dang

DANG
actually there are two words
to describe our whirlwind life
over the last month

one is dang
the other is exhaustion

i always had a rule as my wife she finishes up the end of year
at school
its a simple one
stay out of her way
dont plan anything

well
we broke that rule this year
big time

if you have a schoolteacher in the family
you probably know this rule
its bode me well over the years

it started  a year ago
with thinking about moving to santa barbara
to be near family and our granddaughter
also to be prepared for what could be coming down the path
for us

our all last year has been spent preparing for the possibility
but
this last month
we werent quite prepared for that

how do you suddenly sell your house that you love
where you have lived over 15 years
getting rid of almost everything you have
all in 30 days
at the end of your wife shes final year of school

what
were we thinking

we werent
but
we did it

we met with the realtor who had sold us the house 16 years ago
someone wanted it since they had told us before
if we sell it wanted first shot
his shot missed by a few thousand

so prepare for mls we did

i looked around
there were things that needed repaired
so
i went about fixing things and making it ready for sell
almost all day when i had free time i was working on this

then a buyer just happened to be there when his friend was droning the place
i want to buy this place he said

so within 3 days offers were made and accepted
paperwork process was begun
so
in 6 weeks closing would happen
that was a month ago

think about
getting rid of 16 years of living
finding a place to live 1500 miles away
at the end of the school year

we got the word out
all we have is for sale
folks started buying stuff
i sat down and wrote out what stuff was worth
no what it would sell for
thats two different things
a total tally was done
i was a couple hundred off

relatives drove in last weekend from the next state over
to pick up some heirloom things that belong in the family

we spent memorial weekend with
my historian brother and his cowgirl wife
my rainwater brother and his thrift shopping wife
although we didnt see them as much as we wanted
we always knew they were close by
somehow thats comforting

then
i had a landscape project to do at habitat for humanity
that took up almost a week of my time
i had a large alzheimers talk to do at an alzheimers symposium
i had a smaller talk to do at a memory center
i turned down other offers to talk
which i never do
i could feel the move breathing down my neck
my wife she was spinning downward like a lot of
school teachers do every year at this time

we set up a moving sale
we sold almost everything we owned
what didnt sell was donated mostly to a local charity that provides
food and clothing for needy folks
some was donated to habitat for humanity

it was hard to see all my tools go

then
our friend almost died at the moving sale
my guess is he got close enough to the pearly gates
that he saw that tunnel of light ready to suck him away
all from a yellow jacket sting

then we have all these people who entered out lives
over the last 16 years since we lived here
there was not really not much time to say a good bye to
all of them
many we will always remember forever
all my habitat for humanity friends
all my meals on wheels clients i have delivered to
over the last 6 years

then
our old dog maverick
so old he was thought to be near death several times over the last
few years
we decided he was too old to move to a new place
lets let him die with the country n being his last place to live
so
we let him gently be euthanized like some humans should be
allowed to go to end their suffering
we both cried some
but
we felt like he had lived a good life
it was his time

our other dog marley
was given to a friend whose dog is his best buddy
besides maverick

i must say
as we were preparing to leave
well
he loved awfully sad looking
i know i saw tears in his eyes
they were in my eyes and my wife shes eyes
i think he knew what was going to happen

so
leaving this exhaustive month behind us
we may take weeks to recover
we piled everything that was left
into our two vehicles
sorry no pictures as my cellphone cords are somewhere
so
i stood as i took pictures of the two cars
thinking
thats all we have left of 16 years
all in those two cars
and
lots and lots of memories

then off on a two day drive across the southwest
to get to our destination
our new place

an apartment
an airbb one for a few months
until we find what what and where we want to live here

i think my wife she and i were meant for each other
since
we seemed to have survived all this

next
chapter
in our lives
coming up

the organicgreen doctor