Autumn will continue to live with his mom until our house is ready to move in.  I can't tell you how much I don't look forward to the next few months.  The saving grace to me is that our next move will be into a "real city neighborhood", with sidewalks, lots of houses, a business section within just a few blocks, and other facets of civilization!   I just want it to all be over with so I can unpack and live out the rest of my time in one place.  I am looking forward to being in the midst of the city, with all the people, traffic, businesses, schools, noise, and such.  I had no idea when I moved here from the mobile home park two years ago how isolated I would be.  My niece and her two boys live in the house closest to the street, and I am to the rear of her place.  It would be slightly better if I was able to get out and move around more, but since I haven't been doing well I am beginning to dislike it very much!  The new house will be even more isolated, and probably several miles to any sort of businesses.  I feel like running away from home!  Originally the move-in date was set for the 23rd of December, but shortages of supplies have pushed everything back a couple of months or maybe even more.  The workers are there at the house whenever we visit, even on weekends, and they are making great progress so far.  But the time will come when they can't get what they need to finish the job.

What a year this has turned out to be!  And it worries me that it won't be over, even at the end of 2021!

On a positive note, I have been amusing myself watching a series of youtube videos by "Planterina", which features amazing and beautiful house plants.  My list grows every time I watch a video, and if I can find them (and afford them), my new place will at least have gorgeous plants all around!  Right now I have my lovely spider plant and a snake plant (sansavieria), plus a couple of other smaller plants.  The snake plant is past ready to be divided into smaller pots, and I'm going to treat myself to adding some new greenery when we move.  My list is up to about 15  new plants that I'd like to have.  Fortunately Rocky has shown absolutely no interest in them, but for the most part, I keep them out of his reach!

So I will try to post some photos of our next place, and maybe the next  time I visit the new house I will have some photos to share.  I hope I will like it - being a new neighborhood with quite a few "next gen" homes, means that there will be other in-laws and extended family members living nearby.  I think it will be a friendly place.  But if I don't start to feel better and want to get out and about, I won't meet anyone!

 

My Beautiful Dog!

Rocky spent a couple of hours at the groomer this morning, and he looks gorgeous!  His black shiny fur is absolutely glistening.  I took several photos of him, but I can't seem to get them onto my computer.  I'm having a lot of trouble lately - it seems that modifications and changes to programs I use have been altered just enough that I can't figure them out!  I will never understand why programs change so much and so quickly - I can't get used to anything before it is updated.  

The weather is gloomy with rain now and then, and at 4:30 in the afternoon, the skies are darkening.

When I moved here two years ago I bought new furniture, and have kept the sofa and chair covered since then.  The furniture looks very nice (uncovered) but I wonder what dog claws would do if I left it bare.  I have a nice set that is a dark gray simulated leather, and I like the look and feel of it better than leather, to tell the truth.    I sure don't want to have to replace much of anything when I move, although I will buy a few new side tables, a chest of drawers for the bedroom, and maybe a new coffee table.  I am probably just being "cheap", but at my age I don't want to buy much in the way of new furniture.

I am getting some last minute pleasure out of using the fireplace since I won't have one at the new home.  Jeannie & Donald will have a fireplace in their master suite, and I think there may be an outdoor fireplace on their patio.  I've found fireplace fixtures online that look like they are real, and maybe some have a flame.  I have always preferred a wood burning fireplace with a real flame that emanates heat, although lately I've been using Duraflame logs because they are so easy to clean up after!

 

Delays

As if moving isn't difficult enough for me, I will have to do it more than once.  I guess our house is a little behind schedule, or at least estimated to be taking more time, no doubt because of delays in getting needed materials.  So at the end of November we will move into a house being vacated by a friend of Jeannie's; I'm not sure if we will be staying there until completion of our own house.  I love the neighborhood - it's an older one and more "in the city", which makes me feel very comfortable.  I can walk the dog and also go to a store with no problems.  There are businesses just a couple of blocks away and the ground is all level, as opposed to the more hilly nature of where I'm currently located.  Plus, and this is the BIG PLUS, there are sidewalks!  Sidewalks in good repair, with no cracks and upheavals!  But I don't know if I will survive two moves in short succession.  If only I could still drive.  I have a year left on my driver's license, but my eyesight is a problem.  I could probably drive ok but not in traffic; however, I really don't want to do that anymore.

Sometimes I just want to cry about my current state of affairs, but I know better than to open up the floodgates.   I'm sure there are many positives to look forward in the coming months, but I'm no Pollyanna, and I'm convinced that it's not going to be easy or fun for me.  And I, who had no problems packing up and moving to Ireland and then back to the U.S., and who has traveled around the world, don't want to pack up anything!  I'm just prolonging the problem because I am letting things go until the last minute.  Of course, Jeannie is packing some of my things and I'll probably never find them again.  If I didn't have Rocky to think about, I might run away from home!

But to end on a positive note, I get to "go bye-bye" in a few minutes!  Jeannie needs to go to a few stores, including Michael's Crafts, and I'm beyond the moon about getting to walk into a store where there are people, even though we are all masked!

Confused!

I had to look at my computer this morning to find out what day of the week it is!  Things are pretty bad when they get to that point!  I was thinking I had to change the clocks but then realized I have another day to go.  I will be so glad when we can just stay on the same time year around.  I have always thought it was a dumb idea - it made more sense for areas of the country that are mostly farms, because they could use the extra daylight hour.  But artificial lighting  has done away with that excuse.  I recall that when DST was instituted for the entire country, the big selling point was that golfers would have an extra hour to be out on the course.  I won't even say what I have always thought of that idea.  Imagine all the productivity lost at both ends of the time change - it takes a good two weeks to get used to it, and maybe more for some folks, and the best we can say for it is that golfers get an extra hour in the morning for the game.

I enjoyed having a fire in my fireplace last night.  Rocky and I were the only ones here, and I lit a log - an artificial one though.  I won't have a fireplace in the new house, and I will miss it.  The only one in the house will be in the master suite!  My son told me I could get a small electric fireplace, but I will have to see what they look like and how much space I will have.  I love seeing the flame and it cheers me up, but at this stage of the game I'm going to take whatever I get!

It's time to put my summer clothes away and get out the winter wear.  I have most of the items in my closet packed up and ready to move, and I just wish I could get it over with.  There is so much I should be doing but I simply have no energy for anything.

I have my Costco list ready and hope someone will take me shopping this weekend!  I need to be around people for a while! 

I'm wishing you all a great weekend!