Beaver:

Great news! R has decluttered our lives of the odious house! It is actually sold but he needs to live there until December; keep it occupied until the buyer is ready to start "renovating". When I go back to Montreal in a couple weeks, we will be able to consider what we can buy for the next phase of our lives. I am still hoping for a house near those nature reserves. He seems to be amenable. Whew! He texted me, "There are squirrels in the attic! They aren't ours! YAY!" What a relief, we are each feeling. After all these years, he no longer has the "house needs to be renovated" hanging over him! The buyer is going to totally gut the interior so nothing matters!

We will still have "Beaver Haven" but I have agreed to spend more time in Quebec. This also is a sort of de-clutter - so we are in the same place if either of us has health problems. Being a prisoner in that dreadful house last winter ...

The studio and house are totally cluttered with drying pottery! That is GOOD clutter! Monday looks like it will be a decent day to deal with loading the kiln for the first bisque firing. I have a fair chance of finishing by 5th or so. Load car and trek to Montreal - on a non-snow day. And hang out until son and wife come up from NYC, where they are visiting third grand daughter (my third greatgd), Ali's first child, to collect his pots - And have a short visit! Troy lived in Montreal in his teens so it will be a bit of a pilgrimage for him - showing Julie the highlights of his youth.

Packing pottery: Double boxing is highly recommended, with the outside one lined with spray foam, or maybe the interior one and the pottery wrapped in bubble wrap, placed in a plastic bag and then into foam lined box which is then filled with more foam. Then the outer box could have foam or some other filler. Strong boxes! I had good success using bagels as filler - instead of foam!

Not much else done but managed the laundry in two loads/two days, drying in house. Warmer days and solar gain in afternoon means less wood needs to be brought in. A week without snow is a nice break for my shoulders. Another day or two and I may be able to get to the car without risk of falling. Using gravel in a large yogurt container to strew in front of me as I make my way - very carefully! I can see small patches of bare ground.grass! But fully expecting more snow before April.