I Am Home...

As Claude and I find what our new normal is, I will make a brief post to finish this week and then I will be back to Sunday afternoon posting to my Blog. You see, today I feel like I am really 'at home'. Mind you, I have felt quite natural in our home since we started living here on June 30th. But today, Sunday, July 25th, I woke up with no big check list of things that really needed to be done. That felt good. It also felt like we were truly 'in our home'. 

Thursday, July 22nd, was an errand day. We had a list of several errands that needed to be done in Georgetown and in Lexington. We first went to the post office and picked up the check mailed to us by the buyers of our Sadieville home for the purchase of the tractor. Felt good to have that in hand. We had some donations for Goodwill that were dropped off. Claude had a prescription to pick-up. Then we made our way to the recycling center. All corrugated cardboard left in our garage had been bundled and it would now be the property of the Georgetown/Scott County Recycling Center. Then to the bank to deposit the check for the tractor. We also changed our address at the bank for all our accounts including the one I take care of for Papa. Then we were off to Lexington. 

In Lexington we would look for bar stools. We have a nice counter around our kitchen between it and the dining room. There is an angled piece of counter at which we want to place at least two bar stools. They have to be at least 30-inches tall. I have researched on-line to find some. In this research I found a chart that shows what height of barstool you need for the height of your counter. You see, all counters are not the same height. We were hoping we might find some at a home goods kind of store in Lexington. In fact, when we looked in the only furniture store in Georgetown, we were told by the sales person that they can't get bar stools by themselves. Since they are mostly made overseas, these manufacturers are now making them with the table. He even suggested the home goods type store in Lexington was probably the only store that might have them. We soon learned this store had nothing I wanted. I am really wanting them to be made only of wood and to have a back on them. That really seems to narrow what is available. We found 30-inch swivel bar stools that may have worked. Alas, they were metal with pleather seats. I really didn't want any kind of fabric seats. I don't want that seat getting poked with a sharp object in a pocket and then the pleather being ruined. I don't want a grandmonster sitting on one of them who might happen to spill to be chastened for it getting on a fabric seat. All wood is really what I want. We opted not to buy them. Keep searching till the right thing comes along. My feathers are clipped with the credit card being stolen. I have to wait until the new one comes. Then I will probably make my choice on-line and order them.

We were able to find desk items Claude needed for his office desk. He got a mat for under the chair that is cloth on top and something else on the bottom. And, he found a nice desk pad and a box to put papers he is working on in. That was successful. 

We treated ourselves to lunch at BD Mongolian Grill. My birthday is coming up soon. I got my 'buy one/get on free' coupon in my eMail. It was a nice lunch.

The drive home was another lesson in life being different for us now in little ways. Usually we leave Hamburg Pavilion and drive to where I-75 and I-64 split heading north on I-75 to Sadieville. Now we will stay on I-64 west to the exit for Hwy 62 into Georgetown. Hwy 62 is actually also Payne's Depot Road which runs right in front of our home. Quite a slick way to get home. As we got to the split for I-75 to go north, I said to Claude, "Hold tight to the steering wheel. The car is going to want to go right!!" He did and the car stayed headed west. 

Friday morning, July 23, we agreed it was now time to begin opening all those picture boxes stored in the half-bath. I would start on that. Claude hired an electrician to add some electrical outlets to our garage. We also purchased a ceiling fan for the guest bedroom. The electrician said he could also install that after doing the garage. So the boys started on the electrical things while I started opening picture boxes and spreading pictures out in groups so we could pick which ones to use and where to hang them. The thing is, when you downsize to half the house size, you don't have as many walls or surface areas on which to display pictures. All the pictures mean something to us. We needed to both agree on all things that went up and where they would be hanging. We both live in this house and it should make both of us feel at peace. 

Our first room was the office. The first picture we hung was of the ranch where Claude grew up. It seemed very appropriate to hang this picture first. We both knew from the beginning where it would hang. 

We are very, very happy with this room. The only thing left to get for the office is the shutter for the inside of the big window. That is now ordered and should be here in six to eight weeks. But the office is full of our travels, good books, rugs from Bethlehem and Kyrgyzstan. There is furniture from our basement in Sadieville as well as Claude's office in Sadieville. We both love sitting on the sofa in this room. It is the first room that guests will see so we wanted it to be a reflection of Claude and me even as it also serves as Claude's office.

Next, we tackled the entry way. The first picture is from the coat closet to the front door. The second picture is from the front door back toward the coat closet. The third picture is from our travels. The top picture is Tallin, Estonia. The bottom picture came from the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The last picture is the gossip bench with family pictures above it. 

We put pictures in each of the two full bathrooms and the half bathroom. First, the guest bathroom. The cross-stitched pieces over the towels were done by me and hung in the guest bathroom in Sadieville. The crewel embroidery over the toilet was also done by me and hung in the living room in Sadieville. The Muskegon, Michigan print over the hand towel was a gift from the Tyler's and hung in our bedroom in Sadieville. 

Next is the half bath. As you open the door, you see the picture we purchased for Claude's office in downtown Washington, DC when he worked for the Peace Corp. We knew we had only a few years till retirement. We found a picture that was his dream home when he retired. It could be called his incentive picture. Kept him focused on that retirement goal in a positive way. While our new home is not really like that home and the Sadieville home was closer to the home in the picture, it is still a reminder of our retirement goals and getting there in this move. On the wall over the toilet is a painting by Rula Knight. She did this piece and gave it to Claude and I when we were married. This lovely wedding gift has hung in all our residences. I wanted it on this wall so that it also reflects in the mirror. Reminds me that life is an amazing journey and you live to see the next horizon and what it brings for my life.

Finally, the master bathroom. The painting over the toilet was done by our middle child, Andie, when she took an art class after school during her elementary school years. On the wall on the left is a print of a mountain something like Ansel Adams work. The wall on the right has another original. This time by Curt Dixon, a dear motorcycling friend. The yellow doily on the cigar stand was made for me by a friend. In the vase on top of it are paper flower arrangements made of Hayden and Bailey's handprints when they were very little. 

Next we moved to the guest room. We opted to put all the artwork from Japan and China in the guest bedroom. The painting over the bed is, however, a Gary Greene original. He was our neighbor in Maryland and did watercolors. It is of the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC when the cherry blossoms were in bloom. 

We ended our Friday picture hanging day with our bedroom. We started in the hall from the bedroom to the bathroom. We each have a pedigree chart of our family made like a tree which Claude made. We also each have our family crest which we purchased in Ireland. Mine are on the side of the hallway where my closet is. Claude's are on the side of the hallway where his closet it. 

In our bedroom we hung these pictures. Over our bed are pictures of the ranch with wheat from the farm that has been braided by Tami, Claude's sister. Over the book shelves is a piece of lacework of the Logan Utah Temple where Claude and I were married and sealed for time and eternity. Over it is a piece of needlework I made for Claude that says 'Simplicity'. Since we are trying to simplify our lives, this is the perfect place for that needlework. To the right of that are two more Curt Dixon originals. On the wall behind the chair are two tiny pictures that hung over Claude's dresser in Sadieville. These at snapshots I took of Claude with his father and of Claude with his mother. They are in black and white. Over Claude's dresser is the other Muskegon, Michigan picture given to us by the Tyler's. There is a stained glass ship given to us by a GWRRA (Goldwing Road Riders Association) member in Nova Scotia. He made them and gave Claude one of his artwork pieces when we went to Nova Scotia to do some training of their officers. It is a replica of the Bluenose Schooner. The most famous ship in Canadian history, the Bluenose was both a fishing and racing vessel in the 1920s and 1930s. The Nova Scotia schooner achieved immortality when its image was engraved onto the Canadian dime. This was a very cool gift.

This was no small task getting this far. We decided we would stop at 6:30pm for the day. 

During this time, our electrician was working his magic. He did the outlets in the garage and then moved on to put up the ceiling fan in the guest bedroom. I threw and old sheet over the bed and he went to work. Turns out it was a good thing he did this. It seems that the light that was in there was not in properly and could have fallen out. Yike. The fun thing about this fan is that Claude and I like ceiling fans in the bedrooms. We had talked about having a fan put in this room. With other things to do, we put it low on the list. Then Hayden, our grandmonster, came to spend a few days with us. He loves to sleep under a ceiling fan going full speed. When he went to bed the first night, he came out and said, "There is no ceiling fan." Claude and I suggested he could sleep in the living room where there was a fan. He did sleep in the guest bedroom. After the electrician finished with the guest bedroom, I sent this picture to Hayden with a note that said, "Hayden Marx, what do you think? Grampa and I are happy with this choice." Hayden's response, "That will do." 

Saturday morning, July 24th, I was up early. I read some in the Gospel Library app on my Kindle about my soon-to-be new calling. Then I got my shower and was about to sneak out of the house to buy a donut surprise for Claude for breakfast when Claude awoke and caught me in my fun. I went on to Frank's and got us each donuts for breakfast. Yum. We may have to start having this for a Saturday morning tradition!!

Back to hanging pictures for a while. First, the dining room. We only hung two items here. The first was our chiming clock. This is a family favorite and, after it was hung, I sent a video to the family saying, "We are home!" The other was a favorite picture of mine. It is a print of a painting by Greg Olsen of Christ sitting on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. I will share this explanation written by Greg Olsen about his painting. This print hung in the bishop's office in Montgomery Village, Maryland when Claude was bishop. 

          “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings…”

          This is a Messianic exclamation of profound concern and unconditional love for all who have lost their way and suffer while wandering in spiritual darkness. As the slanting rays of the sun reflect upon the rooftops of Old Jerusalem, Christ reflects upon His life’s mission and upon those He came to serve and bless. His gaze takes in the glistening gold and marble of Herod’s Temple and the smoke of burnt offerings upon the altar. He was keenly aware that soon He would offer Himself up as the true Passover Lamb - “ the Lamb of God.” Here, upon the Mount of Olives, Jesus could see the day, like His mortal ministry, coming to a close. However, a new day always dawns and there is hope and comfort in His words, “Lo, I am with you always.” Just as He looked down upon the traveling pilgrims entering Jerusalem, He watches still from yet a higher vantage point, ready to extend His protective wing to all who seek Him.            Greg Olsen -1997

We tackled the living room. We had chosen the artwork we wanted in that room and its placement on Friday. It was just a matter of hanging it. Over the piano is one of my very first big cross-stitch projects as a young girl. Over the loveseat are four painting by Thomas Cole called The Journey of Life. The first one is an young child, the second a young man, the third a grown man, and the final is the end of life. These hang in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The actual paintings each take up a wall. I bought these prints in the gift shop. They are amazing as the boat carries the person with a guardian angel down the river of life. Over the sofa we hung all things papyrus. The top left papyrus is really a replica of the tree of life that Claude and I bought at the Luxor in Las Vegas. At that time they had a replica of King Tut's tomb and the artifacts in it that we went to see. The bottom small papyrus is real papyrus that is hand painted. It is an an ancient Egyptian barge. The large one is also real papyrus that is hand painted. This was my souvenir from our Egypt adventure. The story behind this painting is a young man giving a young woman flowers. The custom was that he would offer her a bouquet of flowers. If she refused them, she was not interested in a romantic relationship with him. If she took a few of the flowers, she wanted to be his friend. If she took all the flowers, she wanted to be with him permanently. Finally, over the entertainment center is a piece of primitive art we purchased for this spot in our Sadieville home when we moved to Sadieville and set up this entertainment center for the first time. 

We took a bit of a break here. We needed to move some things in the garage. With the additional plugs, we swapped the position of the freezer and the little soda fridge. This should help get my car in the garage with a little more room for it. 

Back to picture hanging. I wanted to have a family picture wall on the wall by the half bath. Nissa, our first-born daughter, gave Claude and me a combined Mother & Father's Day gift. We would hang it at the top with pictures of Claude and me and our our kids below. These pictures of Claude and me and our kids hung in my sewing room in Sadieville. Top left: Claude and me. Top right: Nissa and Todd Tyler. Bottom left: Michael and Andie Marx. Bottom right: Jacob Christensen. This puts us in birth order.

Then we were off to the laundry room. Claude brought me a piece of felt art for Kyrgyzstan. This was in the hallway in Sadieville and now will brighten my laundry room. 

My sewing room would be next. This is a room filled with things that help me sew, do crafts, work at my computer, and the list goes on. Over the cutting table is a picture of our family taken by Gordy Kay when we first moved to Denver, a tole painted treasure made by my sister, Junie, a Noah's ark print given to us by the Marx family and a gold leaf rendition of the Logan Temple made for us by my mother. Over the computer table is my collection of quarters from all 50 states, the Footprints poem, a Moose Crossing sign and my calendar of birthdays and anniversaries for our family given to me by Nissa. Over the television is my star given to me by Claude, around it is artwork made by Andie, our daughter, and Paula Wojasinski, and turtle pictures from the Tyler's. To the left of my closet are twelve little flower cross-stitch pieces made by my mother. To the left of the old dresser is a tiny cross-stitch piece we bought at the Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan and to the right a piece of pottery from our visit to the Ruins of Tulum. 

In the hallway, just outside my sewing room door we hung these three items just so one knows one is entering Sandiland! 

In the hallway outside the guest bedroom, we hung another sampler I made using cross-stitch. The fun thing I would have guests do is look at this piece carefully and see if they can find the one X that is only half crossed. Hmmmm...  To either side of it are pictures of my parents, Vernon and Virginia Lawrence, on the left and Bonnie and Evan Christensen, Claude's parents, on the right. 

Losing so much surface area meant all the pictures I had sitting in our living room and entry way in Sadieville now had no where to go. These are treasures because the frames we would buy when visiting a country. Then, when we got home and looked through pictures we took, we would pick one we both really liked and print it, frame it in the frame from the country, and set it in the living room. We decided to take these framed treasures and fix them so we could hang the frames instead of setting them on a surface. Here they are and I will enjoy them every time I walk down the hall to my sewing room. What fun!

I cannot find words to express our joy at finishing this project. It only took two days!! We broke down all the boxes and got them ready to take to the recycling center. We taped up two boxes with frames and some pictures and put them in the shed. Whew! Nice to finish this bit of our move. 

Today is Sunday, July 25th. We had a lovely morning at Church. I was sustained as the 2nd Counselor in the Primary. This should be a fun calling and I look forward to it. After Church we got a salad from Panera and came home and ate our lunch at our dining room table with all our lovely pictures on the wall. Claude took his nap and I went to my sewing room to putter.

Somehow, I thought this would be a short post. Only three days to reflect on. Not so. Not so.

I come to the beginning of a new week looking forward to the real beginning of our new next phase of life. I can't help but wonder what life will bring now. Claude and I both felt that we were supposed to and needed to make this move. We both had strong feelings there was something about to happen. Not sure what that would be. But, with our home pretty well set, bring it on. We look forward to the next part of our life adventure. We are positive this little home will serve us well.