PA:

I was supposed to leave for Ohio this AM, but lingering crud-bugs have held me up. I'm hoping the antibiotics get me underway by Friday!

I've been "enjoying" a premature opportunity to bid farewell to more PA items as I focus on what to truck out in May. I always did like pre-grieving inevitable goodbyes; this round seems to be about furniture-repurposing projects I'd have loved to have done, that we will definitely never be able to do.

It turns out that it's enough for me that I've enjoyed finding out/planning how to have done them. (There are only so many clear-coated antiques I can put in my garden-- and the Ohio house can't possibly hold more pieces than I've already planned.) So, more to leave for the parish yard sale.

One item that was hard to decide about was a much-loved antique rocker my SIL gave me 30 years ago. She had wanted it back at one point so she got first refusal. It's a reddish-stained oak, someone's homemade craftsman knockoff of a well-known type. (I can tell because it's not quite square.) She and I decided together to avoid the Californy shipping hassle and donate it to the church. Afyer we decided that, at first I envisioned it in one particular church location... but I have some fabric that's almost a dead match for some church hangings, and it will be a lovely addition to the Chapel that houses the Columbarium, for folks to set a spell with the memories of loved ones inurned there. I'll add a donors' plaque and a rug to go under it, to keep it in the Chapel and out of the yard sale. There's an almost-matching companion chair we're also leaving, to pair with it, that also sees occasional duty for bishops' visits. (We've talked for YEARS about a non-pew sitting spot in there!!!)

In a recent spelunking of an upstairs closet, I found some of the priscilla curtains I've loved so much here in this old house that are no longer available; some of the downstairs priscillas may be too old to wash once more, but I think the found ones can replace any that do fall apart. They are spead out around in two adjoining rooms, so the color doesn't have to match perfectly. One set is ivory and one is white. (A tan dye job should make them all work well enough.) As long as I have enough intact for the living room, that works!

I was able to fill out a truck-sized packing list after several relaxed chats with Hardi, about priorities-- we love those long drives where we dream about retirement dates we still can't plan. I'm wondering if our final move will happen while we still have two cars to deal with, in which case a pod would be better than a last truckload.... or whether by then we'll be down to one vehicle. (I do like the idea of a pod we can take our time UNloading, but I'm sure keeping em ain't cheap.)


Wishing all a good year with house-happiness,

~S~