Tuesday, we received the keys to our new house! This weekend, we hired movers to handle the heavy lifting. Meanwhile, my husband and I are shuttling back and forth, bringing over essentials, tricky-to-pack items, and lightweight belongings. Currently my vehicle is full of pillows and cushions.

As we get acquainted with our new abode, we’re discovering its unique features and charming quirks. Fortunately, nothing major has cropped up—except for a corner of the house that’s been invaded by ants. Time to call in the pest control experts!

Our new house follows a different philosophy of living compared to the old one. Although it’s roughly the same size, it offers less storage space but compensates with more living and presentation areas. The layout feels more spacious, yet when it comes to stashing things away, we find ourselves searching a bit more. This shift is prompting us to confront the items we store but rarely use.

Surprisingly, the new house boasts a wine fridge and two wet bars with an ice maker. Despite our sobriety and moderate drinking, we’ll find creative ways to utilize these amenities.

Moving

​A lot is happening over the next week. On Tuesday evening, we get the keys for the new house. The main move is scheduled for the following Saturday. Between Tuesday and Saturday, we're having the carpets cleaned and moving what we can. The packing and planning causes a certain amount of tension, but my husband and I have lovingly promised each other that we won't divorce in the next two months. This promise will hold through the stressful transition.

We are buying a new home.

It's a nice home, slightly smaller than our current house. It's in a much more walkable neighborhood.

There is a little bit of drama. To prep for selling our current house, we had it inspected. The inspection came back clean. Unfortunately, part of the inspection was a sewer scope. After the scoping, the inspector didn't properly reinstall the cap. So, for the past few days we've had a slow drip out of the sewer. It doesn't look like there has been major damage. It does make your heart sink though.

 SB has passed on. He passed peacefully with his daughter and a friend with him. 

We have spent the past few days in North Carolina with some old fiends of a the Husband's.

Saturday we attended their daughter's graduated university. We also helped her pack for a move. It was a long emotional day. That evening we drove down to Surf City NC to enjoy a week a the beach. It's very pleasent here. The weather has largely cooperated. Even the rain has been warm and gentle enough that walking in it is pleasant. 

Travel day

​i’m heading out this morning. I’ve already said goodbye to dad. He cried a little then left for his morning bus route.

It’s a travel day for me. I am already getting notices that my flights are delayed.

We have designed and put a down payment on a tombstone for mom and dad.  We put much thought into it. It's simple and elegant-- very similar to other family tombstones, yet reflects my parent's tastes. Mom's side has a little decoration on it. Dad wanted his side to be plain. 

My brother and his wife have just left the family farm for their return trip home. I'm staying a few more days then flying off to a week of vacation with my husband.

The interment was lovely. It was well attended by family. The weather cooperated.

I'm realizing how little I actually know about much of my extended family. I recognize their names and faces, but I probably wouldn't travel to their funerals. Perhaps I'm overthinking this. Most of the family is retired and lives within a 15-minute drive of the church. A few live a few hours away. Only my brother and I must travel across the continent.

My brother puts much effort into memorizing family dates and names, births, marriages, and deaths. On Sunday, we toured other family gravesites. He noticed that I have a cousin who was born less than three months after his parents' marriage. Dad had a good laugh. Dad has always known that uncle and aunt had a shotgun wedding. They kept it hidden as my aunt was training to be a nurse in a city that only had Catholic hospitals. The secret was kept well enough as my aunt went on to have a successful career in nursing.

And my father—he is doing well. There are moments when a little grief creeps up on him. But, by and large, he is in good spirits. He is taking much better care of the house than the last time we were here. He regularly visits neighbors and relatives. He is also enjoying his job as a school bus driver.

May Internment.

​I am back in the Ottawa Valley for my mother’s interment. “What is an interment?” I hear you ask. Well… my mother died last February. In this part of the world, in February, the ground is deeply frozen. People who die in the winter can’t be buried at that time. The burial then, the interment, happens sometime in spring after the thaw. We get together and host a mini funeral. 

My brothers will also be at the internment as will other family. One of my brothers and I both flew red eyes into Ottawa. We will drive the last leg up to my parents home together. 

Every few years I must relearn why I shouldn’t fly red eyeS. They sound attractive— they are less expensive and I can travel without loosing a day, In practice I sleep badly on the jet and can only get a couple hours of shut eye. I’ll be exhausted today. Fortunately, being exhausted is acceptable at a funeral.