Monday, December 12, 2016

I Hate Moving

I hate moving. No exceptions. Maybe this is the reason we have been in our current home for nearly thirty years. Even when we lived in Japan for three years, we were able to leave much of our “stuff” in the house. (This photo is several years old.)
We owned our prior house for seventeen. We rented it furnished to a friend for nearly a year while we lived in Denver, CO. (I don’t think I’d do it again because of the amount of damage.) Larry’s cousin bought this house when we moved to Dana Point, and she still owns it. Maybe long-term home ownership runs in the family.
I keep saying we should downsize because “someday” we will probably have to move to a one-story house. Larry says he’ll install a chair lift or small elevator rather than move. I can’t say as I blame him since we live in a wonderful neighborhood with the best neighbors in the world. However, all the issues with my knee during the past two years has proved to me how vulnerable I am. (Of course, aging has nothing to do with this…) I haven’t convinced him, but periodically I purge excess “stuff.” I don’t look forward to the day when we really have to get rid of our surplus—and we have far too much.

Our daughter, Kimberly, has lived in Texas for nearly twelve years. She has been in three different apartments. Whenever she moved to a new place, we visited to help her unpack, arrange furniture, and hang pictures. A week ago, she purchased her first home, a condo in Plano. The timing of this major life event couldn’t have been more difficult for her. Three days before escrow closed, she started a new job. This was a promotion with an appreciated raise, but making the change at this time was a challenge. In addition, she sings in the choir at Prestonwood. The first two weeks of December, the church presents “The Gift of Christmas,” an over-the-top production. She had to sing in thirteen performances while trying to move in.
As always, new homes have issues, and she hasn’t been here to address them. Fortunately, we are.

The major challenge is lack of storage space. Her last apartment had huge closets throughout. This one has small closets and few of them. We bought her a new queen-size bed for her guest room since we are sleeping there. We chose a firm memory foam mattress with a metal platform. There is room under the platform for several plastic bins for her linens and other items for which there is no other room.

We are nearly finished, but we have worked harder this week than we have for a several years. Our muscles are sore, and we’re very tired. We look forward to returning home to get a rest.


Two days after we get back, Kim arrives for a couple of weeks as she does each Christmas. We’ll probably all try to get lots of rest. And I don’t plan to move for a LONG time.

14 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. You have all our famiy around you, so I see no reason for you ever to leave. Hugs to you all.

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  2. Jan (Anderson) HofmannDecember 14, 2016 at 4:18 PM

    Three years ago I sold my 4 bdrm home of 20 years in the Northwest and downsized to a townhome. A year later the landlord told me his mother needed to live there, so with a month's notice I found a small apartment and downsized again. This summer my Mom turned 100 and I took an early retirement to move down to my childhood home in Alhambra and take care of her. I sold all that was left of my furniture so I wouldn't have to move it all again (bye bye piano) and the garage is now full of my boxes. I'm sleeping in the front bedroom that looks out across the street to your childhood home,Lorna. So many memories! I think I might have 1 more move left in me, and that will definitely (hopefully) be it!

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    1. Please give your mother a big hug from me. I have lots of memories of that neighborhood--almost all of them wonderful.

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  3. When I was young (18-35), I moved every few years. Then I settled down. However, I found the move from Connecticut to N was good. I pitched and sold a lot.

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    1. I keep telling Kim she'll feel better when she purges the excess. Some of the boxes haven't been opened since she moved from California in 2005. She probably doesn't need whatever is inside!

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  4. I have been in my starter home since 1971. It looks like it will be my ender home too. Fortunately I like my neighbors and this old neighborhood. It is culterally and age diverse which suits me; home maintenance continues which I can't say suits me.

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    1. In our case, inertia wins. It's easier just to stay where we are. But We adore this house and neighborhood. In fact, when we went to Japan, one of the non-negotiables was we had to keep the house. And I'm glad we did.

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  5. I might twist this around a little. I am not fearful of movement because I think it is a time to trim down on the collected goods. But Anne points out that I still have seven bookcases of books in the garage including many of my "important" books from college! I am in the process of bundling these up and giving them away. Heck there are some I have not opened in fifty years. I know that we will not be moving from our home because there are two of us decision makers having weathered forty years of marriage. Downsizing would be nice but we make use of all of the extra room now for the grand kids.

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    1. We don't even have grandkids as an excuse. We have a large house with a three-car garage, so storage space isn't an issue for us. But we will probably have to downsize eventually. I know what you mean about books, though!

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  6. Lorna, with a few changes I could have written this blog. My husband and I have lived in our present two-story home (near you in Laguna Niguel) for 32 years, our previous one for 20. I too hate moving but we'll be doing so in two years to a one story in a senior development. I also have had knee issues which I feel each time I climb the stairs. The thought of packing up my stuff is more than daunting. I really love my home but I know downsizing is what we need to do and I'd rather do it by choice than being forced into it by health circumstances. At least it will be our last move. I'm a member of California Writers Club and heard you speak at one of our recent meetings. I hope to have my latest book finished by the time we move.

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    1. I realized we should really plan for downsizing, but I can't convince Larry. And to tell the truth I love our neighborhood and can't imagine living anywhere else.

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    2. I love my neighborhood also and my husband is showing reluctance to move. Since we have almost two years before our new place will be ready we'll use that time to get used to the idea, gradually warm up to it, and hopefully, be very excited to make that final move. We also may really need it by then.

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