Readers, Welcome to my blog (formerly Birds, Blooms, Books, etc). I'm entering a new decade taking on the challenge of moving from Maryland after living there 46 years and learning about my new home here in New England in the Live Free or Die state - New Hampshire. Join me as a write this new chapter of my life.

Monday, November 27, 2023

The Week That Was

 Rather than writing several posts I'm gathering my thoughts and writing one on what transpired in the week that just finished.

You've already read about our Thanksgiving meal.  If not see Older Posts below.

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A Gift

Tuesday Dan and I attended the local Aging in Place group for a discussion of downsizing.  We shared our experience with an online auction MaxSold.com in 2016 when we sold The Lodge and moved to an apartment in a retirement community.  Others shared their experiences hiring people to help sort or just going on their own to sort and give away with the goal of avoiding the landfill.

One of the participants has slowly tackled closets in her home. In one she came across a framed photograph someone gave to her thinking it had been left behind when her mother moved out of our house.  Yes, the house we presently own.  Her mother bought the house in 1970 and lived here for 11 years. After the meeting the woman went to her car for the photograph to give to us.  We learned a lot about the house from her: it had a coal stove in the front room, one bedroom, stairs to the attic space where the photo was found, and tin ceilings. The renovations to the house happened in the 1990s by the owner we purchased from.


Here's the photograph.  More on this later this week.

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The Tree and Decorating

As you saw earlier in November I had the tree up but not decorated. I got a chance to do it this week. I went with colored lights instead of white ones and a 58 foot strand did the trick. When the girls were young they would help with this but now it's my responsibility.  If I go first I doubt that Dan would even bother with a tree.


And in answer to John of The AC is On, in winter time the slider door is not used. Snow piles on the deck making it impassable.

More on the decorations another time.

But the rest of the decorating is not happening until the kitchen redo project is complete. The cabinet and door fronts and new oak veneer are to be installed the week of December 4th.  This means that everything has to come out.  I started the task this week.


I consolidated these shelves to make space to move items there.  But every level surface will eventually be used so no further Christmas decorations until the project is done.


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Christmas Shopping

Packages have been arriving as I finished most of the Christmas shopping this week.



I even put items in Christmas stockings so I know who gets what.  I still have a few of those items to find but it's one last thing to tackle as the last month of the year comes on Friday.

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I'll leave you with a photo of my desk which is a mess!


Batteries to fill candles for the windows, a magnet from Spain that needs gluing, a book to pass on to Emily or the free library, notes, receipts.  I didn't show the stack of Christmas cards to address and sign.

A busy time of year.






6 comments:

acorn hollow said...


Since I retired in June I have done a lot of cleaning out. Lots of stuff to the thrift stores and now that I am dragging out Christmas I have a very large pile for the thrift store. I don't have many to buy for and I have a few thing already. But I have not even started my cards. I did buy the stamps though
Cathy

Tom said...

...this is a busy time of year. Yesterday I put the tree up and still need to decorate it.

Anvilcloud said...

I like you well-ornamented narrow tree.

Barbara Rogers said...

Whew, you've sure been busy!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

This was a nice catch-up post, Marcia, and the tree looks nice now that all the lights and decos are in place. Multi-colored lights have always been our choice as well. We have skipped the tree this year as the New England holiday village has been set up. Our apartment is not specious enough for both but we have a tree and decos by the apt entry and lots of small trees within the cillage!. Hope the kitchen project gets done on time.

Kay said...

You and I are thinking alike. I am also trying to downsize our belongings, but it's hard. However, I am slowly trying to clean and organize desk drawers and will look at my closet next. My husband just isn't good at getting rid or things or organizing so I have to do it. We're going to have some bathroom renovations done in February if all goes well. Fingers crossed.