Closing and Opening

Saturday, June 1, was our last day on Deerfield Loop.  We spent the morning vacuuming and cleaning out cupboards with the help of Linda, our cleaner.  By noon, we had the car packed for the first time and headed to 1412 Ivy Court, Apartment A-5, to begin our month in our Airbnb.

First problem--getting the lock box open to get the key out to open the door.  The pass code was correct but what did push down and then up mean?  I eventually got the box open and we went in.  We decided immediately it would be just fine for our home for a month.

Then we were back to loading the car two more times and many, many trips up to the second floor apartment.  I counted 11 for me; Jim made many more.  How could we have so much stuff still to be moved?  We had lots of food from the refrigerator, freezer and shelves.  We had clothes for the summer.  We had projects to work on (Jim's research, my going through cookbooks and stuff to be digitalized at the library).  And at the end of purging and packing, it just got to be easier to take it with us and think about it later.  We were exhausted at the end of the day.


Naturally enough an Airbnb near Notre Dame is full of ND decor.  I think I counted 10 ND posters or paintings.  We can hear the horns on the playing fields for summer camps.  The place is clean and quiet and well-equipped.  It is a bit shabby and worn and the trucks come to empty the dumpsters every morning at 5:30 am!  It will make our new home in Princeton seem even more luxurious.

First rose at Deerfield
Loop--last one for us

Yesterday we went back to Deerfield Loop  to clean up a few more areas.  The buyers, Chip and Virginia, came just before we left for their last walk-through.  Their littlest son headed straight for the basement and the toys.  It has been a joy to have a family that is really happy with our (now their) house.   We all
have considered this process to truly be a blessing.

The closing proceeded well.  We had already signed papers last week.  We picked up our check later in the afternoon and celebrated at the Oaken Bucket sitting on the patio by the river on a lovely evening.

Jim reading Hebrew--a routine kept
in our new home

Chip emailed later in the evening to say the boys were happy with the treasures we had left for them; he mentioned an arrowhead, coins, and a K'nex tower.  So they managed to move in yesterday.

One very big step is done in this process.  The next big step will be figuring out how to get our stuff to Princeton in one car load, then two weeks at Homewood Suites and then--508 Barclay Boulevard!