One Part Inspiration...

Two years ago, we moved from the farm.  One of the things we stored there was my piano.  My in-laws have had it ever since.  I doubt that any of us thought that it would be 25 months before it got moved.  Of course there are many reasons why it didn't happen.  For the first several months, the living room at The Pokeaway went from this: to this: and then when it looked more like itself, there were still so many things  to deal with, that moving the piano was put on the back burner. We had many discussions during those months when it would be the right time to move it back home.  But it never seemed to work.  Sometimes it was because the trailer was full of other stuff and the process to get it cleared out was too overwhelming.  Sometimes it was raining.  Sometimes we didn't have the man power.  Then we thought maybe we should wait until the floors were refinished.  Plus, I am a li...

Just after Christmas I purchased this SD card.  It was a bit of a splurge, but I had been wanting to get one, because I wanted to be able to enjoy more pictures on my digital frame that my daughter had bought us.  It has a much larger memory capacity. I brought it home, all pleased with myself, and put it away, The trouble was that I didn't remember where I had put it.  Our house is not that big. What I'm not using, is in storage. And yet, I couldn't find it  A.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. Every once-in-awhile I would go through my stuff to see if I could find it, but to no avail.  There it was.  Gone. Until last week.  I went on an errand to find a paper that I needed for another project.  I went through my stuff again, and for some reason, I looked in the area where I keep the phone book.  And guess what dropped out?!!!  YAY! 

Haven't heard from me in a while? I've been buried under an avalanche of much todo about nothing. The past several weeks have been filled with looking through stuff, and finding ways to deal with it. I have become the queen of re-purposing. In the old days, it used to be called 'this- old- thing?- yah,- it -will- work'. But now, the phrase has been updated to make it sound all hip . So I have been re-purposing a set of plastic drawers to act as my kitchen cabinets. I re-purposed another set of plastic drawers to hold the office supplies, since our desk is so much smaller than it was. Then I re-purposed small square containers to become a silverware holder. And so on and so forth, until I decided to re-purpose a chocolate bar which is supposed to be for the trick or treaters, to help me get through all this repurposing. And what is it about stuff that is so attracted to the table. Things like tools, envelopes, newspapers, things to mail etc. Does the table look like flyp...

We gave notice. Come what may, the end of July will find us at The Pokeaway full-time. In reality, there isn't as much to move, since we took 'the basics' when we came to the condo, and put the rest in storage. Still, when I look around, I see the bits and pieces of things which we've done to 'manage' being here, and wonder how it will all come together, once we begin to pack in earnest. I have wondered too, what in the world we've got in storage. After a while, when you live with only what you absolutely can't imagine living without, there's a sense of freedom in not being tied down by having to dust all that 'stuff'. Part of me wants never to have to look at the things we packed up. There are very few things in storage which I have wished I had in these past eight months of temporary living. Still, I'm sure that once the dust settles (in about two years), it will be a little like Christmas at our place. "Right!! I forgot ab...

This picture is deceiving. It may look like there's been a robbery in our place. But this is the true story. The boys are sleeping in this room. And in order to access the bikes on the deck, this chair has to be tipped over to carve a path to bring the bikes out, so the boys can get out and about. There are so many things in my life at the moment that have to be moved, in order for me to access other things. For instance, there's the big pile of paperwork which has taken over the top of the dresser, which is only surface available to it. I can't even get into the boxes where the papers are, because there's so much stuff on the top of them also needing to be reorganized. Today, I am planning a 'power-pitch'. It will be amazing. I might even be approached to star in my own reality show. Hardly will those papers touch my fingers, when they will be pitched, or filed. Now, if only I could get at the file box. It's hidden behind the bench which is holding all the ...

Have you ever read that children's book? It's a classic in our house. The book describes a series of events that unfold because there was a fly on the wall - each one is more wild and crazy than the one before. That's how I felt yesterday. I had on my list to work on the housework. I was hoping to finish the whole house by the end of the weekend. It has been sadly neglected. What was the fly on the wall you ask? Well, it was my #1 son deciding that he wanted to create more connection rather than competition with his brother. After a serious chat, they moved the Wii downstairs into the office. This way they both can play, rather than having to ask each other's permission for access to the other brother's room. I was so impressed by the maturity and brotherly kindness. I decided to lend a hand to the boys as they moved their stuff in. The problem was, that they didn't have anything to put the Wii and all the paraphernalia on. We went on a mission to look...

O.k. This is SO weird. I know that we have all had these experiences, but when it happens, it just is FReAkY !! I was vacuuming downstairs this week (I know I know, what a novel idea!) and what should be on the pool table but.... Apparently it was in the burning pile and Son #2 found it and was going to leave it there, but because it had so many empty pages, he put it on the pool table. He gets the toonie reward. I feel so much better! It was just like PooF ! and there it was gone and then PooF there it came back. "Then [s]he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost [book]." ....Luke 15:6

I have made the difficult decision to replace my little black book. If the original one is reading this blog, it's not too late to come back home. I will welcome you with open arms. I just felt out of place without an ongoing checklist of things I was doing, places I was going and people I was seeing. Thank you to all of you who expressed your concern about my loss. I can now face the future and feel like I am more organized than I look.

I've lost my little black book. Not THAT kind of little black book. It is the book where I have kept track of things to do, people to contact, prices of trips and special events. I feel lost. It is so weird. I know I had it and now I don't. I've called it and it hasn't come back. I have offered my family a reward if they find it and it hasn't worked. How does one decide when to leave go and just start another book. The thing was there was a cheque in it. Not for a whole lot, but still, that was going to be my "splurge" money. You'd think that someone would have found it and called me to let me know they have it. BOO HOO. I suppose there's some sort of life lesson that I could pull from this experience. But right now, I just feel lost!