I was going to discuss one of the books I’ve finished recently, but decided I’d rather just chat instead. 🙂

We closed on our new house in TN Monday. That was exciting. A bit scary — I am glad my husband had a head for what all those papers we signed were for. But still exciting. We went to the new house for the walk-through beforehand and then went back afterward. It was only my second time to be actually in it, though my husband has been in it more, so I enjoyed seeing it, getting a better feel for how things were laid out, planning where to put things, etc.

But even though I’ve known we were going to move for months now, reality really started to sink in as we drove around the new area. We really are going to do this!

It’s such an odd mixture of emotions. Excitement about the house, the new church, and the readiness for a change in many ways. Sadness over losing the proximity to Jeremy, Jason, Mittu and friends here. And something I can’t find quite the word for — not disorientation, exactly, but that uncomfortable feeling you have when moving from what’s familiar to having to find new stores, places to eat, doctors, etc., and even finding things in the new house when you knew where they were for twelve years on the old house. I know that last feeling will dissipate over time as we get adjusted to a new area.

People keep asking us how packing is going, but we really haven’t done much packing. Jim’s company will pay for movers who are supposed to come this Friday for just a walk-through to see what they need to move, etc. We’ve had movers before, and it is nice to have someone else pack everything up — each time before they’ve been pretty good about labeling, at least the room the boxes came from if nothing else. So what we’ve mostly been doing is sorting through things to throw away or donate what we don’t want to keep plus just wrapping up the details of life here (which is a lot more involved than it sounds!), getting the various ministry loose ends wrapped up and ready to pass on to someone else, attending to details for life there, like Jesse’s school registration and paperwork, ordering school uniforms, etc. Something I hadn’t anticipated needing to do is make various doctor visits. For Jim’s mom to be able to go right in to the assisted living place when we move her there, she needed to see a doctor and have one of the forms from the new place filled out by him, so we did that last week, then had to go back in two days for the required TB test to be checked. Plus we need to take her to the audiologist to have her hearing aid checked and tuned up before leaving. I was going to try to just get my prescriptions refilled long enough to last until we found a doctor there but decided I probably should go ahead and see my doctor one last time before leaving. She does need to check blood pressure and heart rhythm in relation to one of the medications every now and then, and it’s been a while since she’s done that. Then Jesse’s school requires new students to have a physical, but they’ll accept a sports physical for that, so we decided to do that with the doctor he sees here — but then just realized last week that his regular doctor is out of the country and will be through next week. So I need to try to get him in to see another doctor friend we know.

We may have a snafu with the movers, though: Jim wanted to wait til we actually closed on the house before we talked with movers, so he made some calls yesterday. The original plan was to pack up our stuff Wednesday and Thursday next week with the movers, then Friday get a U-Haul to move Jason and Mittu’s stuff here and then Grandma’s stuff from her room, and then set off for TN. But many of the ones we called said they come to actually start moving a week from the walk-through — which would be next Friday — so we’ll have to see how that will all work out.

Jim is dealing with working out all of that plus getting utilities and such turned on in our name there plus all the details for his mom — on top of a more than full-time job. I don’t know how his head keeps from exploding.

We did see his mom’s room while we were there Monday. I had been hoping we could arrange it much like her room is here — I mean, after all, most of those rooms should be pretty much the same, right? But the room there is laid out completely differently. I know she’ll get adjusted to it in time just as she did here, but I feel for her in getting used to a new place and people. The staff there did say they stick really close to new residents to help them get adjusted, remember where their room and the dining area is, etc.

Jim went with Jeremy to RI to look at apartments last week. The Internet is SUCH a big help in that kind of thing — Jeremy was able to do a lot of preliminary research ahead of time. He found one he likes, and he seems to really like the area.

I think reality is setting in for Jesse, too. Though he’d rather stay here, he’s maintained a pretty good attitude about moving, but now that it is getting closer, he’s already missing his friends and school. We’re having a party for him this Sat. with kids from his class for a last hurrah and good-bye, which will be fun but bittersweet, I’m sure.

So…I guess I’d better stop rambling and get back to some of those details. I so appreciate your interest, care, and prayers!