EASE OF MY DEPARTURE!

It's Saturday and I had lunch with Aleida and Curt. We had a great visit but it was primarily a good bye lunch 😪Good byes are tough and so far I haven't  let myself cry, we'll see how long that lasts. Its been nice to get to know Curt, they are suited for each other and I like him a lot. 

For Easter my friends Keith and Barbara Jo are having me over with their family. Then Sunday evening I will be doing last minute things before the movers come Monday morning. I will pack my luggage I'm taking with me today. I packed about 20% of the house and I will let the experts do the balance.  Tuesday they load the truck and are off. 

All the details with the last minute give away, sell, toss, etc, all came together this last week. I was happy to give away things people needed and then I was also blessed with selling some. 

Keeping an ongoing list on a tablet has helped me stay organized. Also not wanting to feel too stressed, I kept ahead by doing things each day for a few hours, always keeping in mind the most important thing to do next!  Many times the last few weeks I have also been taken to lunch or dinner. Probably each day I did some packing, cleaning out, organizing, and seeing friends. This routine seemed to keep me fairly well balanced. I wasn't alone all day working; my tasks were varied, which made it all pleasant and not totally exhausting. 

I had 2 foot massages this past week (1 hour massages) to keep me healthy and relieve stress, and I am so glad I did. I believe it has kept me healthy. 

Monday through Wednesday nights I am staying with Keith and Jo about 5 minutes away. Listen to this, I love the ease of my departure: Thursday morning I put my luggage in my car and then drive myself to Burlingame, to an auto transport company. They have a shuttle take me to SFO airport, 15 minutes away. 

That's it, I'm off, and my car will be on its way in a day or 2! 

A new chapter awaits me, 4 kids and my grand babies, as well. I look forward to what is ahead. Thank you!

Good night and God Bless!!   Aleta 

SNUGGLES AND GIGGLES ARE THE BEST

It finally happened - my house closed today and I will be moving! Next weekend I get to snuggle and giggle with my 2 grand babies. Everything has been getting easier, and I attribute that to God blessing me, friends helping, and being organized. One minor frustration today happened when I called my cable company. The customer service lady was very persistent, not listening to my "No, I won't be taking this service with me, please cancel the service.  She was quite a good robot employee. But I soon became frustrated and had to repeat myself over and over. Finally after many "No's" I said, please let's get onto the next question, because I don't want any more questions about continuing my service, because I am not. Still at the end she said (probably read a script) to go to their website to get promotions. OMG!! But if you know me, I don't get angry or ugly with people because it usually makes it worse, and I don't want any negative repercussions. Canceled it was!!

The TO DO list is shrinking and I love it. There will be moments when I think "Did I remember....? Hopefully that doesn't happen when I'm trying to sleep. It won't be the first time. My neighbor friends Tim & Val are having a little wine and cheese get together tonight, to say good bye to me. The neighbors here are all great and we have always watched out for each other. I will miss the camaraderie. But look forward to new friendships and new adventures. The quote below is perfect because I always say going backwards is unproductive!

Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"The secret to many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So you see they're always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back."

Norman Rockwell - 20th century painter and illustrator 

TWO WEEKS NOTICE!

Two weeks til I depart. It's getting down to the wire, and I have never felt more stressed. The good news is the 4th glitch just unglitched - is that even a word?  I can make up words- it's my blog. All papers have been signed by the seller. The mortgage company is trying to locate a mobile notary- sooner rather than later. Thank God I don't have to fly there to sign, but there are certain rules and regs about signing loans.

People ask me how do you do it all alone? Ten seconds of boldness every day has gotten me through. Some might say conolli help, but I wouldn't want to be crass ;-)  Also I have a team of angels/friends/workers to help. Plumber, gardener, handyman, electrician, painter, caulking expert, contractors, realtor, etc, etc!

Today I thank God for George, he was a recommendation from my gardener friend years ago. I have to mention Miguel first. Miguel has been my gardener for close to 10 years and he is a dear friend. He offered to help me when my precious dog Tashi died almost 2 years ago. He came that afternoon and dug the hole so Julie and I could bury her. That was awful! I will always be grateful for Miguel and all he has done for me. 

Back to my angel George today. He is doing last minute chores. The biggest headache and worry has been how do I get rid of those garage items that you can't just throw away? When I showed him my shelves, he immediately said I can take this away, before I asked him. He knows where the recycling center is if any items are hazardous. Each of us has a responsibility to take care of this earth. Please don't think you can ignore the rules, that it only applies to others. Oops-I digressed. 

The half used garage items you never move to your next house is the last BIG stresser that was hanging over my head. Do you see why I am so blessed?? I am a very grateful person, all day long I say "thank God" for even the tiniest things! It's simply a habit for decades. 

Thank you, good day and God Bless!  Aleta 

"Friends double our joy and divide our grief!"  Anonymous 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I am celebrating my birthday in Tracy with Jeremy and Jenn. Today they are cooking a St Patrick's Day dinner for me. Yumm!! I also got to FT with Jesse, Rachel, and Rosalie - and I'm sure I will later with Parkina! 

This is the first time I have used the Blogger app to write. What a dingbat?! So much easier, oh my goodness! Now no excuse to write. I may even post a pic. 

It's noon here and I am still in my jammies and my new Ugg bathrobe (like a big sweatshirt) - it's very comfy. It's also raining and we are watching The Bucket List. Nice lazy birthday!!

Hugs and kisses! God bless us everyone!

Aleta

THE TO DO LIST

At this point on this journey to buy a house, I am getting closer. The closing date is next Friday, after 2 weeks of total frustration. My bank has been detestable. Probably all banks, or large institutions, are the same. But to get answers and people to get things done has been impossible. I won't go into detail because it's too negative. However, it looks like it will happen, and I get to sign with a notary and then over-night the papers to the title company. Everything is done electronically, I even e-signed some documents and then emailed them right back from their origination by pressing a single button.

It's Friday and I have been ticking off my big TO DO list. I won't go over that because we all have bills to pay, and accounts to close, I am sure you can imagine how my to do list reads. A relocation guy from Mayflower Movers came out on Monday to give me the price to move. They have been around for many years and I am very impressed how professional they are. Chairs are wrapped in plastic, furniture is wrapped in blankets, and all corners where the movers walk are protected. I am packing some stuff but I will let them pack the breakables. I don't have to empty any dressers or my file cabinet, wonderful news. I am very pleased with the price, much less than he originally quoted over the phone. Mayflower always comes out to give an accurate quote, don't ever accept a quote over the phone.

At times I am very tired, but I feel confident this will be a wonderful new adventure. Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"If you do not change direction you may end up where you are heading."  Lao Tzu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher, founder of Taoism

HAPPILY, I AM STILL ALIVE!

Once again, please forgive me for my disappearing act! Early February I went to the Midwest to visit my kids and 2 grand babies, Rosalie and Caleb. I stayed and  helped with Caleb, then 4 weeks old, and came back after 2 weeks. Then my son and his family came for a 2 week vacation at mom's 'cuz I was moving - it's been a whirlwind!

Moving, especially out of state, isn't for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of organizing and energy, but it will be worth it. I am excited to be part of my grand children's lives. Moving to a new state, with four seasons, new friends, different climate, is all a new adventure. I am up for it. Gotta stop for now because I have to get some signed documents to UPS. Also my friend Aleida is coming to visit.

I promise to learn to write more often, even if it's only 100-200 words. It's something I can learn to do with practice.

Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."  George Bernard Shaw  - Irish Playwright and Critic