Sunday, June 14, 2015

The Shallow End

I will never catch up here. There I said it. Life has been a wee bit overwhelming here of late and I don't want to bore you with the details, but really I kind of do. How 'bout we compromise with long story short? We're officially without a residence since we closed on our home in North Jersey last week and are waiting to break ground on our house-to-be in South Carolina sometime in the sometime.

In the interim we (and all our stuff plus one old, large, confused dog) are living at my mom's in South Jersey except for this past weekend when we house/pet sat for my sister in Philadelphia and then later this week hubs is going to SC to meet the MG which is supposed to be arriving today, but I'll be staying here with my mother and the dog and also going to a reunion in Maryland after we buy a new car hopefully tomorrow.

What's new with you?

Honestly, we've had some crazy moves in our day, but this one ranks right up there in terms of pushing the logistical frustration envelope.

Yes that is so a thing.

I have a million trillion thoughts swirling in my head but I think I'll let them swirl a little longer. My daughter wrote a sweet sweet post on 'home', and reading it I felt inspired to do the same except see paragraph 2. Sometimes a little bit of space between my transitions and my words helps me make better sense of things, and I'm pretty sure this is one of those times. There are many things I want to ponder and record, and I'm going to give myself time to do just that. For now, let's jump into the shallow end of the pool.

Philadelphia.


My sister and her hubs and son had a weekend getaway planned so hubs and I said we'd house/pet sit. They have a beautiful backyard in the middle of the city, an oasis of calm we truly relished. We spent a lot of time sitting in their backyard talking about a hundred and ten things because we can't help ourselves, but also propping up our feet, breathing deeply, and marveling at the roses and rhodies growing in a quiet corner of their pretty garden.


Saturday we played tourist with a stop in the Art Museum where there's something for everyone. In our case that would be Monet's soft paintings of the French countryside for me, and room after room after room after room after room of medieval armor for the hubs.


Afterwards we made our way over to the Reading Terminal Market (a must-see if you're in Philly) to shop for dinner and see what we could see. The Market is one of the oldest in the US and home to over one hundred merchants selling fresh produce, meats, cheese, flowers, baked goods, crafts and more.

As an aside, the chaos, noise, and choices in this place are surely some sort of metaphor for my life right now, but I'm not going to bother thinking it through tonight.


We braved the steamy heat and threw a little history into the mix too, with a stroll past Independence Hall and a leisurely walk through the colonial graveyard at Christ Church before making our way back home.


Or at least the place we called home for the weekend which is sometimes all you need.

16 comments:

  1. Well, your smiles say it all. Amid all the confusion and craziness, you two are steadfast and really do know where the path you are on is leading. Thanks for the update, Joyce!! It's good to read your news!

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  2. Oh boy, we sure would have a thing or two to talk about!

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  3. Well, I'd say you are certainly making the best of your situation. I do hope your new home construction doesn't take as long as ours has, but, we know it's going to be worth it in the end. It was one year ago last week that we began. Blessings for the week ahead!

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  4. After all the craziness it will make you enjoy being home at your new lake house even more - wishing you much patience :-)

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  5. You are a pro at this. I would not be able to appear as calm as you do.

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  6. Wow Joyce, sounds like things are a bit on the crazy side in your temporary neck of the woods. Good luck and I hope that things come together soon. I'm running over to your daughter's blog now.

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  7. Well I sure love your attitude and sense of adventure in all of this! My youngest son and his little family are headed your way on wed. New Jersey, Philadelphia and brief couple of days in New York! Enjoy your week!

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  8. We visited Philadelphia some years ago - had tickets for the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute and spent a lot of time in the Independence Hall area. So much to see. Loved Elfreth's Alley.

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  9. I hope you get your move completed soon!
    Popping by on the A to Z Road Trip
    Debbie
    www.myrandommusings.blogspot.com

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  10. Hang in there girl! You will make it through. Glad to see you are taking time to relax and to enjoy life through all the changes that are going on.

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  11. That's just crazy. How did you/do you decide what to have with you...as in clothes? Do you have lists as to where and what is what and where? Are you taking notes to write a manual for the rest of us? Although I'm pretty sure I'm not ever moving out of state but you just never know. Also, were the red shirts a plan or coincidence? :)

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  12. I love the last line of this post.
    I also love the phrase - logistical frustration envelope - it is totally a thing.

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  13. Wow, so much going on in your life right now!!! I would enjoy seeing those Monet's and that market looks wonderful. I better put these things on my bucket list.

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  14. One of the things I most admire about you Joyce, is your sense of perspective and ability to find humor. Oh to have that combination! Blessings on you as you continue to adjust to an ever-revolving door of change and need to adjust.

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  15. I always enjoy your positive look on things.
    And I like the trips you have been taking us on. :-)
    Thank you,
    Carla

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  16. I've only been following you for a short while but it's already clear that you are someone who takes most things in their stride and just gets on with it. You also have lots of experience to draw on about moving so I'm sure that, although there will be lots of challenges ahead, you will get to where you want to be (by the lake) in the home you have dreamt about. Love the photos from Philadelphia. We managed to spend a few days last year when we over for our son's wedding :)

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