By Allen L Phillips
If you are wondering if you missed an article, this is only the second in the last 3 weeks. Pat and I are so wrapped up in move preparation we barely have time to rest. Let this be a warning to readers – it is too easy to accumulate stuff. Especially if you are cursed by being handy, like me (Al), you build extra shelves in the garage and closets as well as double decking the hanger rods. The old adage that your stuff will grow to fill the space you have is true! So stop adding storage space!
Even though we have a moving service to help and advise us, it’s up to us to winnow out the stuff that we won’t have room for in our 25% smaller new space. And that is just considering the square footage. In addition, there won’t be the extra storage shelves or double decked hanger rods. One of my first projects there will be to build some small book cases into a couple of corners. Pat and I do love our books.
Our birds must be wondering what’s going on. The trellis on the west side of the house where our bower vine and wisteria was growing was riddled with termites. Since it was attached to the house that would have created a big problem when we sell. So we tore most of it down this morning. Termites are OK, they say, as long as the infested wood is not attached to the house, so we will leave part of it standing but without being attached to the house.
There won’t be as much shade or as many flowers and our hummingbirds are already grumbling. We are glad we won’t be here next spring when the orioles arrive – we really don’t want to listen to their griping.
“Paying attention to being alive” is a line from a poem by Jack Gilbert and came to my attention when quoted in The Yellow House, a compelling memoir by Sarah M. Broom (For past articles in this series go to allenlphillips.wordpress.com and click on the heading “Life”.)
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