Friday, June 8, 2012

New Hobby

I've been thinking about birds lately.  In particular, migratory birds and the way they relocate twice a year, sometimes hundreds of miles, and never have to pack a bag, much less a household full of furniture, dishes, and all those other things we can't get along without.  

Our plan to combine households with Larry's mother is becoming a realty.  We plan to move in about six weeks, and oh my!  It is daunting to look around at our 32 years of accumulation and decide if we REALLY need to keep all those things.   The kindergarten papers (and first grade, second grade, etc) are adorable, but do we need them?  The toys and games we've been saving in case we have grandchildren someday.  

The clothes that were in style 30 years ago, and the hundreds and hundreds of books we may want to read again.  Someday.

Of course we all know that we can't get along without the guitars - I don't even know how many there are.  Same with fabric and yarn.

The piano we've had for 30 years that no one plays.   The trombone in the attic, along with the bowling ball and golf clubs no one has used in years.

I'll be spending the next six weeks sorting, packing, cleaning, and making lots of small decisions.   I hope you have a great summer!

Monday, June 4, 2012

A Cautionary Tale

I was just visiting The Yarn Harlot's blog post about procrastinating.  People commented to sympathize and encourage, and at least two people suggested she start the laundry and then go for a bike ride.  

Red Flag!

PLEASE do not ever start your washer, dryer, dishwasher, or other appliance and then leave the house.  One day I just ran across the street for five minutes to deliver dinner to a neighbor, and came home to a house full of smoke.  Our dryer malfunctioned, and if I'd been another five minutes the dryer would have been in flames. 

I know people who haven't been as fortunate, and lost their homes (at least temporarily) to a fire started by an untended appliance.   Yes, it is tempting to just let the laundry do itself while  you run some errands,  but I promise you it is not a good idea.