PACKING

Along with the excitement of beginning a new chapter in our lives comes the drudgery of tasks like cleaning and - ugh! - packing.  As I mentioned previously, we've lived in this house longer than any other.  One of the advantages of moving is that things get cleaned out.  That drawer, or closet, or basement, or, God forbid all three, that you've just kept tossing 'stuff' into finally gets to see the light of day.  Rather than finding something I thought I'd lost, or maybe even a few coins, all I've been finding is stuff I don't want, don't need, and don't know why I kept in the first place.

Even after weeding out the junk, getting rid of the clothes that don't fit and making tough decisions about what stays and what goes, there are STILL boxes piling up in the garage, each carefully marked, thoroughly sealed and waiting for the movers.  At this point I've packed just about everything I can - we still have to have clothes and dishes and pots and pans up until we leave the house - but it's frustrating not to have anything else to pack.  At least it was giving me a project to help pass these last few weeks - and to keep me from thinking about how sad it will be to leave this house, this town, this country.  Good thing we already have our tickets to come back in September!