Our Little Peanut

If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.
-- Vincent van Gogh 

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The Newest Addition...

Our family was not just moving house this week...  Some of us were birthing beautiful babies!  Congratulations Mandi and Jamie!  Welcome to our newest grandson, "Owen Brydan James", who weighed in at 7 lbs 3oz, and who was born today at 7:23 pm.

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We're Here!

We have arrived...beaten and bruised from the move...but safe and sound.  I know one thing for a certainty....I NEVER...EVER...want to do this again.

I am taking the day off to recoup before I go back to work.  The painters are busy at the old house, and I am here... nursing some sore muscles and bad nerves.

I love this small home where I will never be tempted to bring in anything more than I need.  It has a healing quality about it. The birds!  The wildlife!  The quiet!  The stars!!!  O my!  

There is still stuff that needs to be done before we list our old home, and the pressure is on to list before the end of July.  I worried about how that could be accomplished, but have found a company that provides a portable storage unit that will be packed there and moved here, to sort over the coming month.  There is an end in sight.

I am happy.  Life is good.  

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And so it goes (and lessons I have learned along the way...)

The packing continues, and it is not yet evident whether I am making progress.  I often wish that I did not have a conscience...but I do...and so the following is what I have learned on the way to the recycling bin...

1.  Never EVER buy another magazine.  

2. Deal with paper clutter immediately.

2. Never handle a bill or letter more than once.

4. Ask your kids for a phone call rather than a card.

5. Ask the kids if they want their report cards and keep them no longer than 5 years. (OR...Scan and store on the computer and dispose of the paper copy immediately.)

6. Keep no more than one example of their art work especially if it cannot be identified.

I will be adding to the above list in the coming days.

Sorting of foodstuffs is easier when you look at the expiry dates on the packages.  I cringe when I see the amount of foodstuffs that are filling my garbage can.  I am appeasing my conscience by removing the packaging and recycling it.  I am truly amazed at the poor quality of products I have in my cupboard...many of which are full of ingredients that I cannot pronounce.  So much has changed over the past year....

I am trying to convince my husband, that you accomplish nothing by creating a mess all over the house when you are packing and sorting.  It makes a stressful situation more stressful.  I can't say much though, as he has really been working hard since we made our new purchase.

I am going back at it now... I am sure that if i survive this move, I will never EVER do this again....but if I ever waver in that decision, I know I will have learned some lessons along the way, and there will be much less sorting to do.

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Has Anyone Got a Match?

Yup...It is overwhelming!  As we pack to prepare to move, I realize how much less I need...and wonder aloud, "What was I thinking???"

This house is full from floor to rafters, and it doesn't matter whose stuff it is...It needs to go...FAST!  We need to clean, repair and clean out by the end of the month so that this house can go on the market.  The priority is to empty, and the time is short.  We may need to use a storage bin as a short term solution, but I am afraid of the "out of sight and out of mind" mentality that sometimes accompanies an arrangement such as this.

Is this our last move?  I think it is.  There is no need to move again as we have everything we need in our new little home.

I am not a glutton, or a hoarder.  It may seem so, but rest assured, there is accumulation from three separate households under this roof.

My blogging friend, Kim, from Stillmeadow Quilting, suggested that I visit "Clutterbusting with Brooks Palmer."  Thanks, Kim.  It has been helpful.

So...off to pack, sort and discard.  Have you ever been asked how to eat an Elephant???  The answer pertains..."One bite at a time."

The power of the Internet

I have been blogging for more than a year, and I am constantly reminded of the kindness of strangers....strangers that I have met along the way, and who have become friends.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me messages both on and off this site.

Your kindness is greatly appreciated.

Happy 4th of July!!!

...to all of my American friends!