Can't believe Christmas 09 is behind us!

That's right...no photos yet. My camera cord to charge my new camera is in the only closet that is PACKED with boxes from floor to ceiling! So, I used Rachel's camera during the holidays. However, since its a Canon, my laptop refused to upload the photos and so I will wait until she can get me a copy of them. Of course, this is delayed because after they had left for the airport on Saturday, they discovered that the camera bag (with Rachel's keys in it) was left behind. We had to wait until Monday to ship it to her. UPS said it would be about a week before they get it through the sleet and snow to New Hampshire. As soon as I have photos, I will post some!

It was a busy but wonderful month. December 11th, Glo, Mary Beth and I hosted a bridesmaid luncheon for Sarah Buckingham at my home. It gave me a due date to get the unpacking finished (well, almost finished...remember the closet mentioned earlier!). It was fun decorating the house and getting everything ready for the luncheon. We had a great time and everything went smoothly. On Saturday, we attended the wedding. It was so pretty in the church while it was all decorated for Christmas. Going back to Goddard after leaving there years ago brought back a lot of memories for sure.

Steve and I were later getting our shopping done this year more than ever before. But, somehow we got it done and wrapped! He gets as excited (or at least almost) as I do getting ready for Christmas.

The house is beginning to feel more like our home now. Getting all of our old decorations out that we've had for years made it feel like ours. Of course, we had to add a few new things too!

Rachel and Chris arrived on Monday night before Christmas. Very soon it felt like they were with us all the time. We all went to eat in Fayetteville at Noodles and then went down to the square to walk around to see the lights. It was chilly but fun!

The boys (Steve, Greg, Jon and Chris) left early Wednesday morning for a fishing trip to Beaver Lake. Steve had planned it way back as part of our Christmas gift to them. He was so excited, planning it and all...making sure they all had warm clothing for the day. The girls and I went shopping in Rogers for last minute Christmas gifts. As it turned out, the guys should have gone shopping with us! The fish were all in hiding because I don't think they even got very many bites and definitely didn't get any fish! I think they had a good time anyway.

That night, Kyle and Hayley arrived with their new baby Stella to spend the night. We ate, laughed and played with the baby until late. How special this Christmas is for them!! I remember the first Christmases with my babies and what a wonderful feeling that is.

Christmas Eve brought a challenge as Mary Beth and Jon travelled to our house from Fort Smith. They started coming up the hill into ParkRidge and couldn't make it for the ice!! Everyone went down there to help them, but nothing was happening until a kind neighbor stopped and pulled them with his truck up the hill. Everyone came in and warmed up as we shared funny stories and Kyle told stories about parenthood.

Christmas Day was busy, opening gifts and seeing the love and thought that went into each one of them. We got busy cooking the lunch and as I was trying to bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave, I discovered it wasn't cooking. Then we started to smell burning plastic and saw smoke coming out of the top!! Since then we have found out it has died and will have to be replaced. Sigh. Just what we wanted to do this time of year!! I guess its just a good thing it happened while we were home. But then again, it wouldn't be running if we weren't at home...well, you get the picture!
We all stayed up until about 2am playing Apples to Apples and Catch Phrase, discovering that we are all pretty competitive and like to win. It just got funnier as the night went on!

Saturday came and we got the news that two former Southside students (brother and a sister) had died in a car accident in Kansas while travelling home for Christmas. I had both of them in Partners Club--great kids with so much hope ahead of them. It saddened me so to try to even imagine that level of grief. I hugged my kids a bit longer, a bit closer and even though it was difficult to say goodbye this time....at least it's not forever.

Christmas can OFFICIALLY begin!

1989. Rachel was 7, Mary Beth was 3 and Greg was about 18 months. Too cute for sure.

When I look back on their childhood, the holidays are the times that I miss those little ones the most. The excitement that they feel over every little thing was fun for me too. Even visiting Santa at the mall would get them going!

Last night was one of those rare occasions that we had them all together. Rare now that Rachel lives out in New Hampshire. Yes, I know I have whined about this before....its so hard but yet she's so happy....so I just whine sometimes. Their flight arrived from Boston and Steve and I picked them up at XNA. Then we drove to Fayetteville and met Mary Beth and Greg at Noodles Restaurant for a yummy dinner. (amazing how FULL you get eating pasta!) Jon is still not feeling well so he wasn't able to join us this time. All of us drove down to the square in Fayetteville's downtown area to walk around and see their light display. Beautiful!

This was the first time for Rachel and Chris to see the new house since we had moved in. Rachel had seen it while the previous owner was still living here. Quite different now, for sure. They seemed to love it.

I'm looking forward to spending time this week with my three and their others. With Rachel home and Mary Beth, Jon and Greg coming in tonight, I declare that Christmas can officially begin!!

I can't wait for the stories that I will have to write on the guys' fishing trip they have planned for Wednesday. It's part of our Christmas gift to them. They are going on a guided fishing trip to Beaver Lake, on the Holiday Island side all day Wednesday. Supposed to be raining. Fun.

The girls and I are going shopping for the day! Now THAT sounds like FUN!!!!!

My parents are planning to come down Christmas Eve, if weather permits. We won't get to see Steve's family this Christmas, which I hate. We just couldn't work it into his time off. As a mother, she likely feels like I do about wanting all of her kids home.

So today holds finishing up more treatment plans to turn in and getting an MRI this morning for my back/hip thing. Then, we have some baking and gift wrapping to get to.

I can't wait!

What do we hang first? On the walls, I mean.

Last night was a tough one. It has been frustrating to my "I LOVE CHRISTMAS" self to see every house in our neighborhood (yes, EVERY) lit up at night and looking festive. We look like the Ebenezer Scrooges of the street. We do actually know where the boxes are (Rachel's room at this point) but have sworn to not get all of that going until we are further along with this unpacking and straightening ordeal. Again, I have to say that I fully understand that others have gone through this, but perhaps they are more flexible and can manage their life better than I do. It wouldn't take much really. As I write this I see a slow stream of cars driving ever so slowly down the street to see the lights and decorations....but not at our house. Our light went out on the front porch and we have yet to figure out how to change it. Looks impossible!

I decided to try the "take one room at a time" principle so I started with my bath and bedroom. Since our television is out, I decided to put my Ipod on the speakers and listen to some music while cleaning and unpacking. Found some of the clothes and shoes I had been missing...finally let go of some old things that you just keep because you think you should. I was making some progress when I realized that I had forgotten to pick up a prescription in, you guessed it, Fort Smith. It's no longer the five minute trip it once was. More like fifteen to twenty. But off I went.

When I returned, Steve and I ate some supper and he told me he had hung the first framed photo in the house. He was pretty proud of himself. We laughed as we finished eating and then he was back out into the attic to work on flooring that thing. I go out for the occasional "can you hold this while I use the skill saw and get sawdust all over you?" But I did it anyway.

I went back inside and spotted the picture he had hung. Yes, that's it above. Probably my favorite that I took of my three when we were at Carol Ann Cross Park one fall afternoon to play. It's such a work because it says so much about each of them at that time as well as now. There's Mary Beth---off and running in the lead knowing the others are behind her. Even now they love and support her through whatever she does. Greg holding Rachel's hand in his cute little overalls and probably some colored socks...likely red ones...that his mother put on him so he'd match. He was the youngest, so he tried to keep up with Mary Beth because whatever she was doing would be an adventure, but he wanted the security of big sister's hand at the same time. He still likes adventures but I think it's safe to say that he still likes to be close to remind himself that he is so loved and adored. Then there's Rachel. What a cutie in her little socks that had beads crocheted around the edge. And of course she tolerated yet another big bow in her hair. You don't see one in Mary Beth's hair, do you?? Rachel was the one that loved an adventure but was, and is, always more cautious, keeping her eyes wide open to what is going on around her and protecting the ones she loves like an old mama bear. Still does.

It was probably one of the few happy memories I have of life with the children and their father.

The tears were just at the edge when suddenly I realized that Michael Buble was singing on my Ipod and yes, he was singing about "Home". If you haven't heard it and need a good cry just find it and play it now. It felt good to let the tears go, just as they find their way up again as I write this. The lump in my throat just won't go away when I think how precious they are and how precious Steve is for thinking how very much it would mean for me to have this, of all photos, hanging in the house. That photo says we belong here and there will be room for future photos just like that on other walls here.

I love decorating and all, but sometimes it takes just one photo to remind you what home is all about. I think I will go now and unpack another box. And maybe tomorrow I will feel less sorry for myself and be able to find the motivation to finish the job.

Can you say Customer Service?

I worked really hard today. I mean REALLY hard to get my notes done and see everyone that needed to be seen today. No lunch break, just worked straight through. I was excited because I had this brilliant plan to come home and work like a white tornado through this new house, unpacking, sorting and sifitng, hanging pictures and all. What is it they say about the best laid plans?

I got home around 4:30 this afternoon. We've been trying to sell, move out, or dump lots of stuff and fortunately I had gotten a call from a little old man that wanted to buy one of our older television sets. He lives in Gorman Towers in Fort Smith and would need us to deliver it to him. I wouldn't ordinarily do that, but for a little old man in an assisted living facility, I thought we could. We made the delivery and so far, all was well.

Remember we had trouble with our DVR over the holiday, with Greg on the phone to Cox Cable and all. It was determined that our DVR was bad and we would need to exchange it. That being said, Steve and I did NOT know there was a Cox in Van Buren. So, while we were out making the goodwill delivery to the little old fellow, we drove out to exchange that. It was now about 6:00 so we decided to grab a bite to eat before heading home.

I was still optimistic that I would get home and start a flurry around me. I should have known better. I really should have.

I know everyone is tired of hearing my song about the move and the unpacking and all. But honestly, it just never ends! I KNOW people do this often and some more than others. We haven't moved in 17 years and it shows. There's junk that likely should have been trashed the day we got married! I have not put up a single Christmas decoration yet. A new record of lateness for me. It's hard to have a vision when there's still boxes everywhere and no place for them to go.

I am SO excited to finally have a fireplace. Bad part is you have to be a gymnast to light the thing. No joke. You just about have to lie down on the floor to light it. And you have to hold one button in for a couple of minutes, so you can't leave your position quickly.

We started trying to figure out what to start on first as Steve hooked up the new DVR. Guess what? Same problem. We checked the wiring over and over and everything was right. Checked the tv settings and they were right. And then the tv sound stopped too! And THEN the CLICKING started. A real popping, clicking noise. That's right people. Our NEW SONY HUGE TV WAS POPPING!!

I had already called Cox and they backed out of the problem quickly. And by the way, is it a requirement that you do not speak clear English to work in customer service? Next I called Best Buy. This is no exaggeration: First time I called I was on hold for 20 minutes. Next time I called and was on hold for about 25 minutes. I finally got someone and then he put me on hold to see if he could figure out the problem. He DID tell me to please unplug the tv because it could be a fire hazard. Oh good. Just what we needed.

And then my cell phone died. Yes it did. I ran in to get the landline phone that we haven't used yet and it wouldn't let me dial him back. I finally used Steve's cell phone to call him back!

I called back a third time and ask for management. I got a really nice young guy who must have drawn the short straw at the counter in order to take my call. Yes, by this time I was irritated. He stated that the set would need to be replaced and would arrange that and call me back in ten minutes. And call he did. They can't deliver the new tv until next Monday.

I suppose that's better than a house fire. I filled the whirlpool tub, soaked for a long time and now I'm off to bed. I wonder why I'm so tired?

Settling in and Suddenly it's Thanksgiving!

On Wednesday night, as we were getting some more boxes cleared out and waiting on the arrival of Greg, Mary Beth and Jon. Mary Beth arrived here first, jumping in to help with the clearing and cleaning. We were finalizing the menu for dinner on Thursday when Steve announced that Jon had arrived outside. However, not in his car but in the IPC VAN!!! I could simply not imagine what he was doing in that van, but soon found out. There was a piece of artwork that we had been seriously considering for the dining room, as well as a sideboard that was narrow enough to allow room for the chairs....all available at IO Metro. Well, apparently I had underestimated my daughter because she had arranged to check out the two pieces and have Jon deliver them to our door for us to see in the house.

Here is the sideboard that holds lots of dishes and other "stuff" (I know, I know....I haven't gotten rid of EVERYTHING!)

Steve and Greg relaxing after he arrived and the new sectional was delivered. Notice anything? That's right...it's the very same one that we had at the lakehouse. We LOVED that one and the neutral color was perfect...so we found it again and ordered another one. I like it because by changing up the throw pillows, it could go anywhere. And lots of room for lounging around by lots of folks. Heavens...don't look at all the clutter around it though!!!

And when you have a big sectional, you just never know who will show up to watch movies or play video games.

Steve caught me in the kitchen, where we spent most of the morning getting the food ready for the "feast". It was nice actually cooking a meal in the new kitchen, although we found ourselves constantly asking "Have you seen the ____?"

We decided to have ham instead of turkey this year. Steve got very excited about slicing it!

New roll recipe that is supposed to be like the rolls at Golden Corral. I'm not sure if they were exactly like those or not but they were absolutely DELICIOUS! I just needed to have doubled the recipe! Mary Beth took them out of the oven and buttered them, so she posed for this photo to show grandmother (like she made them herself!)

Greg takes time to sort through tubs and boxes of his that have been in storage. Sort and purge. He likes sentimental things almost as much as I do. He teased me by bringing in his little teddy bear from when he was little and asking if he had to save that or not. Then he started laughing and I knew he just wanted to see my reaction!

Here's the artwork of the "senorita" and the four coca bollas that are actually sconces for candles. We've thought about naming her, but no ideas yet.

One little corner that is tidy and done. Yay!!! Steve had to hang the artwork by himself since Chris wasn't here this time. When we bought it just before the wedding, Steve and Chris spent a great deal of time hanging this, getting it straight and all (they are both perfectionists about this!).

Thanksgiving was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of work, a time to reflect on what blessings we have in our life and to spend some quality time with our loved ones. There was just an empty spot for those not here, but knowing that Christmas is around the corner helps with any sadness!! It looks like everyone will be here for Christmas and we couldn't be happier about that.

I've had a lot of frustrations and difficult times recently but it looks like things may be settling down and there are better times ahead. And that's all really that anyone can ask for.

Some people just never get "IT"

As for the vast crowd of readers that I have for my blog, you may not all be aware of it (if you live on Mars) but we MOVED almost three weeks ago. The move was a very difficult and rather traumatic one for me....in case you missed that as well! After living and collecting things for the 17 years that we have been married and lived in the Free Ferry house. And I really mean COLLECTING THINGS. I've told many folks that we are almost like some of the hoarders on the TLC shows, but we are at least "organized" hoarders/collectors. We typically save things in tubs and boxes with neat labels. However, when you move, it really does not matter. There are the boxes and tubs to be moved.

This is all to say that my life has basically been upside down for a number of weeks. Putting the house on the market was a lot of work because we had to clear out and "stage" it all. When it sold, we had to rapidly put everything into four storage units and move into a hotel for six weeks with only the most basic of necessities. Moving day came and we found ourselves emptying out the four storage units plus what was in the hotel room and trying to find a home for it all in our new house. Needless to say, it just doesn't fit. It's just as if someone took all of our boxes and tubs and shuffled them all up and them dropped them from the sky. There are STILL tons of boxes everywhere and things missing. (ex. my CAMERA!)

In my naive little view of the world and their understanding and compassion towards others, I sometimes fail to realize that not everyone "gets it"....and that was cleared up for me this afternoon. In my job, there is paperwork that has to be done each week and if it is not done then I don't get paid for that work. That's as clear as it can get....no paperwork in=no pay. I totally get it. For the most part I have been keeping up with it, but during the time at the hotel and now in the house with everything upside down, I have not been keeping up. I was definitely planning to get caught up over the next few days between cooking dinner on Thanksgiving and unpacking.

The people on my short list of those that don't get "it" and have a real lack of professionalism has found someone who was already on the list and now has a star by their name. Wow. What do you say when someone has a problem with four employees not getting their paperwork in on time and sending out an email to EVERYONE that works for the company, including the owners, to gripe them out and list their failures. Wow. What DO you say? If I had another job lined up I can tell you what I would say!!!

Unlike my typical self, I did not immediately respond and have yet to say anything to anyone up the food chain about this email situation. There were many things I thought about saying and doing, but I get "it"....I love my job and I can only hope that I can put this incident behind me, get the paperwork done starting at about 3am tomorrow and get it in. I've done it before and I can do it again. I can do it even without people that don't get "it" reminding me of why the two best words in my business are "I UNDERSTAND."

Some thoughts on a Monday

There are some things that I am learning to be true since we have made the move to our new house:

• it takes a degree in computer science to set up a programmable thermostat that keeps returning to 70 degrees every time we leave the room
• You CAN exist with the same pair of black slacks worn repeatedly until you find your boxes of clothes
• When you reach ultimate frustration over the loss of something in the move...it is time to belly up and buy another....as in camera
• it is wonderful to finally have room to park your car in the garage again...ahhhh.
• you really CAN fill up a room with boxes full of crap that you haven't used in years and then try to decide what to do with them to get everything into one closet
• there is an advantage to moving in the fall after the grass is dead because there would be absolutely no time for yard work
• speaking of time...there is no way for two people to work full time and get unpacked in a reasonable amount of time
• when you move, make plans to host a party/luncheon or something to give yourself a goal for getting the house ready by that date (or not!)
• its okay to miss your old place every now and then....it was familiar and even with it's faults, you knew it well....so it is okay to miss it every now and then.

A work in progress

Since we moved in our new home, we have been working every available minute (when we are NOT at the jobs that PAY us!) to unpack boxes and try to sort through the multitudes of tubs and boxes. We are making a little headway. We can now do the laundry and cook some meals. I found a few more of my clothes and we have the pets neatly settled in to their new homes.

My parents came to see our new house last Sunday. They loved it but had to part the sea of boxes to find their way through it!

Steve and I have been trying to share a ride on some days, leaving his bike in my office and he rides to and from there. This means I leave home about an hour or so earlier than I normally would. The THEORY has been that I would get to work much earlier and be able to work on paperwork. Well, I'm still waiting on that to happen! It seems that I get busy but with everything except the paperwork! I told Steve that something is wrong when we see the sun coming UP at 6:45am and don't come home until the sun is going DOWN!!

Friday was delivery day from IO Metro Furniture. Mary Beth has helped us select some great new additions to our house. I had such a great day off from work and the added bonus of having the new stuff arrive!

The huge round table with marble top was a real test of the movers. It just barely fit through the door!

Here's a picture of the base by itself.
Rolling the table top through the door with only a hair to spare!

The finished project with red amaryllis for the centerpiece.

Here's a closeup of the marble inlay.

A contender for artwork over the fireplace. Love the colors!

Little elves working on the new entertainment center.

Our kitchen is beginning to look like a kitchen!

The beginnings of a guest room. Mary Beth picked out these linens! Haven't gotten the headboard yet....coming together!!

Cool window coverings!

This will be Rachel's room once we take all of Christmas out of there and put up her bed! Oh, and this is just a PART of the boxes for Christmas!

Fun things we found half price from Hobby Lobby.

You have to love the den without the sectional. Right now we have the ancient hide a bed with a sheet over it because we still haven't found the slipcover in the boxes. And yes, Steve and I are BOTH watching "Dancing with the Stars"!! Rachel may disown us both now!

Our new little chest for the entry. Still have to work on what goes on the wall above it.

Office / Den / Greg's room....don't you love it?

So, if you aren't' busy this weekend, just come on down! I think we can find something for you to do!!!! We may even be able to send some things home with you!!!

Will we have it ready by Christmas????

Where oh where is my camera???

When was the last time you had that nagging feeling that something is lost and you will never see it again? Two years ago I ordered a Pentax digital camera just before going on a cruise to the Bahamas with my sister-in-law. It was (is) a great little camera. Not always quick on the draw, but after a while you learn to plan ahead of the shot a bit.

Recently, I have become slightly....ever so slightly...jealous of Greg and Rachel's new cameras that are much more sophisticated than my little Pentax. They can shoot numerous photos in rapid succession without doing anything but holding down the button. Cool. The quality of their photos is awesome too. I'll admit it....I had started thinking about getting one too.

During the move, I think little Pentax heard the word that it might be possibly on it's way to the shelf of long lost "toys"....along with my 35mm cameras and supplies that sit there waiting to be called back up for active duty. Somewhere on the "big day" of moving I remember having the intention of putting the camera in my purse so that I could take photos of the craziness that has been my life recently. All of that, along with inside shots of our new house that I didn't have needed to be photographed! Didn't happen.

You know what happens next. You start thinking that it MUST be in that other vehicle, other purse, other box, etc. When you check those "other" places, it isn't there. And then you get so involved with the "thing" that you forget that you wanted your camera to take photos. I have to admit, in my 53 years, I have rarely not "wanted" my camera. You can ask my poor children and friends. I taunted them at every event throughout their entire life. Actually, I should have written that in present tense because it never ended until last weekend. I've embarrassed them and sometimes my friends and certainly my husband. But everyone has always known that if it came down to it, they knew they could find photos that they wanted in my camera. (they all love it really, I think) My Dad started me out with my first Kodak Instamatic when I was in third grade and I have been hooked since then.

On Sunday, I just KNEW we would find it. We didn't. With each box or tub we would go through, I just knew it wouldshow up. I've been lost without it. Truly. Could be a record for me for not taking photos. Thank goodness I had just emptied the card onto my computer so there are no "lost" pictures out there!

If you see my little Pentax, please tell it to come home. I miss it. And I promise not to put it on the shelf anytime soon.

It is finished...

The last few days have been a blur that I hope I never have to live over again. Thursday evening Steve and I raced home from work to the "hotel" and then off to rent the UHaul truck. Even though it was cold and raining, we were brave and started the loading up of the storage buildings...five of them. That's right. We were so proud of ourselves for emptying out one that night completely and having it ready to drive to the closing on Friday morning.
Interesting people that one comes in contact with. Right down to the finish, there was a great debate over $100. Now the problem was that somewhere along the way someone had turned their grill on too close to that vinyl siding and it warped...a bit. Not anything huge, but slightly noticeable because of its location. The owner had mentioned it the first night we were there stating that it must have been the previous owners. The home inspector noted it in his report. We had a guy that had worked for us on the Free Ferry Lane house to go over and give an estimate to repair it....which was $100. Since they had signed a thing that they would be responsible for repairs up to $500, then they would have to pay it. They felt it was strictly cosmetic and "we can't even see what you're talking about." This statement was silly since SHE was the one that had brought it up!! He was furious about it and apparently got his wife equally stirred up. Things got heated up the night before closing when we went over to inspect the repairs he had done himself to the roof and attic. Their realtor must have been quite a nutcase as well...she was furious. You would think we were talking about thousands of dollars! They actually walked away with a check for a bit over $100,000 from the sale of the house, so I was confused what the fuss was all about!
Things were hairy, but close on the house we did indeed. We continued at top speed all day Friday. The storage units were about 20 miles from the house, so even the drive back and forth took a lot of time. Three boys from the high school where I work came to help with heavy stuff on Friday night and then returned on Sunday afternoon. We would still be moving if not for them.
We went to the game on Saturday in Fayetteville. This was one of those moments in life where you are doing something you know you shouldn't do. I was SO exhausted and my body was screaming in pain from the lifting that I was NOT supposed to be doing...and I was miserable.
Sunday we started again, determined to get all of it moved. We finished around 10:30pm and returned the truck. We stopped for a LATE nutritious dinner at Sonic and headed home.
Last night we slept on our mattress and box springs on the floor...for the first time in 6 weeks. We were both asleep before we even said good night.
It looks like the Clampetts have moved in right now. I hope we can get the boxes unloaded soon. One box at a time, right?

A lesson in patience for the old girl

So many folks have been a part of our house selling, house buying, hotel living experience that it seems almost surreal that it is time for us to move into our new house this weekend. Initially, I thought it would be pretty easy and manageable to move to a nice hotel suite with a living area and small "cute" kitchen. Someone commented the other day that they have never known me to show as much patience as I have during these six weeks here.

I don't FEEL that I've been patient. I've bitched and moaned most of the way through it all. I've posted on Facebook the countdown, I've written numerous blogs regarding the experience and most of those closest to me KNOW that this is the weekend.

But somewhere along the way, I did have a small bit of insight into things that are out of my control. And this has been one of them. We brought things that were not needed and needed things that are packed in boxes/tubs in the back of the storage units. I have managed with about 15 inches of closet space and four pairs of shoes to choose from each morning. I have dealt with a cranky 13 year old dog that decided about a week ago that she was finished here, and started snarling and growling at me. I have dealt with housekeepers that think that if they bring in two clean towels each day then they have done their job. I have managed to have bronchitis the last two weeks we were here without missing a single day of work. I have managed to learn where the best deals are for eating out on different nights and even keep running into couples apparently doing the same thing! I have learned that you can get by with two sweaters. I have learned that some people seem to really like their job, even if it would seem to be one you'd never want to have. I have learned that Steve and I will appreciate space and the new house MORE this way than we might have if we had just "moved" directly there.

I have learned that I can sometimes reach down into my bootstraps and pull out some real patience and a new understanding of coping when your life is somewhat out of your control.

Friday is moving day. May the force be with us.

"So what is a paradox?" he asked

A paradox is a statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which defies intuition.

Just had something happen this morning that made an impact on my entire day...in a good way, for a change. So easy, so simple....but it happened.

I've had this terrible cough and cold for a week and a half and I suppose I've not gotten the appropriate sympathy. Everyone has a cold and could care not that I do. I'm not sleeping for the coughing, even with NyQuil. So when I got up this morning to go to work, I decided to forgo the Residence Inn eggs and sausage (yes we have mentally checked out, as Steve said this afternoon). I decided to pull through Chik Fila for their chik-n-minis, a great breakfast that Rachel introduced me to a few years back.

A simple thing that usually consists of yelling your order into a box, pulling up in the line and exchanging money for the food and getting maybe a random "thank you, have a nice day."

But not today....when I pulled up an older gentleman was working the window and asked me how my morning had been so far. Pretty bad, but because he was so sweet, I didn't want to give him the whole story. While waiting on the girl to go retrieve my iced tea, he said..."do you know what a paradox is?" I said yes, it's something that means one thing but appears to be something else. A vague, but passable answer. He said "No, it's two doctors." He made me laugh. So silly. But I laughed on a rainy Monday morning. He also had another joke that was equally bad, but I have forgotten it now.

I pulled away feeling a little better about my day and the potential that it might hold for improvement.

And this guy was able to find happiness working a window in a fast food restaurant making probably not much above minimum wage. Now THAT is a paradox. There's a lesson to be learned here, grasshopper.

Enjoying a Day Outside of the "ROOM"

Today was the last Sunday that we will be spending in the hotel room that we have been in for the last six weeks. It sounded like such a great plan, and it was the BEST thing for us....but the last couple of weeks have been closing in on us. Since Steve is used to "piddling" around in the garage or the yard, he has been stir crazy not having anything to do or to "fix." As for me, I have actually missed having my regular kitchen to cook in. Yes, you heard it here first people. I miss cooking.

It has seemed that, even though we planned ahead for what we thought we would need, there were still things that we ended up not having. Like warmer clothes for the unusually wet and cool weather we've been having. Where are my black boots???

One of the funniest things about our stay has been keeping the pets alive, Zoie and Koko. Zoie has faired better than Koko. But I think cats are just lower maintenance than dogs in general. She has windows she can get into and watch the outdoors everyday. She has her food and water and has full reign of the room at night. We had stopped letting her in where we sleep months ago when my allergies got really bad. The other morning Steve was actually down at the breakfast that is served near the lobby when he overheard some men discussing the "dog" that is down at the end of the hall that barks or growls every time they walk by. It was really funny to be sitting there while men at the next table are discussing your irritating pet. Koko has barked incessantly at EVERYONE that goes past the door. And won't stop with just a little bark or two. It has become so annoying that I started trying to shoo her away with a rolled up newspaper...but that only led to her growling at me and showing her teeth like she was going to EAT ME ALIVE!

So, we went to a NEW plan. We brought out the baby gate that we had at home and have her gated in the dressing room/bathroom area. It's such a funny thing because it has actually calmed her down so much! She is a different dog tonight. I think she missed her little "gated" area from the house and being told to "go to your room" which was actually the guest bathroom. She's not such a dummy or psycho killer dog after all.

Today we decided to get out of the room and go hiking to take a better look at the fall foliage and get some good photos. We had lots of fun. I was so amazed by Lake Fort Smith and how gorgeous it is now. We continued our drive up old hi-way 71 and crossed over to Devils Den State Park. It was funny tonight that I found out that Mary Beth and Jon were there with their dogs at about the same time and we never saw them!

Tonight, over dinner, we talked over the PLAN for the week: what utilities need to be called, what the sequence will be for the MOVE on Friday and what furniture we plan to put where. Frankly, I feel like its Christmas and I'm five years old.

Lake Fort Smith photos:

Devil's Den State Park:

We always joke about enjoying the "flora and the fauna"....

I love fern growing in the woods.

Looks like it is ready to flip and send that other tree flying.

The dark clouds on the drive home this afternoon.

Take a Day Off from Work and Enjoy!

With so much going on (or rather, so little going on) with waiting to close on the house on the 30th, living in a hotel for six weeks and getting a cold AFTER taking my flu shot, I felt I was deserving of a break. Mary Beth had today off, so I planned to take the day and go up for a visit.

The original plan was to go up, buy pansies and mums and plant them. After I got there today and I was still hacking and sneezing, we thought that maybe the cold, damp weather outside would not be the best place for me to be. We also concluded that we wanted to re-design the shape of her front flower bed at her house to make it more inviting to the front of her house...and that would require much more time and energy than either of us had today. So it was final. Later on the bedding work.

We called Glo, my sister-in-law about joining us for lunch at the Green Pea (I think?) in Rogers. I haven't gotten my sense of taste back yet from this cold, so I couldn't really taste my soup. They both ordered salads that looked delish and had everything but the kitchen sink in it!

After a great lunch, Mary Beth and I headed to IO Metro Furniture to get some ideas for new furniture for the house. They have SO much great stuff there!!! Then we headed to Fayetteville to check out Hanks Furniture because they have the sectional that we want. Never mind the fact that the sectional is exactly the same as the one we bought for the lakehouse...when you get something right, why change it?

It's pretty obvious that these two are not inhibited about "trying out" a sofa IN the store before you buy it! This is actually a photo from a couple of years ago when we were buying the sectional for the lakehouse. It was one of the things that I LOVED recently in the "house that shall not be named because it would not be sold to us" because she had this very sectional in one of the living areas! At the time, I thought it was karma....guess not.

Here are some of the great finds that we came across today...not sure what we will end up with, but it was SO much fun looking and planning! I'll admit, I think I just needed a day to realize that the rest of my life will NOT be spent in a hotel!!!

Possible hide-a-bed for one of the bedrooms that will also be a second living area with a tv and all. (yes, a place for Greg to hook up his game systems!)

The pieces above and below were from IO Metro. They are great...I just have to figure out where they go!

Lots of great ideas for decorating!


We ended the day together renting "The Proposal" and watching it at her house. It is definitely a chick movie and perfect for today. I left there and went for a visit with Greg that included a trip to the grocery store...where DO those boys put those groceries?

Great day. Much needed. Now for cold medicine and work tomorrow.

Thank goodness for a day taken off.