Farewell to the Twenties!

Surprise! I'm in San Diego right now.
The reason?
To visit family (I haven't been "home" in over a year and a half), but mostly to celebrate Laura turning 30!

Before we can celebrate her turning thirty next Tuesday, (July 22nd) we first must say farewell to her twenties.

If you've ever read Laura's blog "It's good to be me!" you know that she knows how to throw a party for a friend like you would not believe.

Now it was time for a party for herself.

First off was a four hour brunch at a local restaurant on the edge of small air field.

The 94th Aero Squadron restaurant has a WWI theme, which is pretty close to being 1920.

Here's the front of the restaurant.
Next you invite all your friends to come join you through out the day...in 20's style dress.

Laura's aunt made her dress; Laura's friend Margo (in the black outfit behind Laura) made her own outfit. The normally brunette Margo helped Laura plan the event, and she herself had just had her 30th party with the theme "Paint the Town Red.

The girl with the purple boa is named Heather. She graduated from UT Arlington with Laura, and now the two of them both work for San Diego Hospice, Heather in pediatric and Laura in hospital liaison.

Both of them love life and celebrate life daily.

That's Heather's husband David next to her; he is in medical research. Laura was part of their wedding last fall.

Crystal is next to me in the cloche; you might remember her from the blog where I asked people to vote on which hat she should wear to a wedding.

She is now totally hooked on hats.

Smart girl!

Mom and Dad and I rented our costumes. I really loved Mom's; Dad's got a load of comments, and the fact he carried that pick ax around was a hoot.

It was a champagne brunch, and boy did we enjoy the bubbly.

Later two other friends from work dropped by too.

I liked Mom's headache band's feather. Very classy!

After brunch the party moved down to the beach area, to Mission Beach. The Mustang convertible was rented by the girls as a surprise to Laura.

Crystal was our getaway driver.

The Big Dipper rollercoaster in Mission Beach was built in 1926, so of course taking a ride on it had to be part of saying farewell to one's 20's.

My parent's rode it back when they were kids....

Amazingly, we got parking right up in front!

And folks had told us it just couldn't be done on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon.

Yup, that's Laura up there with her arms up.

I like merry-go-rounds, so we saddled up for a spin there too.

Yes, we got "spoken to" about staying seated.
We are always in trouble, but it is worth it to have fun.

It was quite gratifying to be driving around in a muscle car convertible while in costume.
Laura enjoyed yelling out that it was her birthday at every corner we drove around.

After the amusement park we headed downtown to the Courtyard Marriott hotel. It is built inside an old bank that opened in 1928; the bank vault is still there, and can be toured!

Love the old style building.

Even the ceiling was great!

At the hotel more guests arrived. A gangster....

And his moll.

Surrounded by candies created in the 1920s, we played a four hour long Murder Mystery Game.

It turned out that Laura was the player who did the dastardly deed!

The whole day was the perfect way to say good bye to one's 20's.

Laura really had a great time during those years: she graduated from college, started her nursing career, visited all 50 states, lived in Hawaii, Santa Barbara, Philadelphia, LA, San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake, San Diego, and Houston, bought a brand new car, traveled to Scotland, Mexico, Canada, and Sweden, wrote a novel, jumped out of an airplane, got engaged, planned a wedding, then ditched the guy just in the nick of time.

Whew.

Those were some really crazy years.

Can't wait to see what she does in her thirties.

Whatever it is, I'm with her and behind her all the way.

I've put more pictures of the day in a slide show that you can enjoy by clicking here.

Wish you could of been here too!

Taking a walk you-know-where...

It has been sooo hot here; above normal temperature wise since early June. A walk in the woods had no appeal to me, especially since we have had little rain as well.
Wednesday morning I woke up early and decided I would venture out. Bernie was available to join me, one of the perks of being now officially unemployed.

Once we turned the corner on our street, a deer walked across the road in front of us. I was dismayed as my camera was still tucked away in my pocket and I couldn't get it up and on fast enough before the deer disappeared into the forest on the edge of the road.

Bernie told me to get my camera out anyway and get ready, noting that deer rarely travel alone.

Sure enough, within moments this deer was crossing in front of us.

Then twin fawns came out as well.

We have deer crossing signs on all our roadway; the deer know they have the right away.
As we walked around the corner, I wondered that I couldn't see them in the forest.
Turns out, they were right there waiting to get another peek at us as well!

We kept walking and I spotted some of the blue flowers that had been seen in the drainage ditch elsewhere. They really must be a wild flower; they were blooming deep in the woods where no store bought seed would have been scattered.
I still think they are gorgeous, and was glad to get a close up shot of them this time.

The "girls" are back in force, and many of them are creating webs that are at a perfect height to avoid forest creatures, but not high enough to avoid tall men walking in baseball hats. Bernie darn near had his hat knocked off by the strength of one web!

The lake was especially still and beautiful.

The spiders seem to enjoy the views as well. We fell into the habit of looking for the little male spider on each web as well; he being usually found directly above the female, sitting on the opposite side of the web, tummy to tummy as it were.
We created quite a domestic storyline about how spider couples spend their mornings, chatting over the plans for the day, hopes for dinner....

I do wish you could hear the soft cicada sounds that whirled about us. It was a soft high pitched rattle that went from rapid to quite slow.

This from the edge of what is now being called "Otter Point." I was unaware that Texas had otters!

It is a nice place to enjoy a break in the walk.

White and blue herons and egrets often are seen walking through the edge of the water. I try to capture them in a picture, but they inevitably blend right into the forest edge.

Tadpoles and whirl bugs rippled the surface of the water beneath us.

A canoe would be nice...but it really is too hot to want to exert oneself in that fashion.

Just lifting a camera and snapping a picture is about all the exercise I am up to beyond simply walking.

Love the clouds reflected in the water.

This red flower had eluded me forever. I can either get a close up of the stamen...(and it is interesting stamen.)

Or I can capture the whirled shaped petals.

I need to take a class and find out why that is....a Macro photography one day class is available at the U of U. I think I will try to take that class too.

The water looked especially beautiful this walk. I must have taken a dozen pictures of various views across the lake.

Once we returned home we were pleased to read the local paper's headlines: The housing prices are holding steady in Houston.
A walk and good news: what a great way to start the day.

Sign me up!

Oh boy oh BOY am I excited!

I have just discovered the list of classes available at University of Utah Lifelong Learning.

As it is being promoted on the University's website:

"With work, family, and chores, who has time for themselves? You do! Our classes are designed with your busy schedule in mind. We offer one-evening get-aways, Friday evening date nights, and Sunday field trips. All told, we offer more than 100 ways to exercise your mind, body, and soul, make new friends, and see the world around you in a slightly different way. New classes start weekly."

I am informed by our son that everything in SLC is less than 20 minutes away from any other point in SLC. Zipping home after work, and then heading to the U of U for a class should be a piece of cake.

So tell me, what class shall I take first? Which class would you take first?

This one sound fun:

Albion Basin Wildflower Hike
Utah's fragrant, colorful wildflowers are at their best when framed by granite peaks, crystalline lakes, and lush grasses. Join us for a morning hike through Albion Basin as we introduce you to the dozens of species of blooming wildflowers in the meadows, and wetlands. Monkeyflower, monkshood, lady's tresses, monument plant, and penstemon are just a few of the 300 varieties of wildflowers that will delight your senses. Please be prepared for some hiking.

Hmmm...or maybe this one:


Appetizers Around the World
Antipasti, antojitos, hors d'oeuvres, meze, tapas--no matter what you call them, appetizers are a social food, consumed at leisure with the purpose of drawing people together. Usually the first course, they are meant to stimulate the appetite, not sate it, and are serious business all over Europe. Join us for a taste of why Europeans feel this way, as we explore the nuances of grilled tuna with green olive relish (Spain), shellfish fritters with spicy hot garlic mayonnaise (Southern France), polenta gratin with gorgonzola and mozzarella (Italy), fried cheese with lemon and olives (Greece), and crispy bulgur croquettes with pine nuts and spices (Middle East). This hands-on class is limited to 12.

Maybe it would be easy to meet new friends in this class:

Cocktails for the Cultured
Ready to move beyond beer and wine for personal pleasure and entertaining? Looking for variety from a few basic liquors so you don't have to break the bank compiling a full cabinet? Join us as we demonstrate techniques for making summer favorites such as mojitos, mai tais, champagne cocktails, and summer blends such as margaritas. You will leave with printed recipes. Please bring a photo ID that indicates your age to class.

(I suppose that would be one class where I would meet non-Mormons. Of course the class may lead to other classes...such as those held in private where the class begins with introductions that go something like "Hi, my name is .... and I am an alcoholic." Maybe I will have to think this one through.)

This class would certainly be different from what I usually study:

Crime Scene Investigation
Ever wonder how real-life forensic scientists help law officers solve a crime? Join us as we follow a crime from crime scene to courtroom, studying the relationship between the crime-scene evidence and the forensic scientist as we go. We'll look at procedures for recognizing and collecting forensic evidence, show you the physical and chemical testing methods common to most forensic laboratories, and discuss how test results help solve a crime as we tour the Utah State Crime Lab.

(I am really not interested in writing mystery novels, but I think this class would be a must if I ever decide to change genre.)

Here's one that I would love to take; I'm sure I would learn a lot:

Earth Art
Christo's 'Running Fence'; Walter De Maria's 'Lightning Fields'; Ana Mendieta's 'Silueta' series; Michael Heizer's 'Nevada Depressions' series; and of course Robert Smithson's 'Spiral Jetty' and Nancy Holt's 'Sun Tunnels'. Join us as we explore these and other earth art sculptures through slides, discussion, and a field trip to either Smithson's or Holt's Utah installation. Why create earth art? How does it enhance our understanding/appreciation of the natural world? How does one organize such a project? Who owns it? Join us as we engage our senses in both the classroom and the field to appreciate this most conceptual of all art forms. Tuition includes van transport for Saturday field trip.

(I've seen some of Christo's Running Fence, and encountered other such projects on a smaller scale, which are frequently referred to as "performance art." I imagine the conversations that would occur in this class would be invigorating!)

I took fencing years and years ago in college...it would be such fun to give the blade another whirl!

Fencing
Get a great workout and develop balance and agility while you learn or refine the techniques of modern sword fighting, including the garde, advance/retreat, lunge, and parry. You'll also get a chance to spar with others. All equipment and protective clothing are provided. A good court shoe is recommended; bring water.
(I'd especially enjoy taking this class with B. I used to win against the guys when I was in college...fencing in white short shorts might have had something to do with it though. Wonder if I should try wearing short shorts again....)

After that "stager" episode, maybe I should try this class before I start arranging our stuff in our new home. My college interior design classes...gosh...was it really THIRTY TWO years ago that I was last enrolled in formal training on that subject? Plenty of time to get the class in; we'll rent until after the first of next year.

Fundamentals of Interior Design
Would you like to improve your home and/or work environment, but don't know where to start? In this 8-week class, we'll cover basic design principles as we look at space planning, color, light, window treatments, furniture, finishes, and art and accessories. By class end, you'll have the confidence to create a more functional and aesthetic interior environment, either on your own or with a design professional. Please bring graph paper, an architectural scale ruler, and a #2 pencil to the first class.

Now I usually just gather flowers in my hand and plunk them into a vase. They look great...but wouldn't it be interesting to know a different approach?

Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging
Practice the art of Ikebana--the simple yet rich Japanese style of plant arranging. Working with fresh materials in special containers, you'll learn the balance, design, and form used by historic and contemporary masters to create works of art. Special fee covers a kenzan (flower 'frog'), vases, and all plant materials. You will leave with a fresh arrangement each week.

I already balance the investments in my retirement accounts, and have trained attorneys on how to research stock market filings, but I really should get a broader understanding of finances. Especially as a woman.

Investing for Women
Principles of investing may not change with gender, but communication styles often do. If you are more comfortable learning with women, this class is for you. We'll cover investment basics as well as more advanced strategies as we look at how to mix varying stock and bond choices for a diversified portfolio; examine the pros and cons of stocks that pay dividends versus those that do not; discuss diversification, risk tolerance, dollar cost averaging, and long-term investing; and offer guidelines for saving for large goals such as a home purchase, college tuition, and/or retirement. We will discuss the pros and cons of handling investments yourself or working with a qualified advisor; types of advisor and fees will also be covered.

(I super like the idea of how women communicate differently than men when it comes to money. If I take it, B. will have to find another class to amuse himself on those nights.)

After all that money stuff, maybe I'd take this class, just so I can wear some of my cocktail hats!

Mastering Martinis
Refreshing, sophisticated, and downright tasty, the martini is well established in our entertainment and cultural worlds. Learn how to make the perfect martini as we explore both martinis and martini cocktails, taste the difference between gin and vodka martinis, answer the age-old question 'What is vermouth?', and understand the ins and outs of serving martinis. Along the way, we'll talk about James Bond, debate shaken or stirred, and marvel at the current trend of martini bars. Please bring a photo ID that indicates your age to class. Jill is co-owner of Kristauf's, Utah's first martini bar; Josh is Kristauf's head bartender. Kristauf's offers more than 80 varieties of the martini.

(80 varieties! Maybe I should whip up a few more hats!)



Seriously though...I have been aware lately of China as a world power. I really need to learn more about it.

Media and Propaganda in Contemporary China
The reported tolls of dead and injured from the 1989 Tiananmen Square event ranged from 200 to 300 (People's Republic of China government figures) to up to 10,000 by some international media; the exact number will never be known. Using this historic event as a springboard for discussion, this class will explore the changing role of mass media in China. We will offer a historical perspective on the systems, practice, and regulations of Chinese journalism, then focus on current developments and the future direction of Chinese newspapers, television, and radio as it relates to China's emerging role as a world power.

Back to getting a buzz...times two!

Pairing Port and Chocolate
What goes best with the rich, sweet, dark berry flavors of fine port? The rich, sweet, dark flavors of fine chocolate. Express your decadent side as we explore the styles and levels of quality of Portuguese port and the origins and flavors of the world's most exotic dark chocolates. We'll taste four ports and four chocolates, then mix and match them for your personal top-prize taste combo. Please bring a photo ID that indicates your age to class.
(Wouldn't that chocolate brown velvet heart shaped cocktail hat that I made last winter be just PERFECT for this class?)

Being enrolled in a class on anything is always such a great conversation starter. I think this class might be a more of a conversation stopper though:

The Craft of the Obituary
Gemlike in its compression, the obituary is a neglected art form. Newspaper obituary pages are rife with formulaic accounts of lives concluded, denying lives well lived the memorable coda they deserve. In this workshop, we will learn the techniques of professional obituary writers, look at tone, selection of detail, and other writer's tools, then create a credible obituary. The goal is to give you the tools to honor your loved ones--or yourself--with an obituary of such quality that readers wish they had known the subject in life.

Whew...I think I'd need this class to balance out that class:

The Pleasure of Chocolate
Taste and enjoy the true pleasure of fine chocolate. We'll savor, smell, taste, and discuss chocolate made from cacao grown on three continents as we discover the distinct flavor nuances of each maker's craft. From milk chocolate to high percentage extra-dark, we'll explore the pleasure of fine hand-made chocolate (emphasis is on dark chocolate). We'll also touch on the discovery, history, and evolution of this wonderful food.

I did see a few dance and yoga classes, but no belly dancing. Drat...I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for that.

The one class I know I am going to sign up for ASAP is this one:

Full Moon Snowshoe Hike
Experience the mystical feeling of the full moon on snowshoes as we travel within the scenic Wasatch Mountains. You will receive tips on snowshoe technique, instruction in winter emergencies, and hot cocoa and snacks. Please bring boots suitable for snow and snowshoes (rentable at REI or through the U's Outdoor Program, among others). Students will be notified where to meet before class.
12/12/08
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Price: Tuition: $29.00 + Special Fee: $3.00 = $32.00

Dreamy!

If you are curious, you can take a peek at the University of Utah's website to read all the classes that they are offering. They seem to be adding classes all the time.
What was the last class that you have taken to embrace the concept of being a lifetime learner?
Do school or programs in your area have interesting classes that you might explore?
Studies are showing that people who make a point of learning new skills and exploring new ideas tend to be healthier and happier as they age.

Personally, I plan to be one very healthy and happy old lady!
How about you?

(And doesn't that snowshoeing class sound like a perfect date for just a few day's before our anniversary? Oh my yes...it certainly does!)

Random Discoveries and observations

I knew I had put my grandmother's Bible in a safe place; after all, it was the one I carried down the aisle with me when I got married.

And indeed I had; it was in the back corner of my roll top desk, just waiting to be found again while I was packing.
Grandma Fay got it when she went to Israel years ago.
I thought the mother of pearl covers (both sides!) was a beautiful way to carry God's Word in my hands as a bride on my wedding day.
(At the time I didn't know I would become a librarian; carrying a book while getting married should have been a major clue!)

My other grandmother left me a pair of crystal candles sticks. Around the edge of the candle stick were dangling crystals about the size of my baby finger. One of them was chipped. I found a replacement for the chipped one, and then hung the old dangle out in the garden to catch the sun and make rainbows.

Apparently it got blown free of the bush I had hung it on. It came to rest against the side of the house. I saw it the other day and was reaching for it when I realized someone else now had claimed it.
The tiniest of little garter snakes was peering at me, amazingly nestled down in the cracks between the bricks.

I think a fantasy story could be written based on just the idea of a tiny snake who cherishes an antique crystal.

As much as I like fantasy, I find that right now (as usual) I am drawn to non-fiction. So far this summer I have read "Dying at Home" by Andrea Sankar. Laura is now working as a Hospital to Hospice Care Coordinator and I am reading a lot about Hospice to become familiar with her position.

I have also read a book about a Medical missionary to China who served in China from 1880 until the 1930's. Dr. Bliss had an amazing story!

The center book in the above picture is fascinating me right now. I am interested in exploring physical ailments that have brain resolution. An example of this is the condition where a woman (or a man!) begins to believe they are pregnant, and the body does everything that a pregnant body usually does, including going into labor. Everything is in place except a baby.

Then there is the interesting fact that people who are under hypnotic trance can be told that their warts are cured, and the next day the warts disappear. The author is a medical doctor in my hometown which makes the book even more interesting to me. He wonders if hypnotism can address warts on hands, then would the same idea work on genital warts or other body tumors.
Little by little medical doctors are realizing that a lot of medical conditions might actually be addressed by belief or mental mapping.
He has solved some of the ways brains allow people with amputation to continue to feel their limbs, and why some people with strokes are freaked out and worried about it, while others act like it is no big deal at all, and consider themselves ready to go home even when half their body no longer functions.
It is all about what part of the brain is working or not working, and this has only recently been demonstrated scientifically because of our modern tools to map brain stimulation and electrical signals.
I'm about half way through the book right now.
It, and the other book "The New Brain" has me astonished.
Interestingly, it also affirms my belief in faith as the basis of miracles.

It is nice to have a bit of leisure time now that the house is all tidy.
It just saddens me slightly to realize that I won't be able to have friends come visit me here from afar.
I have made it a policy in this home to always have a guest room ready for visitors and to provide for my guest's every need.
For instance, this brass pot. It is such a perfect spittoon!

Every time I look at it, I sigh, and am so sorry that my friend Lovella won't be coming to visit me here before I move.
I think she would have really loved to have been able to be here.

Let there be light!

Our house had it's first showing today.
I got a call from the scheduling agency at 11 am, asking if the house could be shown between 1 and 2.
Of course the house could be shown. Bring 'em on!
I gathered the few items that I had been using, such as my coffee cup, and a magazine and stowed them away.
Watered the patio plants so they would look fresh and sparkly.
Refolded some stacked items on B.s side of the closet.
Swept the front walk way.
Cleaned the litter boxes.
Moved our two cars down the street. The garage is rapidly filling with boxes, no room for cars anymore. House looks better with an empty driveway.
Took a shower and changed clothes. (Just sweeping, watering, and walking half a block automatically means a shower for me; it is hot and humid here, remember?)

Then...at 12:45 I walked around the house turning on lights as per real estate agent's advice.
Houses show better with all their lights turn on.
(Or at least that is what I am being told.)

For me, that would be fifty three light switches to turn on.

Yup. I counted.
Next time around I will time myself as I do it.

No wonder B. is always waiting in the car for me while I go around the house switching off lights when we go somewhere in the evening.

How many light switches does your house have?
Bet you never thought to count before.
Bet you will now....
(I asked B. how many lights he thought we had. He thought around twenty three. Boy was he ever surprised!)

Innovations

Remember the picture of the staged room with the lavender hat accent?
The general consensus via informal bloggie voting was that I should switch the hat out for a lime green one.

And so I did.
I thought it looked better that way.
You know who had an additional thought on the subject.

He was right, as usual.

The addition of a faithful orange cat to the display is fierce.

Using a live cat as part of one's interior design is truly an innovative decorating idea.

We've come across several innovative ideas lately.

Bernie just had to crawl under the table and use his back to lift the table up a half an inch so I could slide the moving coasters under the table legs. Once the coasters were in place, I could glide the table around the room easily.

Isn't that a great innovation?

Now I do have to admit that using live cats as part of your decorating scheme does come with challenges. The cats tend to move around at will; draping themselves first on the bed, then on a chair, and then under a chair

Tiggie tends to favor being boxed in by chair rungs when new people come by the house.

Lately there has been a steady stream of people coming by to measure and paint and whatnot.

Tiggie feels much safer under a chair like this one.

This chair works too; although with the stabilizing bar in the middle of the box, he does have to keep his head down when he wants to observe from under this chair.

Yes, using a chair as a fort is another great innovation.

After we got our new carpet installed, we were greatly troubled to see that our area rugs suddenly were buckling and bumping up in a most unattractive and unsafe manner.

We were constantly tripping on the lumps and bumps. After three days of tugging and pulling the area rug flat, only to have it buckle again right before our eyes, we went down to hardware store and got a carpet to carpet liner.

The liner is slightly tacky/sticky, and is designed to hold the area rug flat and stuck to the carpeting.

We were smoothing it out when our two boy cats came through to snoopervise.

They of course walked right across the liner...and we held our breath.

Maybe (we though to ourselves...) maybe this liner will work like flypaper, only for cats instead!

It would be perfect to solve our problem with decorative cats migrating throughout the house!

The kitties would just be stuck on the liner, not hurt or anything, but held firm until we gently released them to chase their greenie treats and use the litter box.

We thought the liner was a very innovative idea, for either holding an area rug in place, or holding a decorative cat in place.

For now though, we are just using it to hold down the area rug.

Once you start looking for innovative ideas, you come to realize that such ideas are simply everywhere!

Take going to the grocery store for instance.

Hasn't hard cooking an egg been a complicated and challenging task in your life?

It has been in mine. I regularly set a half dozen eggs to boil, then wander off to blog, and then later discover that I have boiled the pot dry, the eggs have exploded, and the pot is half melted on the stove top.

Bernie just hates it when I do that. The house stays smoky/burned egg stinky for days each time it happens. The marital bliss is impacted negatively as well. It is, in short, a bummer all around.

The other problem with hard cooking an egg for making deviled eggs is that inevitably at least a couple of the eggs just will not peel nicely. I know, I know...the trick is to use eggs that are about a week old if you want them to peel nicely, and to plunge them into cold water right away, blah blah blah...but even using all the great tips on how to peel an egg smoothly, there is STILL always one uptight egg in the bunch that just simple doesn't want to come out of it's shell.

Well, get a load of this innovative product:

For a mere $1.80, you get a half dozen medium sized hard boiled eggs, ALL READY PERFECTLY PEELED!

They taste great too!

Is this a wonderful time to be living in or what?

Coasters to move furniture easily, cat stick paper, ready to use hard cooked eggs...why, the only thing more you could possibly want is to be able to go look at houses on line and see each room in 360 degree virtual tour, (just give it a moment to load, then click on the words VIRTURAL IMAGES on the black bar just below the picture) while never having to leave your own home.

Pretty innovative I'd say.

Definitely cool.

(And, oh yeah, Texas housing prices are totally cool. You can tour other houses in Texas on line from this website. And yes, Houston is still looking for good workers; there are lots of jobs around here. If we had family here, we wouldn't be taking this job loss situation as an opportunity to to leave here and join our son in SLC, and be closer to our folks in So Cal.

If you know of a family, especially a young family who is out of work and wants a great house for a very reasonable price, tell them about Houston. "Houston is Worth It", as their motto goes.

As all the financial reports are reporting in terms of job loss and real estate losses: Houston: Actually, we DON'T have a problem!)

Happy Birthday Hal!

All of us here in Texas wish you a very happy 79th Birthday.

(and Tiggie wishes you could be here so he could take a nap with you again. Tiggie says he has stop smoking now, so he would only stay out in the yard with you when you have a "nasty" just to keep you company.)

Thank you for being such a great Father-in-law for the 31 years....

See ya next week!

Before and After part 3: Web album of the rest of the rooms

I'm using my blog as therapy at this point; it is a place where I can work through how I am feeling about all the changes that are happening in my world right now, and also as a place to record the process to some extent.

Like most women, my home is very much a part of my identity. While "things" are not as important as people, things carry poignant memories, and are not easily discarded. Even something as simple as moving a picture or a chair is felt like a restructuring of life.

Sometimes I like to move furniture and pictures around. A new perspective can be gained that way, or perhaps it is a way to close a chapter of life or to begin a new chapter. I've had seasons of my life when I moved furniture and accessories around pretty frequently, and other seasons, such as the years here in Texas where I have hardly moved a thing.

My guess is that being in such a very different place than where I spent my first 48 years of life made me feel like I wanted stability rather than new arrangements. Ten years in Texas and I still have a hard time saying "I live in Texas." I tend to say "we are living in Texas now..." instead.

I knew we never intended to live out our old age in this particular house. So everyday it seemed one of us would say "this is such a beautiful house. What an amazing blessing it is to have the chance to live here."

Sometimes I mentally note that I am grateful for the fact that I am not living in a war torn land, or in a place with disease or famine. That blessing strikes me as incredibly undeserved. I am so very thankful for my blessing upon my circumstances as well.

Today I read about a couple who "downsized" to a 6,000 sq. ft. house, before they ultimately downsized to two bedrooms in a retirement center. After they moved into the their quarters they found an abundance of time for friendship and activities, which they counted as a good trade for their cast off possessions.

It amuses me to remember that one of the reasons we bought this house in the first place was so we could easily entertain large groups, both for business and socially. We did have quite a few parties with twenty or thirty people milling about and enjoying themselves.

What amuses me about that is that in college I used to have groups of fifteen for parties and bible studies in my dorm room, a room that was roughly the size of my current guest room, or master bathroom! The surprising difference was that people dropped by my dorm room, and I had plenty of friends to hang out with throughout the week.

Few (if anyone!) ever dropped by my big old house just to say hi. Granted it is a haul to get out here, 11 miles off the freeway, but still, I do have neighbors and only one of them has every dropped by regularly.

I'm know I am rambling here. But if you are reading this, I'd like to think that you would, if you geographically could, be a neighbor that would drop by. Soon many people are going to be able to "drop by" my house electronically via the real estate website.

I will not be a hostess to them; they will never know me, nor know how my home really looked before it became a stage. The house will look wonderful; but it is now a bit of pretend.

So...for the sake of my own memories, so I can remember how my house looked before, and how it changed, I put together a web slide show of thirty two slides so I can hostess my blog readers personally through the rest of the house.

If you care to, you can see the pictures without the commentary, and then also with the commentary. My snarky comments take up a lot of room over the pictures and they are what you would hear if you had popped by to see how I was doing with the move.

I have a small favor to ask of you, dear reader, if I may.

If you are someone who usually reads my blog but never or rarely comments, could you please just add a comment to say hi? I know I come across really strong in all this moving, and I indeed am doing well, but I do have my moments when I feel a bit overwhelmed with the process of packing, showing and selling the house, looking for a new job in SLC or California, being there for Bernie as he deals with the stresses of finishing his current job and looks for new work as well.

Like the theme song on the TV series Scrubs says:

"I can't do this all by myself. No, I know, I'm no Superman."

I'm no Superwoman either, and having friends in blogland comment can really make me feel stronger for facing these upcoming days.