Disgusted

Perhaps this is how it works. When you first find out you're going to have to move, you are sad, uncertain and depressed. By the time you are ready to go, you are so disgusted with the process that you can't wait to move 250 miles away.

Today some workers came and took about 1 cup of dirt out from under two sections of our sidewalk so that the town will give us a certificate of occupancy. I would have taken a before and after picture of the "trippable" sidewalk (the town standard) except that you would have seen no difference except some dirt moved around. There doesn't seem to be any money in it for the inspector or the town, so I can't see why they bothered to fail us for this except to exercise what little power a minor town bureaucrat has. The only worse sucker is the homeowner.

Then I called the alarm company to inform them that we would be moving. They informed me that unless the new buyers take a contract with them, we'll be responsible for a contract until 2012. This is not the company I had do the alarm, but rather a group that bought that company. Well let them come after me. Everyone wants to take their pound of flesh and I have no more to give. I am rubbed raw!

Yet to come, trying to figure out what to do with a flight of rotted stairs in the yard (didn't pass inspection). Closing a CD a week early before we move without losing all the interest and paying penalties. Figuring out how to get our mail and bills when we have no address. Stay tuned for the fun.

Sorry about this post. I am so angry and have no one to vent to.

Many Endings

So many endings, and soon a new beginning. But first the endings:

Today was my last Monday library day. I'll read for the red, blue and pm classes on Thursday (Shirley Hughes, always my favorite story teller for the last library week of school). I've been coordinating the library program at my kids' school for 3 years. It's been so much fun introducing kids to great stories and seeing many of them become readers and book lovers. Some even learn my name, although most say "hi, librarian" with lots of excitement when they see me. Among the books that have been favorites with the kids and me:
Superhero ABC by Bob Mcleod
Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley
Leo Leoni stories, especially Fredric
Papa Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Actual Size and other animal nonfiction books by Steve Jenkins
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
I Can Read with My Eyes Shut & Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Duck on a Bike & The Rain Came Down by David Shannon
and so many more.
Alas my kids have outgrown most picture books. Being in the library let me hold onto those special moments reading to young children a little longer. It's been a pleasure.

The neighbors are having a goodbye barbecue for us this weekend. It should be fun and sad. The neighbor who is hosting the party has been a parenting mentor for me. Her lovely girls are 21 and 18 now. When we moved here, the little one was 2. I was the fun young woman down the street who would swing the little girls in circles on the lawn after I got off the bus from work. By the time Renee was born (she's 8), there were 14 children on our dead end with 9 houses. The kids spent time biking, swinging, exploring the woods, blowing bubbles and playing with chalk, playing ball games, and learning how to get along.

Another goodbye, this past weekend was my 25th high school reunion. It is probably the last time I will see many of these people. There was even a memorial service for 3 women who had passed away (2 of whom were close friends). The reunion has added to the feeling of closure I'm having with this place, a symbol of time passing. Bergen County, NJ is the place I grew up, endured my parents' divorce, went to high school, came back to live with my husband, had my children. My mother still lives here in the house I grew up in. It's less than a half hour from where I live now. Soon, I will have to make new friends, figure out new places to shop, eat, play. Today I find places through instinct. I learned to drive on these roads. Now I'll need a GPS and so much more to find my way.

Andrea, senior year of high school (I love this picture).


Andrea and Doug, at my 25th high school reunion.


I've changed so much, grown so much.
I hope I've learned how to make a new place my home.

New in the Yard

Something new has arrived in the yard. The UNDER CONTRACT sign. 27 days and counting until the closing on this house. The inspection on Thursday went well. We are hopeful and anxious.


This weekend I am going through our clothes and getting a lot of stuff ready for donation. There is a different standard for things you would keep in closets for the future if you are staying in one place versus moving to someplace new.

Another new thing in the yard: 4 baby birds have outgrown their nest in the just blooming rhododendrons.


Also here is a better picture of the clematis and pergola I referred to in the last post. My estimate of 15 feet was too high. It's probably closer to 11 or 12 feet. But still impressive.

Reaching Higher

It was about 7 years ago when we added our family room and the curved porch. Above the door is a wooden pergola that we dreamed would be covered in flowers. We planted and tended a beautiful clematis year after year and finally it has reached the pergola, nearly 15 feet from its roots.

Had I taken philosophy in college, I could likely quote some famous words about permanence, about fate, about intention. Alas, I took lots of biology and chemistry, decision analysis and statistics. So I move forward now knowing that I can grow a beautiful clematis in our Wayland yard, along with many vegetables in the raised beds that are already there. We are moving on to new opportunities, with a job in place rather than searching for a new one in tough times.

But I will miss the yard. The evening glow of dogwoods is ended. Now it is the fiery poppies catching my eye.

Garage Sale Profits

You might think from the title of this post that I'd discuss how much money we made at our weekend garage sale. But the money is secondary. Selling our things will allow us to cover a few of the extra expenses we are incurring because of this move, but the real benefits are other than monetary.

We relieved our life of things, some things that weighed us down and others that we loved but will now find a new loving home with others.

One gentleman came and was selecting many of our educational toys and puzzles. I got him a box to put them in, and he told me he works with special needs children in Patterson. I talked with him for a while and know that the items he selected and additional ones I through in will be used well.

A young mom came with her two boys who looked about 7 and 9. They took a few toys, but the mom loved the old metal big wheel that I had as a kid and my kids loved too. It is rusted now and the seat cushion is gone, but it can get going so fast and spin until a kid is so dizzy. The mom got right in it and rode it around. I could tell she loved it. It made it a lot easier to let it go.

At the end of the sale, the art easel my dad made for Jack when he was 2 or 3 was still on the driveway. My kids loved it but hadn't used it for a while. I was unwilling to let it go for only $5 or $10. My feelings about connections to my dad are complex. But I knew that the library was looking for a donated easel for their children's summer programs. I called them right away, and brought it over. I left it there with a note on the chalkboard thanking the librarians who have helped steer me to great books and great authors for my kids and the kids I read to in the school library.

An older man came and asked if we had any lawn equipment. It wasn't long before he came back with his son (a landscaper) who wanted our mower. He gave us a deposit and came back the next morning with the rest of the money and a truck to take it away. He was heading right to work with it. He got a great deal and part of it was that he will come back and mow our lawn until we move. We took a gamble to allow him to take it before we left, and I hope our trust is not abused. I want to be trusting, I don't want to get more cynical. I don't want to hold back out of fear.

Moving toward the new, embracing this move, taking chances on making an offer on the Wayland house before we got a firm offer on this one; these are all things that I'm working on. I'm trying to focus on positive thoughts and work toward a good future for all of us.

Long Goodbye

So the process begins of actually letting go of this house. We've got an offer which will go into attorney review and inspection this week. It is less than we would have liked, but the buyers are willing to close fast so we will not own two houses at once and we will have cash for much of the new house purchase.

40 Days to Closing!

Here's what the garden looked like today. The first poppy has popped.


And there are so many more to come.


Jack dug up some small raspberry plants for Grandma Marilyn to take back to Connecticut.


Renee set them in a pot.

Then a little R&R, before a late lunch: turkey breast barbecued on the grill (need to use up the propane), baked beans, salad, strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream. Sorry I didn't get a picture of the meal before it was devoured.

Appreciating the Trees

I hope you look at the pictures in this post and scroll down to the previous post. I took similar pictures to show the greening of the yard, the blooming of spring in less than a week. Notice the amount of sky and space between the trees. There is probably a way to take a picture every couple hours over a week and make it into a movie. That would be really cool. Perhaps Jack could tell me how to do it.



People are coming to see the house nearly every day. Many are repeaters. Someone please buy this beautiful house on this beautiful yard. Don't you want to live in this garden?

As I write this I'm listening to Wangari Maatai, Nobel prize winner, on Speaking of Faith. She is speaking about how planting trees empowered women, saved the environment and replenished her country, Kenya. Check it out in the link.
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/plantingthefuture/