Moving Joy

The title of the post is sarcastic, I want you to k now. (Sorry Mama, I know how much you relish "joy" in everything. I can hear you know, "New home, new chapter in life!") There is, in fact, very little joy when you move.

House-hunting ready!

 I would love to add some recent pictures to this post, however my camera cable is buried in a pile of "Very important stuff we absolutely had to take with us which now seems like a pile of garbage we should have just thrown in the dumpster."

I will keep the mystery of where we moved to a secret for most of my readers till I find my camera cable. In the meantime, here are a few hints of where we looked for a new home when moving.

Duomo di Cremona, Italia

Piazza di Vigevano

DC (with Italian tourists)

Some place in Swizerland

2 Amy's Pizzeria Neapolitana in NW DC

Madonna del Sasso, Switzerland 

Brooklyn

Near the Smithsonian Museum of the Native American

Pennsylvania Ave., NYC

Cremona, Italia

Cremona fruit stand

And if you are thinking of participating on the Joy of Moving, here are five to ten things you can look forward to:

1. Loose more individual socks that you ever thought possible. How does the dryer suddenly eat more socks?

2. Repeat ad nauseam, "How did we get so much stuff?!" and "Get rid of it when I'm not looking and I won't even notice." Family heirlooms? Recycle them! When you are moving your heart will turn cold to almost everything.

3. When packing, approach each little space left in your box like a golden opportunity to stuff that box and barely be able to close it. Hey, moving companies charge by volume and the less they measure, the less you pay.

4. You will have a favorite sweater again, a favorite pair of pants and when all your clothes are packed you will forget 90% of what you had to begin with.

5. You will forget the 15 baskets you had when all is packed and suddenly get the urge to run to Marshalls / Target / TJMaxx because you need a "little basket" for the kitchen.

6. Never misplace your coffee machine! This will turn grumpy moving people into real grouches.

7. On that note, pack and label your most valuable stuff in this order:
  a. Coffee machine
  b. Keys
  c. Pets
  d. Bank cards and ID
  e. Passport, birth certificate, college diplomas, wedding certificate, everything else. I should know where mine are but on moving day they got whisked away while I wasn't paying attention. I'm still alive, have some education left in my noggen, still married and certificates won't change that.

8. In a way, you will wish the moving truck would just escape and steal all your earthly possessions.


That is about it for now. Once I upload pictures I will update on the status of our whereabouts.

I know, most of you (mama included) are concerned with the kittens. Fatty didn't do so good with the move. He quit eating for a week and lost some weight, but not to worry he made a full recovery.

 Bentley was ever concerned about my husband. He stayed by his side as much as he could and howled when we moved and he stayed boarding while the movers came.

 Now, they are absolutely thrilled to be in a new home. They have been busy pouncing and attacking everything they shouldn't and taking long naps on piles of boxes.

The whole move has seemed like some abstract French film or "living art" exhibition where we are the artists in residence. It's been a weird move.

As my mom would insist, on the positive side, the trees have been gorgeous and I have enjoyed taking breaks from the move to look at the sky, the colorful leaves and enjoy the beautiful landscape that doesn't care what day it is or if I am moving.

 I love the peace and beauty of fall and stepping away from my messy house for a few minutes really puts things in perspective that the temporary chaos inside is so minimal in comparison to the strength and beauty of the changing seasons. And that is it. Off to enjoy...my coffee machine!