12 Oakdale

 A list of what I moved out of our house; stuff I let in; the things I considered, fondled, thought about, yet didn’t allow to join our household, at least so far; and items replaced. OUT: 01/5: Returned Trtl travel pillow to Amazon. Just didn’t quite fit, and why do I need something I’ll likely leave on an airplane like all the others I’ve bought? I sleep just fine without it. $51.11 back. 01/6: Christmas decorations. Although they are in cardboard boxes sitting on shelves in the garage for donation in October, I culled a whole big tote of decorations we haven’t used since we left Fort Lauderdale. 01/7: Red exercise bands left from PT that have sat, unused, on my nightstand for a year. To the trash. I’ll get new if ever needed. 01/23: Returned small messenger bag. Cute, however I couldn’t get my hand easily into the zippered opening. $89.90-$6 USPS return shipping. 01/28: Eight IKEA chairs out of our garage to Stephanie’s. New Year’s Eve tiara missing the “New”, found when we live...

I’m ahead of where I normally am at this stage of the game when I’m organizing for a party. There are still 3 days to go, and the food is ordered, the desserts, except an orange cake, are made. The yard is in great shape thanks to CC and my working like dogs. She did get overzealous in one area and began clearing out the Spanish needles (Bidens alba) , a native weed that normally I rip out continuously. I got her stopped with enough left for all the little wildflower arrangements I want to make for the party. We’ll get the rest pulled up the next time she comes. Grant and I’ve made the list for the crudités, broccoli salad, beans, and rice he’s making. He will shop today. Steph is making decorations and labels for the little honey bear party favors. The porch is cleaned, and we’ve picked up the tables. We’ll borrow 8 chairs from our neighbor’s daughter tomorrow. Today, I want to get the rest of the house neatened and find the photos of Spaulding as a baby. Since he swears we have none ...

Knackered, the Word of the Day at my EarlyBird Toastmaster’s meeting Thursday was eerily appropriate since that was exactly what I was. In a moment of insanity, I had said, yes, I do want the huge sectional sofa that Jamey had offered us. It is furniture that won’t go to their new townhouse. He’d sent pictures of the dimensions which I’d taped out on the living room floor. It would fit, and we would have a big enough sofa to actually lie down on. I often read on one of our two loveseats that Mary and I bought at Macy’s Furniture maybe 10 years ago. I don’t mind leaning against one arm with my legs hanging off the other. That’s are way too short for Grant. The only catch in the plan is that the sofa is in DC. They hope to move to the new place by the end of February. However, we’re birding in Belize February 2-13, Mary and kids are visiting after that for a couple of weeks, Jamey and April are off on vacation January 28th. I had Windermere Tree Giveaway Saturday. Bottom line: we rented ...