Packing and Moving

Phil and I are in the process of weeding through belongings to determine what is trash that get tossed, what we don't want that's good enough for the garage sale next week, and packing the rest for moving into storage. We've been putting the trash in the trailer as we work and Phil made a trip to the dump to empty it filled to the brim. Phil is much faster than me at packing as I find myself taking a trip down memory lane. We are so fortunate to have 2-3 storage areas so that we'll be able to keep enough to set up home once we're done traveling. I saw the storage unit yesterday in the Fairport Harbor warehouse close to the boat that we're planning to use for the furniture and any items that we want ready access to. Yesterday's job was to put up the shelf above the big tool boxes. I took pictures, of course.

We've been working hard during the day and resting in the evening. Phil's idea of resting is reading a book. My idea of resting and relaxing is working on a new quilt for the V-berth. I'm making it from one piece of fabric for the top and another for the bottom. I'm in the process of marking the quilting lines which are in various all over patterns. Then will sandwich the layers and tie them together initially so that we can use it sooner. After the tying, I'll quilt it when we're down at the boat. This will go under the nice one that I have already made as we are expecting to need it for the trip down before we get far enough south for it to be warm.

I have taken off this week and next week to help with the move, get my school work completed and for visiting Rachel. Katie and I are leaving from our respective home towns Friday and we'll meet up to have a girls weekend in Rachel's new home town. We'll be back Monday late afternoon. Then on June 16th I'll drive to Dayton to bring Katie home for the first half of the summer and live on the boat with us. We are bringing her bike so that she'll be able to get to Lake Tran bus stop and get around.

My sister, Robin and her husband Paul, are in town. We were able to see them yesterday and show them Changes. They liked Changes, but realize it's not for them to live in such a small space. Today we'll take a break in the middle of the day to show them the house (Robin lived here as a teenager and Paul has never seen it) and have lunch in one of the good restaurants that Chardon now has. Too bad they are leaving on moving day!! (only kidding)

Thursday is the day that we are renting a van to move the big items - Phil has hired a couple of teenage boys to help - I think that we'll be starting at 8am. So we have two more days of packing to get ready. It's amazing how much stuff we have!! Keep in mind that we spent 3 months clearing out the house to get it ready to sell last year. So far we have the attic, excuse me 3rd floor, packed - a lot of the garage - but now have the attic of the garage and the workshop to do and my 2nd floor storage room, which isn't really THAT bad (I hope). Next week we'll be packing up the kitchen and the smaller stuff that is left behind. The last room to be packed and moved will be Phil's workshop so that it will be available for small jobs. He's making good progress on the bookshelves for Changes and has made the brackets that he'll use to screw down the patio umbrella so the wind doesn't knock it over. In the process of putting on the coats of varnish.

Sunday my sister-in-law Ginny came and helped us pack up the dining room. So that room is now done. We thank her very much and it was nice visiting as we packed.

A benefit from the packing is that I have started to reconnect with the women and children that belonged to the playgroup we had when we lived in Erie. That playgroup was my lifeline when the kids were small. As I went through the photos, I had a trip down memory lane and when I found one of my old friends number, I called, and it still when to her house even though they moved to a different house! Through her and Facebook, I've started to reconnect. I hope that I'll be able to get in contact with even more of the group as not everyone has a FB page. It's amazing how the kids now are young adults in college and so grown up! Well it's been 11 years - and the oldest were pre-teens when we left Erie, PA so I shouldn't be surprised now should I?

Phil is awake now so time for breakfast and to get to work.