SO MANY CHANGES

It's been over a month since we unloaded the big U-Haul with our furniture in it.   We bought this house and one of the benefits was a BEAUTIFUL big maple tree in the front yard.

When Ted pulled the truck in to unload he bent a couple of the branches of this tree.   We thought the tree was included in the price of the house but apparently the neighborhood association has some rights to it too as he was reported for bending the branches.   They did not break, however, so he is off the hook.

We really like where we live.   Kim can come visit and has, I have been over there and will be going back soon.

We are close to an AMTRAK station.   This is new for us and we leave this week for the state of Washington to visit Ted's brother and his wife.

I've had many changes where my church attendance is concerned.    I was very happy to see a rather large United Methodist Church about 3 miles from us when we arrived.   But...after my first (and last) visit to this church I received a letter from the minister with a gift card for $5 to the local Dairy Queen.   Not what I want a church I attend to be doing with their money.

The next church I attended was so friendly.   They were just so glad to have another body there and the minister was a very nice young man but his sermon that day was on "Getting New Members" and showed us a couple of video's telling us how to go about this.   He also had some jokes he shared and there were 9 of us at the early service.  Just a little smaller than I had hoped.

So yesterday I ventured out of the circle of Methodist Churches and visited a Christian Church.   I grew up attending a Christian church in Vermont.   I was baptized in a Christian church and was married in the same church.    We started attending a Methodist church when we moved to Tennessee.  

Anyway...yesterday I felt like I had gone home.   It was wonderful.   The people were friendly, some of the members knew a "Tingley" here or there and I will be placing my membership there.   It felt good to have a church again. 

I found a Dr. this week.   A lady Dr. and liked her immediately.    And she told me she was from Nashville and graduated from Vanderbilt University.

Maybe the biggest changes of moving are past and if so I am going to love living up here.

Settling In

The furniture is all unloaded.   The beds have been made.   Groceries purchased and even a couple of curtains hung.

We had company 3 days after moving in and it was so much fun.   Never dreamed it would be this wonderful living in Illinois.   Now when the first snow hits I may cry another tune.

Kim and family were here and we were talking about bird feeders.   I had decided not to put a Hummingbird feeder up because it was so late.   She reminded me the migrators would be arriving soon and need to be fed.    So...we got our one and only feeder and filled it and this is what happened within the hour.

 

If you look real close you can see Georgia.   She was all alone for awhile but now we are seeing George and of course the battles began.

 

SO glad Kim reminded us to do this.   We can see the feeder from our kitchen table and love watching these little birds.

Final Stretch

Sunday we drove to Tennessee for the final load of furniture.  Truck was picked up Tuesday morning bright and early.  Driven to the storage office and two men we had hired to come unload the pod and load the truck arrived.

I ran errands and met Ted with the large truck at 1:30 just inside the Kentucky boarder for lunch.  This was a long day for both of us but we traveled well and about 8 p.m. found a friendly little motel that only wanted $80 for a nights rest.  :)

Then the short  2 hour drive on in to Macomb and preparing the truck to be unloaded.   Yesterday about 8 a.m. Ted's nephew, Kermit, arrived with another man to help and suddenly we had several people bringing furniture and boxes into the house.   Most of these people I had never seen before.

In a quick 2 hours the truck was empty, everyone left but Brady and we started the fun job of really unpacking.  I could not believe the "stuff" we had here.   Our move from the other house did not seem like so much.  

We both worked hard and made a big dent in that mountain of boxes.   No, we did not finish but I realized the bathrooms had no storage and Ted soon realized he needed a shed.  

Beds were finally made and we began to wind down.  So far only one antique table was found damaged.  This was disappointing to me but even though we insured the furniture for the trip I doubt anyone will pay to have it fixed.

SO...our long summer that began on May 7 has finally come to an end.  We love living this close to family and friends.  No more lonely nights and maybe not much sewing will get done but we love where we are and feel this was the right move.  

We're Almost Home

It's been a long summer.   But we found this house two weeks ago, made an offer and it was accepted.

We are SO ready to have our own space again.   We have had wonderful friends and family that gave us space to live while in transition but there is nothing like your own home.   

Our new house is bigger than any house we have owned for over 20 years.   We did not plan on that happening but the price was right and the house will suit our needs very well.

This tree is in our front yard.   It has a couple of limbs perfect for swings.  

We have four bedrooms - a first for us and we are thrilled.    Getting our furniture to Illinois from Tennessee is more of a problem than we had expected. 

A week from tomorrow we will be closing on this house and start the job of making it our home. 

Summer of 2013 -Part 1

 The summer started in early May as we moved from the house we built almost 10 years ago.  The first week we were in our camper was spent at Henry Horton State Park.  This was a nice break.   It was quiet and very peaceful.  We listened to owls and many other birds too.

Once the final papers were signed and our check deposited in the bank for the house we moved the camper to Ridgetop Country Club.

Benjamin was waiting for us and it was good to be close to family at that time.   The first day I held a chair down by the pool most of the day.   After packing, packing and more packing, then being talked to like a traitor from our buyer I needed to just do NOTHING, which is exactly what I did.    Jim cooked and I sat.

Memorial Day all our kids came to help us celebrate and it was wonderful to have our 4 together again.   It had been a couple of years since that happened and we love when they are all together.  They worked holding a few chairs down around the pool too. 

 

I even got a picture of our first born and our last born together.   

 

When the Illinois car pulled out Monday morning there was an extra boy at the Country Club and we had just a great week with him.    We never get him to come visit so this was a rare occasion and we had the best time.     One of the most fun things we did was play Putt Putt Golf.   Jeremiah is a great television announcer and entertained Benjamin and I and I have a feeling the old couple that ran the course too. 

 

But like all good things the week ended soon and we told Benjamin good-bye on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning bright and early the blue Cruze took off for the Land of Lincoln.

 

We visited the week in Illinois.   First with Kim and family, then took a day and went down memory lane on our way to see a good friend of mine from years gone by.   

 

One of our first stops was at the house where we lived when my dad died.   It doesn't look near as big as it did when I was 9 years old.    Then we drove by the building where I went to school for 4 years.  It's not a school anymore and has been changed a lot.   Then on to a little town where my aunt and uncle lived.   They kept my horse that I rode before my dad died until she departed for horse heaven.   Her name was "Old Pet" and I loved that horse like she was million dollar winner.

 

Uncle Glen also kept my horse, Tony, after our house burned and we sold the land in Vermont.   He was just the best horse and knew more of my life's secrets than anyone.    My mother was a smart lady to buy that horse for me.

 

Then we stopped at a little Antique Mall in Cuba.   It was such a neat little place with some really nice things.    The lady there knew some of the people I used to know and we had a good visit.

 

Then on to Donna's house for a couple of days and a visit with her two sisters in the nursing home.   Getting old isn't ALL fun.   Sad to see these two ladies like this.

 

The last stop was our wild nephew, Kermit, and his better half, Beverly, that makes him look good.  We just kind of go in there and make ourselves at home like we do at Kim's.    It was a good week but alas we were ready to head back south to our new home.  

 

                                                                                                to be continued 

HOMELESS

I think we are about to be Homeless.   It will seem strange not to come HOME to this house.   BUT...we need to move on.   It's been a good home and we've had some fun times here.  

Here is where we stand at this point.   I had a problem with the only T.V. not packed the other night so called Dish.   Got into a Pissing contest with them and told them just about where I thought they could go.   SO...NO T.V.

We packed all the stereo's and radio's so now we either have to talk to each other or watch the neighbors.  

I packed all the lamp shades yesterday so we have just a few VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS in the house. 

We are having supper here one last time tonight, then pack what we will need in the camper and move it to Henry Horton State Park tomorrow night.  

We have ordered the lights and water changed to the new owner on Friday and will disconnect the phone and internet that day too.   Saturday we officially move to Ridgetop Country Club and leave River Glen for good.   I don't know if the Country Club gives senior rates or not but hope so.

We've had neighbor men on both sides of us that did not speak.   One of them never did, one got upset over a BOUNDRY line and quit.    His wife half- hartedly spoke but it has never been a close relationship to say the least.    Last week I gave her our old picnic table.   The chairs were all gone but the table was in pretty good shape.   From the looks of their yard the cash flow over there is small.    She was thrilled and it did my heart good.  

There are some things we will miss here but all in all I'm ready for a change.   We really do not know where we will land.   Right now we just need to vacate this house, get our money and sit back a few weeks.  

I doubt we will be homeless long but then we might like living in our fancy, dancy camper.  

MOVING SALE TURNED A REAL NEIGHBORHOOD SALE

Moving sale was advertised to start today.   BUT...yesterday we had a man come and buy the shed in the back yard.   Number one gone.   Then Ted put the signs up and I just happened to go to the garage to take something else out.   There was a woman going through the tables and she bought some stuff.  This is how the rest of the afternoon went.

Book case   -    Sold to neighbor  She wanted to corner cupboard so bad but no room

Towels, grill, perfume -  Sold to another neighbor     She got a free bottle of wine

CD and a LOT of free stuff - Sold to unknown man

Old lawn chair -  Sold to unknown lady

Then after supper another neighbor came wanting to see inside new camper.   Was it for sale?   Well, NO, we just bought it.    Well, why?    Well, we don't have a home.    WOW, it's really nice.  

They had had a little to drink and bought all the wine glasses I had out, the old mower that doesn't mow anymore, the rain barrel, some folding tables, the freezer, and will pick all of it up today but paid cash.

While they were here another  neighbor came and bought the corner cupboard.

I was exhausted.   Then who should show up but the buyers.   They didn't want my porch swing so now it's for sale too.  

SO...almost everything BIG sold to a neighbor and we have only 3 pieces of large furniture we would like to sell and the sale hasn't even started yet.    :)

This is a TRUE NEIGHBORHOOD SALE