Each day it was up at 8, and 10 to 12 hours of packing, hoofing to storage and stacking and fitting in.
On the 15th, I texted my best friend C.J., who I've known for my whole life practically and lives in another state, that my fingers hurt shuffling through papers. It was time for "just throw it in a box." On the 16th I texted her that I felt I was running out of time and strength.... was overwhelmed and about to cry. Through a break in the snowflakes, I finally got a load to storage, but was overcome with emotion from memories, and muscle ache.
On the 18th I was beginning to consider that I wouldn't be able to get the ceiling painting job I was hoping to complete before heading north.
I sent this picture to my boys on the 19th, and texted, "When I am old and feeble, you just remember that when I was 55, your Mama was a BEAST!" What you see here is a third row of banana boxes, 5 wide and 10 high!
On Wednesday the 24th, I was so emotionally done with moving. I asked my friend C.J., for prayer because "my heart is tired" and my back was tired and I needed strength, both mental and physical.
I changed gears a bit that day, taking a break from packing and hauling, to cleaning. It was a refreshing change of pace. Also decided to give the van a trial run and the kitties and I slept in it that night. It got down to 21 degrees! I had several blankets and stayed fairly warm, but the cats spent the majority of the time running from window to window, dancing on my head, and I didn't get much sleep. When I opened up the doors in the morning, they both made a bee-line to the house! My son and a friend both commented to me that at least my head was warm... lol
On Friday the 26th, I felt I was on the final stretch, but had just plain run out of steam. It was like the never ending bowl of Grape Nuts! Have you ever eaten Grape Nuts cereal? Well I have a memory of pouring myself a bowl when I was about 6, and adding milk. However, no matter how much I actually ate, it seemed to expand in the bowl and it looked as if I had eaten none of it and had a whole bowl left to go! This endeavor was feeling the same way... no matter how many boxes I removed out of the dining room area, there always seemed to be the same amount and this went on for at least 4 days! It was very discouraging. That day I took two loads to storage and one load to the dump. But I wasn't done.
Very, very early Saturday I got up to finish the job... I so much just wanted to be done!! After about an hour and a half, I felt sick to my stomach and realized I for sure was going to have to alter my plans because I was utterly and totally exhausted and the thought of trying to paint ceilings in three days was just too much for me. So I gave up, and slept most of the day. I had not hurt myself so far, and I didn't want to end up falling off a ladder or something. I decided I would go to Mom's Weekend and have to return to town for the painting job.
Monday I finished filling up Storage #2...
and Storage #1...
and found that my dining room/kitchen area was HUGE !
I dropped my trailer off at a friend's to keep for me, and was planning to drive away, but realized I had too many loose ends in the van and wouldn't be able to sleep in it! Besides that, the north winds had begun to blow and I didn't feel like freezing in there again. I still had electricity and TV and warmth inside... why be dumb, right?
So, getting down to brass tacks here, if you are thinking of moving someday... START NOW... it is going to take way longer than you ever thought it would, for sure!
:)
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