The Wedding Film

I know I should be blogging about all the move comings and goings, but I'm watching my daughter's wedding film instead. I'm slightly obsessed. We used Remedy Wedding Films out of Atlanta and they were wonderful in every way. They spent the day with us, but you hardly knew they were there. And the finished product? C'est magnifique!

See for yourself-

Moving into the Weekend

The packers have been here all day and my house is a complete jumble so of course blogging makes perfect sense.  I have about a dozen lists going just now, so what's one more?

1.  Seeing some of the items going into boxes reminds me I really should have been more ruthless in getting rid of a few things, particularly in the kitchen. One poor packer has been wrapping dishes the whole ding dong day.

Actually there were two of them wrapping dishes most of the day, but I'm pretty sure the #2 guy couldn't take it anymore so he moved on to the picture frames.

2. I might have too many dishes.

3. And picture frames.

4. That's the kind of thing I'll worry about on the other end.

5. Except all of our belongings are going to storage, so I probably should have worried a little more on this end.

6. Oh well.

7. In cleaning out drawers and closets and cupboards I have come across approximately 45 keys, 1001 paper clips, and at least fifteen eyeglass cleaner cloths. We won't discuss the envelopes, pens, or hole punchers.

8.  Neither hubs nor I can figure out what any of these keys lock or unlock. Most likely they belong to lock boxes we no longer own, luggage long since retired, garages in homes sold in decades past, gym lockers in gyms we no longer visit, and your guess is as good as mine.

9.  We did find the key to our desk so not a total wash.

10. We rented an apartment today. Hello 1984! That's the last time I rented an apartment, back when hubs and I were newlyweds. We'll be cozy this next year-ha! I'm excited though, because guess who is going to be my neighbor?

Daughter2!

She's excited too, mostly because she's a teacher and Monday is the last day of the school year, but also because her momma is going to be nearby for a change. Hello 2008! That's the last time I lived less than 700 miles from my girl. I feel sure I'll have more to say about this another day.

11. So in that way we like to do things, which is complicated and everything all at once...the a.c. on my car has been acting up. Third summer in a row which is super annoying. We've made two big expensive repairs the past two summers, but now they are saying it's a-nother bigger expensive part that needs replacing. Hubs called me from the dealer and asked how I felt about a trade in today.

Whaaaat? Is he serious? He was serious. Did he forget we were moving today? Isn't that enough for one day?

Yes. It is.

Even my pup says so, and she should know...

...she's an old hand at this move stuff.

A Moving Hodgepodge

Welcome to the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge! So glad you joined the fun here today, and if you've answered this week's questions be sure to add your link below. Please link only to your Hodgepodge post, as that's what this meme is all about. I think everyone knows that, yet I always get a few links that are completely unrelated, and ain't nobody got time for that!

One item of business to note-there will not be any Hodgepodge next week (June 9/10).  It's crunch time here in terms of our move, and I'll be busy signing papers and hauling bins and boxes from here to there. Thanks for understanding! The HP will return the week after-June 16/17. 

Now on with the show-

1. What's something you're looking forward to in the month of June?

Daughter 1's birthday, a weekend reunion with summer camp friends, seeing the completed lake house design drawings, closing on our house in NJ.  It's a big month on this side of the pond!

2. In what way have you come full circle?

Lots of ways, but for now I'll just say we signed the papers to close on this house the day before our 25th wedding anniversary back in 2009. We'll be signing the papers to sell this house just a week before our 31st, and somehow that feels full circle. 

3. Lonely Planet lists 10 spots in America you should see in 2015 and the reasons why. How many on the list have you seen? Which one on the list would you most like to see?

Queens NY, Western South Dakota, New Orleans, Colorado River Region, North Conway NH, Indianapolis IN, Greenville SC, Oakland CA, Duluth MN, and the Mount Shasta Region CA.

I've spent a lot of time in Greenville and think it's a lovely little town. Both my girls attended uni in Greenville, and we're moving to that general area, which I'm really excited about. My answer today would be the Mount Shasta Region because it's billed as a hikers paradise and we enjoy hiking and the great outdoors.  

4. A song that describes your mood right now?

The first thing that popped into my head was Dizzy by Tommy Roe. It's an old song and it's really about a girl and a boy, but that first line fits me to a T right now. 

'I'm so dizzy my head is spinnin'...like a whirlpool it never ends.' 

5. Strawberry ice cream, strawberry short cake, strawberry pie, or strawberries right off the vine...your favorite?

There's nothing quite like a strawberry eaten right off the vine so that's probably my favorite. I do love strawberry short cake too, and wouldn't say no if you set a piece in front of me. 

6. Aesop's birthday is celebrated on June 4th, although there is some disagreement as to whether or not that's accurate, or if he was even a real person.  Regardless, the name Aesop is associated to this day with many well known fables. Which of the following best applies to something in your life right now? The Tortoise and the Hare (Slow and Steady wins the race), The Ant and the Grasshopper (Be prepared), The Fox and the Goat (Look before you leap) or The Crow and the Pitcher (Necessity is the mother of invention)?

The Ant and the Grasshopper. We're moving into a rental for probably close to a year, and we're trying to anticipate what we'll need to have with us and what is okay to send to storage. I'm erring on the side of preparedness. 

7. The answer is yes...what's the question?

Is there much going on in your life right now? 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm not sure how much blog reading I'll be able to do in the next few days. I have movers coming this week, and I guess I need to face the music and have lunch and dinner with friends finish the great clean out of 2015. We had some furniture hauled away yesterday, the little red car will be collected for transport today, and oh yeah...we still don't know where we're going to live. 

I suppose that would make some people anxious, but honestly we've moved enough for me to know that 'every little thing is gonna be alright'. Maybe I should have picked Bob Marley as my answer to #4?

It's All Fun And Games Til The Movers Come

It's me. Blogging on a Tuesday about something other than the Hodgepodge. That's here somewhere too, but I wanted to catch up a little before my computer is put into a box and reconnected somewhere. Not exactly sure yet where that somewhere will be, but baby steps right?

It will be somewhere in the Palmetto State. In a rental we have yet to rent, but we're working on that. In the meantime we're going to spend a couple of weeks at my mom's house while we run here-there-and everywhere, which is pretty much S.O.P. for us no matter what state we call home.

Currently we're on the pre-move party circuit-Ha! Last Thursday my neighborhood book club met, and they surprised me with the sweetest gift. A pillow from our little lake town which will be perfect in our  new little lake town. Saturday night a group of neighbors took hubs and I out to dinner, and the friend who organized it also invited two other couples to join us as a surprise. So fun!

The photo is a little dark, but the night was bright.

We have the best next door neighbors. The woodsy space between our two yards is where mama fox births and raises her kits and our neighbors love watching this scene unfold every spring as much as we do. They gave us the most special gift-

That's our mama fox and two of her kits. A sweet reminder of the natural beauty and amazing animal life we've been surrounded by for the past six years.

On Sunday we filled the car to the brim (again) and trekked down to my mom's to unload and also attend my nephew's birthday party. After my third or fourth trip in from the car with an armload of boxes my mom said, 'Wow-how much are you bringing?' um....a lot?

Sunday evening my sister and her husband had friends and family over for a cookout to celebrate the birthday boy turning 9 years old. The weather was lovely and the kids ran around like 9-year olds do before wrapping up the evening with some sparkler fun. Or fire on a stick as my nephew likes to say.

We left my mom's early Monday morning since hubs was playing in a golf tourney Monday afternoon. Why yes, we are moving in a week but we're golfing and going to birthday parties and hoping fairies come in the night to finish all the bits and pieces that need finishing.

And finally...it only seems appropriate my lilac bush chose this year to finally bloom. We planted this back when we had the patio done four years ago, but this is the first year it's bloomed. I'm so happy I got to see it happen and smell the sweetness. A part of me thinks it's God's way of saying don't forget to bloom where you're planted.

And we will.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 223

Hello Hodgepodgers! One item of business before we get to this week's questions...there will not be any Hodgepodge next week (June 9/10).  It's crunch time here in terms of our move, and I'll be busy signing papers and hauling bins and boxes from here to there. Thank you for understanding! The HP will return the week after-June 16/17. 

Now back to this week...here we go-

1. What's something you're looking forward to in the month of June?

2. In what way have you come full circle?

3. Lonely Planet lists 10 spots in America you should see in 2015 and the reasons why. How many on the list have you seen? Which one on the list would you most like to see?

Queens NY, Western South Dakota, New Orleans, Colorado River Region, North Conway NH, Indianapolis IN, Greenville SC, Oakland CA, Duluth MN, and the Mount Shasta Region CA

4. A song that describes your mood right now?

5. Strawberry ice cream, strawberry short cake, strawberry pie, or strawberries right off the vine...your favorite?

6. Aesop's birthday is celebrated on June 4th, although there is some disagreement as to whether or not that's accurate, or if he was even a real person. Regardless, the name Aesop is associated to this day with many well known fables. Which of the following best applies to something in your life right now? The Tortoise and the Hare (Slow and Steady wins the race), The Ant and the Grasshopper (Be prepared), The Fox and the Goat (Look before you leap) or The Crow and the Pitcher (Necessity is the mother of invention)?

7. The answer is yes...what's the question?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

A Hodgepodge Kind of Crowd

Hello Hodgepodgers! So glad you stopped by here today. If you've answered the questions add your link at the end of my post, then run say hi to the neighbors. Here we go-

1. Did you do anything 'memorable' this past weekend?

Hubs drove his little red car in our tinytown parade, and that was fun.  Not necessarily memorable, but  still fun. Every year he's been asked, but this is the first year he's participated. 

Oh, and I learned to fly fish. 

Ha! Not really. But I did hold a fly rod for the first time, and hubs tried to teach me the ten and two trick and the turn the page trick.  I think we're gonna need to bring in the professionals, but you have to admire the look of determination on my face.  

2. Ronald Reagan is quoted as saying-

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."

Your thoughts? Do you somehow acknowledge and appreciate the freedoms you enjoy? Did your upbringing contribute to that sense of appreciation? If you're a parent, are there specific things you do to pass on this sense of responsibility and appreciation to your own children in regard to the freedoms they enjoy?

I try to acknowledge and appreciate the freedoms I enjoy.  I think it's good we have some days on the calendar to remind us too. I try to speak to service men and women when I see them, support the Wounded Warriors project, keep our troops and their families in my prayers. My heart is full of love and gratitude for the brave souls who protect and defend this land I love.

My upbringing most definitely contributed to my sense of patriotism. I think most people my age would say the same. I feel like there's so much more complaining in America today.  It's never been a perfect place, but growing up I don't think we expected it to be. It seems we've become very focused on what's wrong with our country, and the sense of entitlement so many feel is greater than ever before. 

I was on the sidelines of our little hometown parade on Monday, and a car came through carrying a veteran of WW2.  I do wish parents would insist kids take their eyes off the candy for a minute to stand still and wave at the veterans, the police officers, the firemen and rescue crews walking the route. I don't know what your town is like, but in ours these holiday parades have become all about the candy. Kids bring sacks to the parade now which just feels wrong to me. Maybe I'm an old fuddy duddy, but can't we take 20 minutes to show a smidgen of respect on Memorial Day and the 4th of July? 

I think as parents, hubs and I have tried to instill in our girls a love of country. We've traveled a lot, have made a conscious effort to soak up the history where ever we are, and to appreciate the staggering natural beauty and differences in food and culture you find from region to region in the US.  We've taught them to be respectful of the flag and to recognize that while there will always be things we can do better, there is much we do right here in the US of A. To be proud of America. 

Living outside of the US for a number of years in many ways made us love it more. You definitely see it through a different lens, but the things you love about your homeland become clearer as you experience other countries and cultures. 

3. Loudest noise you've ever heard?

I stood right behind the face of Big Ben as the clock chimed,  and as you might imagine it was loud. 

Loud and awesome.

4. What was the last thing you ate that might be considered 'junk food'? Did you enjoy it?

I ate a hotdog at the ball park on Monday evening. Prior to that I couldn't tell you the last time I had a hotdog. I love them on the grill, but never buy them anymore. Kind of an easy thing to say no to in terms of my diet. 

Was it good? Yes!

5. When was the last time you were somewhere the crowd felt 'packed in like sardines'?

Hmmm...what comes to mind would be cable cars I've ridden up mountains because that's when I really notice the confines of a particular space. I mentally begin calculating our combined weight and wondering about the people who inspect such things. 

Oh wait, Macys right before Christmas last year. Ridunkulous! It was hard to walk and I couldn't wait to get out of there. 

6. Are you organized when it comes to packing for a trip? Do you make a list weeks in advance or toss items in last minute? Are you a carry-on only sort of packer or do you need an entire suitcase for your shoes?

I don't know if I'm organized when it comes to packing, but when I have a trip coming up I start setting aside clothes I plan to take. I usually lay them on the bed in one of the guest rooms and I do make a list of odds and ends I need to bring. Also little jobs around the house I want to remember to do before I walk out the door, like empty the trash, go through the frig, water the plants, etc. 

 I'm not a light packer. I can be if you make me, but I never willingly pack light. 

7. What was the last sporting event you attended in person? Did your team win? Did you care?

We attended opening day at the baseball stadium here in our neck of the woods on Monday evening. The local team is part of the Can-AM league, and it was a perfect evening weather-wise for a ballgame. 

I love the minor league games...tickets don't cost an arm and a leg, you sit close to the field, and it all feels like a little slice of Americana. As a bonus they had fireworks after the game and they were grand. 

Our team won, and sure I care. I think it's been well established here that I'm a teensy bit competitive. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We had dinner with friends on Sunday evening. Friends we met when we lived in NJ the first time around, more than 25 years ago. This is the part of moving that tears at the heart a little.  Our girls went to pre-school together, and now they've each attended the other's wedding. Full circle. 

Thankfully these friends have family not too far from where we'll be in SC, so we know we'll see them again. As they reminded us too, they've visited us in all our homes, including England, so a trip south will be a piece of cake. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 222

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers...see you there! 

1.  Did you do anything 'memorable' this past weekend?

2. Ronald Reagan is quoted as saying-

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."  

Your thoughts? Do you somehow acknowledge and appreciate the freedoms you enjoy? Did your upbringing contribute to that sense of appreciation? If you're a parent, are there specific things you do to pass on this sense of responsibility and appreciation to your own children in regard to the freedoms they enjoy?

3. Loudest noise you've ever heard?

4. What was the last thing you ate that might be considered 'junk food'? Did you enjoy it?

5. When was the last time you were somewhere the crowd felt 'packed in like sardines'?

6. Are you organized when it comes to packing for a trip? Do you make a list weeks in advance or toss items in last minute? Are you a carry-on only sort of packer or do you need an entire suitcase for your shoes?

7. What was the last sporting event you attended in person? Did your team win? Did you care?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.