Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Back in the real world

Oops, I mean the virtual world. We had internet access in motels during our cross-country move but it took a long time to get set up at home.

We've been spending our time unpacking, trying to fit everything into our new (and much smaller) house, finding the library, grocery stores, and all that stuff. Got together with the new homeschool group at a park day and met some kids. Are learning to deal with hot humid weather.

I noticed that I did not do a monthly reading post for June. Well, that's OK because I didn't read anything. I had lots of plans for reading to the kids along the way but we just drove and drove. We finally finished Johnny Tremain this morning. J had been in a slump but since losing computer privileges for a week he's rediscovered the joy of books and has read The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop, and Knight's Castle by Edward Eager. We have lots more E. Eager books and the sequel to the Winthrop book, but I can't find those book boxes yet. E just keeps finding stuff to read, even if it's a craft book. I can't think of anything she's finished.

I have barely picked up my Bible, let alone done any other reading. But the bookcases are filling up and the craving to read has started....

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Traveling....

On Saturday (7/14) we left home at about 7 pm and got as far as The Dalles, OR, a whopping 98 miles. Oh well, at least we were out of town.

Sunday we drove from The Dalles to Twin Falls, ID. Didn't stop much along the way; didn't seem like there was much to see!

Monday was Twin Falls to Cheyenne, WY. 651 miles; a long day. We did take a detour to see The Great Salt Lake, which was anti-climactic at best. The kids wanted to put their feet in it but we couldn't get that close without a long drive to an island and a hefty state park fee. So, they saw some salty areas of ground near the lake. Close enough.

Tuesday we blew through the rest of Wyoming and all of Nebraska, coming to rest on the edge of Iowa.

Today is Wednesday? We are going to visit a few local attractions and then head to Rock Island, IL. A short day; only 308 miles. Should be easy...

Having good audio books is helping a lot. Over the last 2 days we listened to book 1 in "The Mistmantle Chronicles" which is a great fantasy story. Good themes for discussion and a little MacBeth. Great stuff and helps those miles go by faster. Today, we are going to start "The Lord of the Rings."

Friday, July 13, 2007

A day late... or maybe two

Today was the day we were to set off on our seminary adventure. On Monday the truck came and that evening some friends came over to help load the heavy stuff. Then we planned to spend the next 2 days filling it ourselves, while we finished packing. Call the trucking co. by 2 pm, and be out the door by, say, 6 or so. Easy.

Hahahahahaha!

Do it yourself moving is not for the faint of heart. At least, not once you hit middle age and have a big house, a lot of books and other stuff, and 2 young kids. I thought about all the moves I made in my 20s and 30s when I was single. I'd rent a u-haul and put my stereo, bed, boxes of books and clothes into the back, and off we'd go. I didn't have to worry about tying down the load, or filling up all the space, or making sure my nice (though few) antiques didn't get scratched up. I probably would have had the stamina for 12 hour work days. That's 12 hours of relentless work - packing, loading, pushing, pulling, up and down the truck ramp.

I also didn't have two children who don't feel a particular urge to leave behind their only home, all their friends, and all that is dear to them to set off on an adventure. They are sad, and crabby, and they need lots of attention, not less just because Daddy and I are busy.

So, we decided to slow down just a little bit. We can leave tomorrow or even Saturday without a financial loss, or much of a time loss. The seminarian won't have the luxury of two weeks before starting his summer Greek class. But we won't be so crazed.

So, if you sent me a "bon voyage!" email today, well.... I'm still here!

Saturday, July 07, 2007

(For some reason I can't put a title to this post! It was going to be "New justification for collecting fabric.")

We're into the packing frenzy mode now. Doesn't every move have one? So many things we couldn't pack early... now it's getting late!

I've found that my stash of fabric is really helpful for padding items as I put them in boxes. Fat quarters and remnants are great for filling in little spaces so the box is full enough not to crush.

Yarn is very good for filling in too, but only if (like me) you buy cheap yarn. If I was a real knitter and had nice wool, I wouldn't stuff it into the bowl of my Kitchenaid to keep the attachments from rolling around. Kitchen cotton works fine, though. Well, I guess so. I'll find out when we get to our destination.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Celebrating Independence from junk

Yesterday we had our big dumpster party. We had one of those big "roll-off" (technical term) containers delivered to our driveway to get rid of assorted... stuff... that has accumulated. We ended up with one bigger than we'd requested, and it turned out to be a good thing.

It's amazing how much stuff builds up over 9 years when a family has no motivation to get rid of it. Meaning, we are lazy and we have a lot of space. Today I also made some rounds, getting rid of some old paint (actually left by previous owners), my wedding gown (to a charity that provides gowns for women with cancer), some storage cabinets (to a friend who met us at a home depot parking lot to make the drop) and some books (used book store).

It feels wonderful to get rid of unwanted stuff. I just feel a little weight falling off my shoulders with each toss into the dumpster or each dropoff.

So if anyone is wondering how we're doing getting ready to move, there you go.

Oh, the kids had some fun with fireworks last night too. They said it was the best 4th of July ever. It was good to see them having fun as they are dreading the move more, the closer it gets.