Life AFTER Downsizing and A CHURCH PEW

~GRAND-DAUGHTER and DAUGHTER that are Grand~

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DOWNSIZING?  

There had better be!  SO my answer is YES, there is.  Thankful there is, but I have my moments.  I finally admitted today, that I was devastated from our house fire.  D e v a s t a t e d.  What a word.

To be fair, I don't need to expect so much out of myself.  Feeling this loss has been real and I need to feel it before I can successfully move forward and not be stuck in place.  

I use to tell my daughter, it's alright to cry, just don't cry for too long.  Same advice for myself.  Cry, but not for too long.  I have to remind myself to count my blessings, lighten the load and move on.  Trust in the LORD and move on.  We are not going to live here for ever.  We're passing through this world.  It's not our HOME HOME.  Heaven is.  All of this will pass away.  All of it.  I have to embrace the pain and move on.  

FIGURING OUT how to go from what was to what is causes challenges.  Morphing from the old to the new and being comfortable in my own skin is like being the new kid on the block and learning the ropes.

Count my blessings.

We are presently living in RETIREMENT COTTAGE.  I get overwhelmed with what we have to do.  This is one of those moments.  Earthly possessions will be returning to us this week.  I know this will be emotional.  I'm bracing myself for this event.  SO be it.  It will take some doing to go through the 500 boxes.  500.  Mercy.

This week my dear Husband will be digging up HOSTAS and SOLOMON'S SEAL from the other property.  After the Irises bloom and fade, then we will move them over to this property.  It was in our contract when we sold our rock house remains to the new owner that the Irises would go after they bloomed.  

A SIGH OF RELIEF THAT IS HEARD ACROSS THE FLINT HILLS:  PRAISE GOD.  We have cleaned out the garage and she's locked up.  We officially are out of the garage.  Deep  sigh.  I was moving so slow and could not have done this task by myself.  My Husband was the muscle and brawn to this TASK.  It was a huge task.  We started clearing out the garage last MARCH.  Finished up today.  Stunned I am.  sigh.  We really have sold the property.

Tonight I will go over to the garage and stare at it's emptiness and walk away from it.  Bye.  When the property is completely remodeled, I'm not sure I want to see the inside ever again.  It hurts.

I was brave enough to walk through the old rock house to see what has been done.  Reaching our old bedroom, I sat on the window seal and cried me a river.  Said my good-byes and left to return working on the garage.  A very long good-bye to this dream that went up in smoke.  

I have my memories and some pictures.  A new start at retirement cottage.  

CHURCH PEW UPDATE:  Here she be.  I love her.  Eventually she will be located in our Utility room.  Sitting pretty as a 4 footer.  We were guessing that she is at least 117 years old as a pew, but the wood itself is probably in the neighborhood of 200 years old. 

I will be busy with the next step in our FIRE RECOVERY.  Taking baby steps is about all I can do for the time being.  Little tiny steps.

I can see the light at the end of this tunnel.  We will be really downsized to fit into our place.  By next October...I have hopes of being where we need to be.  I so hope so.

Blessings,
d