Well, we really don’t mean that about help. We find it hard to accept help from friends or family even if we need it.
So, since we are moving into our new house in the next few days I announced that all packing would be done by the packers provided by the moving company.
I should have known better. The only time Ed has agreed with me was when we both said “yes” to the preacher. He had packed all of our belongings before I could look up the phone number for Blake Lambert’s moving company. Yes, I admit that we don’t have that much to pack from this apartment but it was still work.
Today, he is placing the furniture where we would like for it to go. Of course, this is on paper but believe me there won’t be any guessing when he is finished.
The first house we built was in New Orleans. Ed brought home empty refrigerator boxes as well as small boxes and planned our kitchen. He had a small rope, in the back yard as the boundary of the kitchen The boxes were our kitchen furniture and appliances and I was able to visualize how the kitchen would be.
Our children were young and they played house inside the make believe kitchen.
The house is just about ready to move in. We have nothing but thanks for our contractor. He was easy to work with and he accepted our desires for changes with such ease. This is the end of house building for him as he is retiring. We wish him well.
There are still a few changes for us. I will be glad when all of that is over. I find house building somewhat difficult. Sometimes it has to be in place before I realize it won’t work. I think with this one we have done everything right.
We have received a gift from two friends. They volunteered to help us unpack. Our friendship goes way back and our family knows them well. Beth and Cathy are both having back problems. They have the same back as I have. They will be able to have surgery and that will be the answer for them. I, on the other hand cannot have surgery.
So Barbara and Patt will help us. We appreciate all that they will do. We will be able to unpack and get everything in place. Ed, not knowing just where and what everything will go has promised to wait to unpack. We shall see.
We have furniture in the other house that we we will have to get. Most of this is up stairs. Our grandson is not using any of it.
I will be happy to watch nature at work as I look out of the windows. The sunroom is going to be great for that. I am hoping to have a pond with a waterfall. The nearest to the sound of a mountain stream I can have.
And the birds! I am so looking forward to seeing them and hearing them again. We are going to plant some trees. Oh, I know, “trees at our age?” Well, it excites me to have them growing in our yard. Even for a little time.
We can see the trees across the driveway. Ed planted some of them and we enjoy them.
Our big joy will be the space. In the house and outside. The retirement home is an answer to lots of needs. Our objection had nothing to do with the residents or staff. We just missed our space and nature.
I spoke to the women residents the other evening.We had a good crowd! There were others there also. I did one of my most favorite subjects. The one that is requested the most. “A Woman’s Search For Happiness.” It is based on my search. I learned a long time ago that we are all on a search for happiness. Most all that we do or don’t do is our wanting to be happy. If you look back on your search you will find some humor. At least I did. My program was well received and I was very pleased.
Back to the move. I was thinking about how many moves I had made. This included the ones I made in the same town. I discovered I had made thirty-five moves. That, my friends is a lot of packing. Of course, the moves made as a child didn’t require packing on my part. That was about half of my moves. Ed made thirty-six moves and about half of them required his packing. I will not say this is the last move—I have thought that before.
This is a smaller house than we have had for a long time but it will serve us nicely. We are thankful to be together and for whatever time we will have in the future. We thank God for our many blessings.
Wyrick is a regular columnist for this paper and resides in Sharpsburg. |
