and another week goes by....

It seems like there are never enough hours in the day. No matter how much I want to do, it just doesn't all get done. Feeling overwhelmed, there are moments when I wish I could just chuck it all, lay out next to the pool with a cold drink in one hand, and a good book in another. Although, frankly, I supposed I could do that! This entire week has been devoted to moving things from apt to house. What a chore. No matter how much we've taken, there's still more! I feel as if I'm existing on bare minimums ... everything that I don't think I'll need for the next month is over there, in boxes. Waiting for the rest of my furniture to arrive so I can reassemble my life again!

Today, we moved the entertainment center, and started to assemble it back together. The way I see if, if I have at least something put together, I can start emptying boxes! however, we got part way into re-assembly and realized we had left one of the smaller, but very key pieces, back at the apartment .... it figures! But, that also meant that I had an hour to kill doing something else productive. So I surrounded myself with the smallest of boxes (about 10 of them) and began unpacking them. These boxes had been packed up in 2002 or 2003, so this is the third move they've made without being unpacked. It gave me a great deal of pleasure to see this set of dishes. It's a pattern called "Linda" and my mom started collecting it for me when she went to antique stores and flea markets. It was made by Vernon Kilns, which was the name used by Vernon Potteries, Ltd. The company, which started in 1931 in Vernon, California, made dinnerware and figurines until it went out of business in 1958. I'm so grateful that nothing, not one piece! had broken or chipped in all the moving they've done. (Did I have some sort of premonition way back when about how far, and how many times, these things would be moved???)

Slowly, piece by piece, my new home is coming together. And it's a thrill every time something gets accomplished. I shopped for a fridge and a washer/dryer set. At first I was just looking for whatever was the cheapest to "get by for now". But hell, I'm Fifty and Fabulous! Why should I have to settle any more? It's not like I'll probably buy another set for years and years, so get what I want the first time around! So I did :) Can't wait for it to be delivered ... Monday :)

Hope everyone's 2010 is off to a great start ...
Remember: You can do anything you set your mind to do!

HUGS to everyone!

Welcome to 2010 !

Happy New Year to everyone, and may this be our best year ever!

2009 was a year for many changes for me. And even with all the bad news with the economy and stock market and the war(s) still going on, there are many things we can be grateful for. And many opportunities for making this a year to remember. Take the time to look around at the wonder of nature, the people in our lives, the things that enrich and sustain us. With a little gratitude, we sure can appreciate life's many splendid things!

Christmas didn't feel like Christmas for me this year. After closing on the house, it was time to get busy and make it move-in ready. It's difficult maintaining two homes and trying to be in the Christmas spirits at the same time. But, as I learned through divorce, Christmas isn't about the day, its the time you spend with your loved ones. Every other Christmas, for many years, I was alone. Through that, I learned to celebrate it when my kids were back home with me, no matter what the calendar date was. I can remember years where they'd come home and we'd do "the Christmas thing", and move right into the New Year's traditions, all on the same day! Nothing like waking up and having the traditional Christmas breakfast, complete with mimosas (darn! maybe THAT's what was missing this year!), having swedish meatballs for dinner, and then right into the new year's eve tradition of playing bingo and making our own ice cream sundaes to ring in the new year!

Celebrating on a different day is just what I did this year as well. My daughter and granddaughter came up that weekend and we celebrated Christmas in the new house. Granted, we sat in folding lawn chairs, and there wasn't much in the house besides the Christmas tree; but we loaded a pot of stew into the car, grabbed a good loaf of french bread, and we ate well then opened up gifts.

Ringing in the New Year was with more snoring than fireworks. LOL. Work the next morning makes it difficult to stay up til midnight. Besides, the neighbors here in the apt complex more than made up for my lack in the partying department. 'Nuff said. *grin*

Every day this week, we have taken a full car load over to the new house. My closets are empty, except for my work uniforms. About 80% of my kitchen stuff is already into the cupboards at the new home. And I'm looking at next weekend or the following weekend to be fully moved with all the furniture being moved with a U-haul, I suppose.

Before I become too lethargic and just want to sit around all day, I best be up and moving!

Happy New Year HUGS to everyone!