It took a total of 75 minutes for the crew to empty our Mt. Tabor home of 24 years of living. It took less than an hour to carry everything into the proper rooms in our new home at 1345 NE Halsey, 97230. Fittingly it took more time to stand and talk while we ate some lunch after the carrying was finished. Merrie and Sherry worked the rest of the day with Sherry to get things in cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms while I re-constructed our bedroom organizer bed, resizing it for the queen size sleep number mattress coming next week as a gift from Sherry’s Mom. I do miss Peter who could fix anything, inspiring laughter as he worked.

How does one get used a new home? The sounds and smells are so different. Hardwood floors are beautiful, and they speak welcome to me as I walk across them. It feels so far from the bedroom to the family room. Sherry’s sleeping in the huge master bedroom and feels far away from the family room where I’m temporarily computering. At this point we have the whole living room with nothing to go into it.

The family room will be a happy hang out place. The “wilderness view” through the big windows and patio door into the landscaped back yard is delightful. The number of leaves that have already fallen prognosticates much toil ahead. Doubly so, since I’ll be doing the Mt. Tabor house, at least until it gets rented.

It was really helpful that the Comcast cable guy was here as promised. He soon had us connected. TV and internet coming on made me smile. It felt especially connecting when the router displayed the blue light. It signaled our T-Mobile home phone had come up. The flashing red  and I discovered we had a voice mail. The joy faded as I listened to an angry man telling me we can get back at them if I will just . . .  Not sure what the just was because I but some emotion into deleting him and his style of politics.

There are always the lost items: where did my coffee go? I know I had my thermos yesterday, but it apparently has found a new home during the night. There really used to be a remote for the TV in the guest bedroom.

There are the new discoveries: I know we have lots of flowers, but do we really need our very own hive of bees in the tree closest to our wonderful covered deck? My shower felt so good after a very long day of lifting, bending, and shoving. Why did it have to be cut very short by a shrieking smoke alarm in the hall? Hearing the busses a half block away on Halsey only if I listen carefully is a delight after listening to them grind by some fifteen feet from our bedroom. There were a gaggle of 1:00 am sirened police cars on Halsey but I wouldn’t have heard them had I not been making a bathroom trip.

Going back to our nearly empty home was really hard for me. So many powerful memories still live there in the strangely open rooms. The marks on the carpet speak of what was and will be no more. I went slowly up the stairs that often brought happy footsteps signaling the coming of grandgirls and friends. I stood numbed at the door of the “blue bedroom” which started as my study, became bedroom for Donn, Cyndee, and David. Since they went on to their own homes, I’ve prepared it for so many friends, but no more. The little boy sang praise with the little girl in the front bedroom that became a place for children to play and pray. The remains on the floor in so familiar rooms only speak to me of the “no moreness.”

It will be better when we entertain our first guests in the new home. Betcha it’s grandgirls!