In which I hit a wall...

As previously mentioned, I've been going through my in-laws home to clear it out in preparation for selling it. They have moved into a retirement community and (hopefully) have all their dear treasures with them there. It's the rest of the "stuff" we gather in life that has to be sorted through. We moved them in two weeks ago. On Friday, I finished the last room "sort through" and on Saturday, furnishings were moved to new homes within the family. Painters have started the work of removing wallpaper, texturizing walls, painting, etc. I've bought new light fixtures for the bathrooms, dining room, hallways and fans. There is still much to do. Mike arrived from Kazahkstan on Thursday and he, along with our children, has been organizing the gargantuan task of clearing out the garage and workshop. I can help there to a certain extent but, not being a "shop" kinda girl, I don't know what equipment goes with which machine and all that jazz. Now Mike has had to leave to go to Alaska for the week.

So I'm feeling the pressure to complete my interior tasks. Like getting bids to have the house deep cleaned - windows both interior and exterior, getting the new fixtures installed, getting services canceled in stages (cable TV, phone and internet can be disconnected now; water, electricity and gardening services must continue until the property is sold and they've closed). Mike and Chris used Chris' pickup to take table saws and other shop equipment of unknown species over to our daughter's house (enjoy, Jason!) on Sunday. I have just about hit the wall. I need a shower, a good HGTV program, comfort food and about 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

I don't mean to "winge" as the Brits say. Mike's folks are getting on in years, have lived in this house for 23 years and need every bit of help they can get to make this transition to a much smaller but hopefully easier to maintain housing situation. And I'm glad to help. After all, they DID produce this lovely man to which I will have been married to 32 years as of tomorrow! And let's face it, WHO in the family has more moving experience? I could do this stuff in my sleep! It's just more difficult to go through someone ELSE'S things and make determinations of what is important and what can be tossed. What is an important memory (before "my time" which would be about 1975) and what is just something thrown in a drawer and of little importance? I've "discovered" photographs I never knew existed - especially ones of Mike when he was a baby (and boy, was he CUTE!!) I'm in the process of sorting through years of photos, dividing them by families (the original family and then the three children married until now) and non-family photos. I have good intentions to get them put into albums eventually.

Remind me of this.

I hope I have made good decisions. I hope I haven't messed things up. And I hope they feel comfortable in their new home very soon. The last day or two I've just done "stuff" around the house here, running errands, paying bills, catching up on news and blogs. I hope the break will give me fresh perspective and energy as the week continues and I get back into "get it sold" mode. Jennifer joked that we should call HGTV and get on "Designed to Sell"! Sounded like a good idea to me!

So to bed early I go. Unless I get hooked on blogs...always a danger...