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.

Getting Ready to Move

Phil and I have been pretty busy the last week. We had the inspection last Saturday - went well and then found out NO conditions from the buyer - Had the Bank Appraisal last Sunday - the appraiser expected us to be able to meet the asking price. Now we're waiting to hear by the end of this coming week, if the bank expects any repairs to be done. I also finished up my last week on the Mentor Alt Home East team. Really enjoyed working with that team, but will be working somewhere else when I'm done with vacation. Will find out where just before I return.

In preparation for moving us onto the boat this week, I found a new umbrella for our deck dock space. It's a $50 special from Marcs, but so far think it works well. We were there this morning, as we slept on the boat Friday, and a gust of wind knocked it over, so Phil is going to make wood U-shaped blocks to screw over the legs of the umbrella to keep it upright. A lot cheaper than the umbrella base we saw in a add and being made of wood, it shouldn't rub away the paint so doesn't rust as fast (we hope). In the above picture, you can see Pat Schlauch in the background as she and her husband George us for afternoon appetizers and our favorite wines (and whiskey for some - George). It's nice to have friends come to visit.I have the next 2 weeks off from work to help get us moved out by June 24. We hope to be completely moved out by the June 20 and then have the last 4 days to get it cleaned for the new buyers. The work shop will be the last to be emptied, so that it's available for the odd projects that need to be done.

Phil with my assistance, emptied out the knee walls or the 3rd floor. It's amazing how much we had stored there. I'm doing my best to get rid of anything not necessary or sentimental. I took pictures, but unless I get comments that you want to see them, will spare you having to look. (You're welcome) One job was moving the old letters and all the photos. Me being me - I had to look at some and decided to sorted out the duplicates photos and send the ones that I think my ex-husband might be interested in having and mail to him. Also spent some time (not a lot) reading some old letters. Found some of my calendars that I have kept through the years One is from 1979 when I first started working at Bailey Meter and I have when I had the interview and the job offer. Another from 1986 when I came back from New Orleans, so it sure has been a trip down memory lane. I've enjoyed seeing the pictures of when the kids were small and found one of me also that Phil scanned. Story: Got to love those glasses - my first ones for lazy eye. I'm 7 in this photo at our house in Mentor Headlands with my birthday kitten. I didn't have the kitten long, as she died. My mom said that she was climbing a fence and fell and got crushed. I was sad and didn't have a new kitten to replace this one. Don't remember what I named her.

But now that all the photos and other items are packed in tubs, we have them carried them to the living room in ready to be taken out to storage. I have learned that it's better to put them in sealed tubs so keep out the mice. Can you believe that some mice chewed some negatives???

Talking about storage, we have been fortunate to learn that a fellow GRYC member has storage space in Fairport Harbor, which is not far from GRYC, and Phil signed a lease to rent a 14'x18' room. It's not heated, but is in a building within a building so no mice. I haven't had the pleasure to see it yet, but am sure I will on Tuesday. Tuesday is the day that we rent a moving truck and transport the big pieces of furniture. We are planning to hire a couple teenage boys to do the heavy lifting. In preparation, Phil has been busy building a wooden platform structure that the couch, chairs, and recliner will go under so that we can put other items on top to make maximum use of the verticle space. Phil is also in the process of making cherry book shelves (2) to go in Changes to hold our books - he's made them big enough so that my school textbooks will fit in them.He is varnishing them with the same varnish used inside the boat - he's told me what kind - but I don't remember. Happens especially if I don't write it down. We're fortunate that we have almost 2 quarts of this varnish, as it's not made anymore.

Some of you know that we've been trying to work out what to do about having a permanent address once we sell the house. My sister-in-law, Virginia, has agreed to let us use her address and also to forward the mail to us. So we're VERY grateful for her doing this. She's going to be coming to our house tomorrow (Sunday, which is really today as I post this message) to help us pack. We'll start in the dining room and empty out the big pieces of furniture that we'll be moving.

I had a hard time sleeping last night as about 1130pm rain started coming in the hatch. Being a girl - woke up Phil for him to close the hatch. If you've never been in a V-berth on a warm evening and no air circulation - be happy. Eventually I fell asleep, but then didn't wake until 830am. Now I'm having a hard time sleeping as I took at nap 430p (I was tired!) So tonight we're sleeping at home - which is just as good as there is a lot of rain and a tornado watch until 9am and I'm having a hard time going to sleep. Just waiting for the Benadryl to kick in.

May be a while before I post again as going to visit Rachel next weekend.