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Still Here

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Yes I am still here.  Just trying to fit a few months of work into just 2 weeks.  Here is my progress:

Becoming Minimalist....literally

Oh and I took a day off to attend Elevate this year too.  It was nice change and I got to see some old friends and make some new ones.  I think this photo proves that I just can’t be serious…I sat next to Ashley Stock (Little Miss Momma) for most of the conference and we had a little too much fun. I so glad she posted this photo….even though I have sideburns from trying to grow my hair out a little:

 

I finally got a chance to meet Lisa Leonard too.  Love her inspirational message:

 

Desiree of 36th Avenue was so funny and inspirational too but I spaced out on photography for the 1st half of the conference.  I love that Elevate started at 10:30am and ended after dinner.  That’s my kind of conference.  Oh, and I sold my car so I had to hitch a ride with my in-laws to the beach where Brett was working so he could watch Boo. Just a little hectic…but I tend to thrive on chaos I guess.

So June 1st is our departure date for moving to the Hemlock Inn! Still need to finalize our stops…and yes I might be emailing a few of you still.  Thank you for all the offers of hospitality. I can’t think of anything cooler than staying with readers along the way….even if it’s just parking in the driveway. So we’ll see what works out!

Brett and I drove to Beaumont today to look at a trailer to bring with us cross country.  We won’t be able to fill it anymore because we’ve gotten rid of so much stuff but with a few “renovations” it will serve as a great “writing” room if I need more quiet space at the Inn.

My friend Megan is coming over to help me tomorrow prepare for the moving sale on Saturday.  I’ve still got a “maybe” pile that I haven’t decided on yet.  I pulled some sentimental items out of the pile to help raise some funds for a few readers in need tonight and tomorrow.  You can view those items here. Wish I could help everyone that asks but we are running almost on empty over there. Maybe you need some artwork or a Tiffany bowl? Thank you!

 

Cleaning House

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It’s official: I now have more plastic storage bins than actual possessions.  (although I guess plastic bins are possessions too?)

 

All those were once full. In the last two months I’ve gotten rid of over 5,000 pounds of belongings. Sorting, selling, weekly trips to charities. It’s quite embarrassing actually. And it’s been an extensive process because I just don’t want things to end up in a landfill….so I have to get creative. We built our house to have unlimited storage….and now all that storage is empty.  I can’t imagine anywhere close to that much stuff ever again.  I will write about this process soon….it’s been a very long one and I can tell you it’s changed me.  It’s changed our whole family.  Our closets are empty.  Our shelves and storage rooms are empty. Of course we still have work to do over the next 2 weeks still.  We’ve started to say goodbye to friends here in the desert and it’s becoming more real that we are making such a huge change.  I have more to tell you about all of this but there are still things falling into place and I will share very soon.  I’m off to the Elevate Conference this weekend in Newport.  Excited for a short weekend break before my last two weeks of wrapping up all loose ends.  And then I can get back on my regular blogging schedule!

We plan on being at the Hemlock Inn by Brett’s birthday, June 9th (his 40th).  We’ll be celebrating my birthday probably at the Grand Canyon on the 2nd (I’m envisioning a candle in a chocolate Ding Dong…that would be so awesome.)  Thank you for all the recommendations along the way…we will be making quick stops. (and maybe staying with a few of you who happen to be on the route…wayfarers on our way to a new life!)

 

What I Would Take to a Deserted Island

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My family. My books and journals. Water?

We were going to go to church this morning but I have a horrendous cough.  We stayed home instead and made biscuits with apple butter.  Brett and Boo know me way too well because I got books from the two of them this morning:

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story by Donald Miller
and
Love Wins by Rob Bell


The Best Mommy in the World. That’s what my card says.

 

We spent the rest of the day packing up boxes and sorting more things for our move.  I did manage to get a photo of Boo and I yesterday at the Mother’s Day Tea at school:

 

It’s been a process getting rid of 30+ years of belongings and collections as we gear up for a simpler life. Last night we went to our usual pizza place and Boo took all of her 10K+ loose crayons for their almost empty bins. She even refilled them herself:

This has been good for us.  The more we get rid of the more we want to get rid of. It’s a domino effect.  I’ve made at least 2 thrift store runs a week and we plan to have a big moving sale for the remaining items right before we leave.  And the house we’ll hopefully still sell furnished (furniture, plates and silverware, pots, artwork…even the fish in the fish tank!)

Boo doesn’t want to really keep much at all….just her books and her dolls.  (Goodbye Barbie Dream House!)  Brett and I have narrowed our closets down to the bare necessities.  I’ve kept some craft supplies and tools so I can keep doing DIY on the blog but really we are only taking what we can haul with us.  No movers, no storage.  I feel like I’ve been playing that “what would you take on a deserted island” game for the past few weeks!

Except I do have that one issue: books. I haven’t really been able to get rid of any.  Actually not true…I did remove 2 from the pile, but only because they were duplicates. And I sorted my piles by memoir, fiction, self help, etc.  OCD. And when I try to pack them I end up rearranging piles: might want to read before I leave. pack last. leave out of boxes. hide in suitcase. hide in camera bag.

I did hand pick some items for the blue label page to help fund our move and the next few months as we figure things out.  Thank you for all the support. What’s on the page is just about the last of everything.  I can’t wait to get through all of this craziness so I can focus full time on writing finally.  We are leaving June 1st regardless of whether the house sells. We’ll just leave it. And rely on faith that it will sell in its right time.

(Note: Need to figure out the best way to get Internet in the car on the way cross country: hot spot phone or just stand alone hot spot?)

Hope you had a wonderful day!

 

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