It's Not Trash--It's a Treasure

I have been feeling burdened by all our belongings accumulated over the years. When I think of the cupboards and drawers and chests full of photo albums, dishes,  music, and just assorted stuff, I feel overwhelmed.  And sometimes I feel sad as I look at the mementos that bring back memories from the years of our lives--and also of our parents' lives.  Because there are also journals from Jim's father and photos from my parents and music and books from both sides of the families.  It's three generations of stuff, including stuff our kids left behind--everything from toys to prom souvenirs to graduation robes.

But there has also been great joy in realizing that what we must discard can bring joy to others.  The first book give-away at church was great; I loved seeing our friends leave with our books in their hands.  Another one will take place soon with even more books.  Notre Dame graduate students have taken bags of commentaries and dictionaries from Jim's collection.  The foosball game, the electric typewriter, the 50 year old Singer sewing machine, and the barbells have found new homes.  My friends in our women's Bible study "shopped" from the back seat of our car and left with items ranging from a Dutch oven to a small cooler to a espresso machine. 

Tonight the photo a friend sent of her three little girls delighting in our old typewriter made me smile.  I am so grateful that our things can be used and enjoyed by others.

Progress

We are making progress in our decision to downsize and sell our house.  Faith Fleming, our realtor, was here yesterday and had worked up an estimate.  We talked about what needs to be done in the house (not much!) and a timetable for selling.

Faith suggested putting the house on the market in mid-March with the stipulation that we would not move out until early June.  It is early for Notre Dame hires coming in but she said that there are folks who came in last year and are renting while looking for the right house.  A house down the road sold in three days!  May we be so blessed!

Laura's artwork

I felt overwhelmed again after she left.  But I went through the kitchen and our bedroom and took her suggestion to get everything off the floor and counters-or at least 2/3 of what was there.  It was not an impossible task!  The dining room is already pretty uncluttered and so is the living room except for my music which can be easily put away.

Jeff's favorite puzzle

The family room will need work because that is where we spend most of our time.  Faith suggested keeping an empty bin and when showings are scheduled, dump everything it it for the time being.  The upstairs bedrooms should not be too difficult to "stage."  The basement rooms are another story--no pun intended.  Faith has listed the "train room" as a potential fifth bedroom but it sure doesn't look like it now with golf bags, Jim's dad's diaries, an old kitchen cabinet, and even a dresser left by the last owners--let alone Jim's train set filling every bit of space.

I have started a box of books for our second book give-away at church.  I have another box of household stuff that I can offer to my friends at Bible Study and then send the rest with Mary Brown who donates to a thrift shop in Niles.  And what really makes me happy is that Cyn Haas asked if her daughter who is moving from a one bedroom apartment to a five bedroom house could have first dibs on buying furniture.  We have no need to sell things but would love to have them take the bunk beds and the canopy bedroom suite and several chairs and a desk.  I love the idea of another little girl, Cyn's grand-daughter, enjoying the sturdy yellow furniture we bought used years ago--and is good for a lifetime ahead I think.

I'm happy to write that Jim cleared off one desk downstairs and has begun working on another one.  He gave away some books this week and is making plans to give away others.  There are many many more to go but he is making progress!

I was surprised at how definite Jim was about deciding to go with Faith's suggestions.  We agreed however that we are finished with being home owners and ready to rent--probably in Princeton.  But that will be the next big decision.  I hope our house sells quickly so we have time to get rid of more stuff and look for places to live at our leisure.

Reflecting on Last Sunday

 Bible Study was cancelled because of icy roads and thus a school delay.  My new student Christopher at Hope Ministries left over the weekend so that is the sad end of what looked promising after last week's initial session. My long time student Malissa postponed her lesson because she has to work late.  Jim took the car-now our only car- to Notre Dame and will go to Martin's for a few items.

So it is a good time to reflect on last Sunday and why it is so hard to leave our church--probably the hardest part about leaving this area for me at least.

Adult church school was led by John Dendiu and focused on ways of reading Scripture.  We practiced breath prayers and "lectio divina."  I used "he restoreth my soul" as my breath prayer and "that the boat was already filling up"  from Mark 4 in the story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves as my phrase for lectio divina.  I took it as a metaphor for my brain which fills up with too much stuff when I lie awake! I have done both of these methods on my own but there was something quite moving and profound about a room of my friends all meditating and praying at the same time.

Pastor Chris Rea led the liturgy with words about the importance of confession.  We sang great songs with organ and with band with enthusiasm--we are a singing congregation and we have good leaders.  Chris's  sermon was based on the lectionary for this Sunday and challenged us to surrender ourselves to Christ as did Isaiah and Peter.

We almost always socialize for quite a while after church.  This week I was able to give Kelly two disk sleds for her boys and an aquatint to Anita who admired it--all part of my purging the house.

The evening service Mosaic is held once a month.  It was an open mike night--probably our first.  I am always a bit apprehensive about that kind of thing but was ready to contribute if others did not.  However, plenty of others did--from little N who brought tears to my eyes when she said, "I always have trouble with multiplication.  I prayed about it and I got a 58."  I assume that is a good score!  Others were thankful for our church, for family, for a good weekend with youth at Winter Blast.  The requests came from worshipers ages 6 to 70 and were examples of vulnerability and needs.  We sang favorite songs "In Christ Alone" and "To Him Who is Able to Keep You."

 We participated in the Lord's Supper and I took the bread from a first time deacon Steve who I heard was apprehensive about doing so but I am sure he was touched--as I always was when it was my time to serve.  I couldn't sing the last acapella Amens because of my tears especially as I noticed Pastor Chris with one arm around someone who was probably feeling very emotional about that particular song and the other arm lifted in praise--not a typical gesture in our more reserved congregation.

And then there was the chili cook off with lots to try and more friends to talk to--and a chance to give away soup bowls and lids to Lisa and Mardi Gras beads to Julia's children.  Good homes for the stuff we need to pass on!

So how can we find another church like this one?  We can't.  We have always found churches in which we can worship and serve and I assume we will again but Church of the Savior in South Bend is one of a kind and we will miss it greatly.

What Will I Do All Day? A Week Later

It was -17 when we got up this morning.  It is -15 now at 7 pm and it will be -22 at 8 am tomorrow.  Schools were closed.  Newspaper and mail delivery was cancelled.  We were asked to stay off the roads unless it was an emergency or we had to get to work.  We dressed very warmly and set the furnace at 65 degrees, three degrees lower than usual and we felt plenty warm because it was running often.

Jim took the car out for a few rounds in our neighborhood  to keep the battery charged.  I walked around the cul-de-sac twice to experience -17 degrees for a few minutes.  The sun was shining brightly and at dusk, the purplish glow was breathtaking.   How could it be so beautiful outside and yet so deadly?

We had nothing on the schedule for today.   So in many ways it was like a week ago and yet so different.  And being home, there is always plenty to do especially because we are trying to get rid of things in this house.

I sorted through boxes in Dan's room and after going through three of them, decided I'd had enough.  I did find a $50 bill however--and lots of change--and a lovely essay he wrote on the topic of "Covenant" in which Jim and I came out looking pretty good in our encouraging him and loving and accepting him as he was.  Maybe not so good however when he wrote about how his part of the covenant was needing to respect us even though we were hopeless (in his opinion!) when he tried to help us with our computer concerns.

I sorted through old toys and dumped a box of very little Playmobile odds and ends.  I looked through my organ books and will copy a few  isolated numbers and then give several books away.  I posted a photo of some silverplated items from my mother and found homes for them.

I read through another chapter of Jim's work on RH Charles and read several chapters of a very enjoyable The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell, a bookstore owner in Wigtown, Scotland.

We did a Friday NYT puzzle while drinking wine before supper. Now once again, it's probably sports on TV and time for reading.

What Will I Do All Day?

This morning Jim returned our rental car to the Hertz kiosk across the street from our resort.  We went without a car for the first three days here and are going without for the last three days--a two week rental out of the three weeks we are here.   We had made a few trips (Dali Museum, The Sunken Garden, John's Pass, Pass-a-grille, Treasure Island Golf, two church services) and there really was nothing else on my list of things to do. But I felt confined without the option of using a car.

 I had worked through the books I had brought along and another one that I had purchased from the St. Pete Public Library sale.  I was almost finished with Maggie-Now by Betty Smith and was sorry to see it end.

We are using up the food we have purchased and did not plan on eating out today.

I had slept well (and that is not a given) and had plenty of energy and wondered what I was going to do with myself all day.  I was restless.

Plus steps to the Tiki Bar--1000 plus

But now when I look back on this day, I know I was not bored but enjoyed it thoroughly.

Jim and I went for separate walks--mine down 55th Avenue, a finger of reclaimed land with lovely homes.  I listened to Laura's Best of Both Worlds podcast and that made me feel like I had company.  At one point, I laughed aloud!  We both kept trying to further our 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle of the scene right outside our patio but we fear we may not finish it.  Why did I choose a photo with so much sky?!

I finished Maggie-Now with regrets and looked for a few more books in the resort office. I fixed supper (a hamburg-pasta-canned tomato mixture that my mother used to call spaghetti) with minimal ingredients and put it in the refrigerator for later.   I went for a swim in late afternoon after the sun worshipers had left the pool and enjoyed a few minutes alone in the hot tub.

Jim took me out for a mango margarita at the Tradewinds Resort's Tiki Bar across the street.  We listened to live music and watched the sun go down.


After supper we decided we really wanted dessert so we walked the half mile to Publix and got some New Orleans Caramel Praline ice cream. It was pretty soft by the time we got home but it was delicious.

So now it's TV sports for Jim and some more reading and maybe a crossword puzzle for me.

Today was the warmest one we have had here.  Tomorrow will be ten degrees cooler and I really don't know what I will do tomorrow either!  I hope to be as relaxed as I was today and at least we will be thankful when we remember how cold and wet and icy it is back home in South Bend!

Getting Along with Less

For two weeks in December, Jim and I lived in two rooms at Homewood Suites in Princeton.  We had a full-sized refrigerator and a stove which could better have been called a hot plate.  We ate with family often, at restaurants several times, and made do other times.  My greatest attempt at cooking was grilled cheese sandwiches.

We came home for two weeks over Christmas.  Our house seemed huge and almost burdensome.   Laura and Michael and family spent one night with us.  Then the house was the right size!  But otherwise we never use the living room or the dining room.  Jim has moved the computer to the family room so that is where he works, not in his basement studies.  Sadly, this is not the season for the three season room.

We used to have graduate groups from church or from Notre Dame over for meals or meetings.  We even did the church welcome lunches.  Now our entertaining usually means inviting another family or couple to go out to eat with us.

We have been in St. Pete Beach for two weeks in a two bedroom condo with a dining area, kitchen area, and two sitting rooms.  We have more room than we need.  The cupboards were bare except for salt and pepper shakers.  So the cooking we have done has been pretty creative and minimal.  Again we have gone out to eat several times and enjoyed leftovers from those meals.  Our life has been simplified and it has been fine.

Jim had done his research and writing daily using the resources he brought with him and electronic resources.  He got along without all his books--at least for the time being.

I find myself thinking about new homes for our furniture and many household goods.   I might make a list room by room.  Susan said she'd like our dining room set.  Laura will take the piano if we don't have room for it.  We have very few keepsakes from our parents and grandparents.  I hope the next generation will take them and treasure them.   I'm sure Restore or Goodwill or Salvation Army will take a truckload--or we could venture to have an estate sale.  I definitely will do another church book give-a-way.

Living more minimally for four weeks has helped me realize we can do it in the years ahead!

A Typical Day at Sunrise Resort (for the 70 plus set)

Maybe today will be a fairly typical one.  I slept well for which I am grateful because there have been a few nights lying awake until the wee hours.  I threw some clothes on and walked across the street to Tradewinds Resort to get my free Tampa Bay Times.  Our resort has an arrangement with them so that we can use their facilities-some free, some at 10% off.

Breakfast was basic--cereal and coffee.  I read the paper and checked online for more news.  I did a load of laundry.  (It takes some trial and error to learn to use other machines.) The 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle is always there to challenge us.  We walked about a half-mile to The Dollar Tree and Publix for some fruit, milk, and other sundries.  Our lunch was sandwiches and fruit.

 I read a chapter of Jim's RH Charles manuscript and made a few comments  and then wrote a review of Gilead on Goodreads having finished it last night.  I read a Wikipedia article on Dali after visiting the Dali Museum yesterday and read what others said about Gilead.

Jim talked about doing a nine hole golf course at Treasure Island later today but decided a week day might be less busy.  He wrote more on his RH Charles manuscript, one of the projects he brought along

I read The Buffalo Coat by Carol Ryrie Brinks (author of Caddie Woodlawn) and practiced mindfulness trying to relax and slow down that heart rate!   We "puzzled" some more and then drove to a public park where we successfully fed the parking meter with a Visa card.  We were proud of our success because we have been challenged
by this in the past. We had a lovely, peaceful walk in a less commercial area.


Supper of leftovers (take-out fried chicken for Jim and last night's Snapper Sea Grill stuffed flounder for me) was as good as the first time around.  Tonight it will be sports on TV and Washington Week in Review.  We'll try to do a NYT crossword puzzle online together but on separate laptops. We often take an evening walk on the Tradewinds Resort's paths to the Gulf--just getting in a few more of our 10,000 steps goal.



So this is the beach life when you are 72 years old.  We revel in the beauty around us--the views of sunrises and sunsets, the changing color of the water in the bay, the deep blue sky of mid-day, and the warm temperatures.  We walk every day. We got along without a car for a few days but have rented a deep blue Nissan Maxima from Hertz right across the street and are exploring the area a bit more.  At first we wondered if we would get bored and three weeks would be too long of a stay.  The longer we are here the more I think it may not be long enough!