Why I didn't volunteer for a couple of weeks.

I told you all a couple of weeks ago that Marty and I were really really busy.  So I wasn't volunteering or doing much blogging.  Well now it can be told.  Our house is on the market and we were getting it ready to sell.  We are downsizing.

Selling a house is nothing like it was 40 years ago.  Then you took down the pictures from the "I love me wall", cleaned the windows and carpet, and boom you were ready.  Today it is a major project.  We have depersonalized the house.  No personal pictures allowed, most books packed up, art collections packed up, Marty's inventory of blown glass pieces off the shelves, furniture moved into the garage, nothing on the kitchen counters, anything that will fit in a pocket or purse packed up. 

You have to lock up TV remotes, medicine, jewelry, laptops, anything valuable.  I used to push things into the back of a drawer and cover it up.  No more.  People go through the drawers, steal everything not nailed down. So we have bicycle locks on an armoire and another chest.  Also we have a locking desk, a locking file cabinet, and a safe. Times have changed.

We have packed up everything we do not absolutely have to have. Well, I guess I don't really need 5 sets of dishes in the cabinets.  But I was good, I packed up 4 sets of china and all my silver.  Do you see my weakness here?   We have also cleaned out and donated  a huge amount of household items and a couple of hundred cookbooks.

Marty and I have packed up at least 60 boxes. Many of those we had great help from Cecelia, Kirsten, and our Realtor, Michael. We have moved half the furniture into the garage.  And thanks to son Erik and our friend Hubert for their strong young backs.  They moved furniture and boxes all one Sunday morning.

Friend Paul had the hardest job  of packing.  He packed up our art glass collection.  He is a packing machine.

Marty has painted, cleaned the outside windows (I don't do ladders), power washed the house, and put in 8 new windows.  Our house is over 70 years old.  And to sell we had to replace windows.  So Marty and our lovely contractor friend, Karl, did those 8 windows.  I have steamed cleaned carpet, cleaned cabinets, sealed and polished the granite, washed windows.  We have done a million other little things.

Marty and I have worked so hard and are so tired.  I keep looking for those packers that showed up when we were corporate gypsies. Why don't they show up anymore? 

If you know someone who is looking for a lovely home, send them our way.  The listing is here.