Boy, I want to tell ya, folks, that was some week and it's not over yet!
Friday came and went about as predicted. Friday night I slept many more hours than I'd anticipated and I didn't get to the store that evening as I had originally planned. Beth et al were due to come over yesterday, and she'd asked that I have some cold water and Gatorade ready for them. Well, it wasn't cold. In fact, I had just returned from shopping when they arrived yesterday morning.
Why were they here? They were here to pack up, load and take down to Pearland any furniture and extraneous items I wouldn't be taking to New Hampshire and that I thought was of somewhat better quality than the "liquidators" should have at their disposal.
I knew there would be a bunch of stuff, but I really hadn't a clue how enormous that pile would turn out to be. Also, there were things I didn't mention to Beth before they got here .. the Conn electric organ, for one, because I thought it would be a 'throw away' item - all of its guts need to be reworked. However, Beth wants to put it on Craig's list. Thinks she can get some good money for it. "There are people out there," she says, "who enjoy rebuilding instruments. Besides, the wood is beautiful and in excellent condition." She only wished she had brought her digital camera with her so she could have taken a picture. I don't know how they're going to lift it and get it out to the trailer! The Danish dresser and sofa are heavy, too, but not nearly so much as that organ.
[Eureka! I have just located a couple of photographs I saved from when the organ was at my folks' house in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Isn't that great? I'll take them out to Katy with me tonight. See if my daughter or son-in-law can scan them and then send cc. to both Beth and me. Wunderbar!]
Here's a photo of what the organ looked like when it had its Munising home ... ...
Don't know what that light source is. It was in the photograph that my son-in-law scanned.
And I thought you might get a kick out of seeing this shot .. same location .. that's me playing the organ ... ...
They arrived in Beth's little car and a few hours later had packed all of the boxes they had brought with them .. only a fraction of what was needed, which turned out to be ok because Dianne, Beth's sister, couldn't come over with her truck and trailer, anyway. Dianne's 'on call' at the post office six days a week and had been at work ever since 7:30 yesterday morning, sorting the mail to be delivered on her route. When Beth and she spoke on the phone around 4:30 or so, Dianne was just starting out on her route! She was going to be one tired camper, wasn't she?
SO, Beth et al loaded what they could fit into Beth's little car and off they went. The very large hand-crocheted bedspread went in the back seat with Cassie, Beth's grandniece. We figured she'd have a nice soft headrest for the trip back to Pearland in case she wanted to take a little nap. They had made quite a dent in the stuff I'm not taking. Packed many more dishes and glassware than I'd originally thought they might like to have to offer in a garage/yard sale and there are a few glaringly empty shelves. There are more dishes and glassware to be packed up, however, and they have yet to start on things that had been set aside for Beth in the master bedroom, including a slide projector, sorting table and viewing screen. Also, there's a hall closet just full of Christmas items for them to cull through, in addition to grabbing the rest of what they want from the office closet .. tennis racket, knitting bags, craft items, etc. Just a slew of stuff!
Our plan, as of last night when they left, was to have the whole troupe return a week from today (after church) .. Dianne's not on call on Sundays .. with many more boxes, a truck and trailer, and make every attempt to pack and load everything they weren't able to take yesterday. Don't know how that shakes out with Dianne. Will know more this evening when I see Beth and Sabrina (Beth's niece .. Dianne's daughter) out in Katy.
That's where my artwork is being stored, from when I was in the art and accessorizing business. I had mentioned it to Beth, but didn't anticipate her taking me up on it. However, she'd already talked about it to someone in her office, who is interested in the prints. A hundred or so prints, probably, many limited editions, and some framed art. I'll go out to Katy early to try and list the limited editions they might be taking, give them whatever provenance I have for the better pieces, and then work up a pricing list for them, which I'll e-mail to Beth later. Also, I found a receipt book that I gave to Beth. This just in case someone wants a receipt. I was thinking about the artwork, in particular, here.
Whew! What a ton of work!! What a ton of stuff!!! None of it will I miss!!!! I have been over and over it all so many times, I feel as tho enough memories have been recalled and words said over it that I'm ready to let it go bye-bye.
They're planning to have one of the world's more gigantic garage/yard sales down there in Pearland in two weeks. (That's quick, isn't it??) After seeing the huge quantity of items they would be offering, Beth and Sabrina (her niece) were concerned about having enough tables to display everything. They'll be getting two of my card tables, but those will be nowhere near enough to display everything. Perhaps they'll decide to hold two garage/yard sales? Don't know. Not my decision. I thought sure that Beth would wait until she got back from our trip to do this, but no, they're planning on going boom, boom, boom with it!
They're going to "do it up right", Beth said, with popcorn and lemonade. My goodness! Excites me just to think about it and exhausts me all at the same time. I told them I DEfinitely want to have pictures of the big event! I'll be sure to post one or two on "Goldenrod's thoughts" later.
There probably won't be another update in the ongoing saga of "Goldenrod's move" until after I get back from New Hampshire. My daughter, son-in-law and myself are flying up there Tuesday - it'll be my first time seeing their new home and the surrounding countryside, and I'm really looking forward to it.
Continuing on with this post. It's now Monday morning.
There is what is called a "walkout basement" in their new home - sliding glass doors lead outside - that they're planning on remodeling for me .. my own apartment, as it were. We'll be meeting with the contractor either Wednesday or Thursday to discuss plans, what will work and what won't, color schemes, etc. My son-in-law tells me the contractor is planning to put in a shower with a seat. That sounds interesting! Have you ever seen one of those? I haven't. Hope the contractor has a picture of one to show us.
I'll be back in Houston late Thursday evening, and will spend as much of Friday and Saturday as I'm able to continuing with my sorting, keeping and throwing away activities. I'll also be working up that price list for the art I talked about earlier. Beth needs that, along with whatever provenance I have for same. I could then give it to her in person next Sunday when they come .. and yes, they're coming! Will be here around 3pm or so .. or e-mail it later. Her choice.
What was the phone call all about? It was Sabrina, saying they wanted to leave for Katy from Pearland immediately .. about 3 1/2 hours earlier than planned. Ye gods! It was drop everything time. And so I did.
I discovered, upon arriving out there earlier than Beth and Sabrina, that 150 prints were completely missing from the inventory. (Not only were those missing, but my daughter and son-in-law cannot find several items they purchased from me a few years ago. They have to be in their house somewhere, but as of this writing they're among the lost. If they get found in the next two weeks - before the gigantic garage/yard sale scheduled at Beth's the weekend of June 5th - my daughter will make sure that Beth gets them.) Limited editions and original pieces really are not very good candidates for a garage sale. Well, some might be, but most are not.
Oh, well! Problems, problems, right? Nobody said it was going to be easy. Later!
10 comments:
You must be absolutely exhausted...I am just from reading this post. ;)
The garage sale sounds like it's gonna be a whopper. The girls and I went to about 10 garage sales this past Saturday, and they were all tiny...wish we could have stumbled across a good one like Beth will be having!
I see why this post didn't make it on yesterday! Wow, you have certainly been busy.
We are most likely heading for North Carolina for our friends funeral which will take place Friday and Saturday.
Have a good trip to New Hampshire.
Yes, I have seen and also helped plan for a shower with a seat. These come in fiberglass but the company I work for usually has them done in ceramic tile. Very convenient. We wish we had thought of that when we built this house. I'm sure your daughter and son-in-law have already thought of raising the countertop in the bathroom and the comode. These things are done in most of the houses we build here in this addition. I can show you when you get here.
Why would you raise the countertop in the bathroom and commode?
A big part of my job here is to help people select everything that goes in their house. The raised counter top in the bathroom is partly a style thing, this is what I'm seeing in all the houses I look at unless it is designed with little kids in mind. I have the higher countertops in my bathroom and this is really easier to use then bending over. The lower ones look funny to me now.
The raised comode is a no brainer. They come in two highths, get the higher and be sure it is jet flush.
If you don't want grab bars in the bathroom right now, have whoever is doing the remodel job put in the bracing for the grab bars so they could be added later.
These suggestions come from building or remodeling ourselves but also from my job.
Thanks for the info, Jacky. I'll be sure and pass it along. Good stuff to know!
Tammy, you will be receiving via UPS - my son-in-law told me that's the way he would be sending them - within the next two weeks ALL of my knitting/crocheting/sewing materials - including books, patterns, yarns, etc. Sure hope you and the girls will find some of the materials useful.
Thus far we have three large boxes all packed up and ready to go. I just have to get over to Dromgoole's (local office supply place) to buy duplicates of what I told you much earlier on the phone I was sending. We cannot find them! (Does that sound familiar?)
In unison the girls all said, "Oh that is so cool! Tell her THANK YOU!"
And Kayla is very sad you will be even further away from Idaho. ;)
I have enjoyed being caught up in the excitement of your happenings Goldenrod, enjoy the trails you are making.
I haven't looked in on you in a while. I didn't expect you to be leaving. I think it's a very brave thing you're undertaking, going to such a very different place. I just found out last month that my son, his wife and my only two grandchildren are moving to Seattle next month. I don't know how I'm going to cope with it yet.
I hope you won't be limited to playing bridge online. It just isn't the same when you can't see the whites of their eyes.
Loved looking at the photos you added, by the way!
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