Pages

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Big Orange Truck


A sight I am not too thrilled to see. While I am excited for the sugar-white sand beaches of the Emerald Coast, I am going to miss the 'burg something fierce.


The library, all packed up. Yes, I know that technically it is a formal dining room but you don't know me all that well if you think I would actually put a table in there! Books, books, books and more books are far more useful than a formal dining room table. After all, I have a perfectly serviceable dining table in the dining room.


Goodbye, dear office. I spent far too much time in your embrace. And what do I have to show for it? A PhD by golly!


I would sit here at my desk, my feet propped up on the low window sill as I clickety-clacked away on the computer. I could see my neighbor Marie's house from my desk. Marie was the most wonderful neighbor in the world. Good times, good times indeed.


The living room is an official disaster area. I am going to miss those big windows that were perfect for watching the deer creep out of the forest  in the evenings and the blue buntings, American goldfinches, cardinals, chickadees, sparrows, woodpeckers, and sundry other bird that frequented our inadvertent hawk feeders (AKA the bird feeders).


My feelings about this kitchen: meh. To small for more than one person to work in. Electric range.  Gold hardware. Had to store my appliances in the laundry room.  Horrible linoleum flooring. Fluorescent lighting.  Should I go on?

The kitchen at the new place is going to be a dream compared to this. Granite counter tops. Convection oven. HUGE refrigerator. Six-burner gas range with a grill insert. Island. Lots and lots and lots of cupboard space. More than enough room for my vintage cookbook collection.



My empty china cupboard. It usually houses the china from my original parents' marriage. I am conflicted about it.  Sometimes I love it but sometimes...meh. It's Nortake "Misty" pattern and has 14 5-piece place settings with fruit/dessert bowls, gravy boats, serving platters and bowls, hostess set, salt and pepper shakers, creamer and sugar bowl - everything a person could want in a full china set. I keep hauling it around the country and every time I pare down my stuff I can't get rid of it. I guess it must have some meaning in my life. (Note the perfectly serviceable dining room table in that picture).


Uh...where did all of that stuff come from? Not quite sure how I had all of that stuff stashed in the boy's room. 


Manda's old room/plane room/guest room/room where I stash my yarn. (P.S. That bed there on the left? Sooooooooooo comfortable and one of the single best deals I have ever scored. It was a window display bed at a furniture store in Logan. Since it was up in the window always covered by new bedding, they forgot to actually sell it until the manufacturer quit making that style something like three years later. Enter moi!!! I was the first one to come across it after they realized their mistake and I took it home for a FRACTION of retail...it was a savings of $3100. Nice.)


The Food Room. It took three men nearly the entire day to pack this one up. Sorry guys. 


Good bye closet! I shall not miss your narrow ways. That being said, do you realize you are larger than the kitchen at my last place? 


Yes. More bookshelves means more books. Me + books = Happiness.


Can I say how thankful I am not the one packing all of these boxes?  I know we could have done it ourselves and saved some serious $$ but I am so over packing up my own junk and moving it. I think the husband is just as over loading and unloading trucks full of my junk.  


5 comments:

ms. marginalia said...

It's lovely to read about your memories and congrats on being DONE with the PhD! Wishing you well on your new adventures and with the unpacking.

sostinkinhappy said...

Thank you, Kara! Fortunately, the moving company will help me unpack as well though I am certain they won't do nearly as good of job organizing my books as I would do. :)

What is it with me and books? I am seriously leaving behind my piano so I can take more books! figure I can buy a new piano but to replace my book collection? Impossible.

ms. marginalia said...

The books are sacrosanct, I agree. They are heavy and expensive, but nonnegotiable.

It must be bittersweet to leave behind a house with so many memories, but you will make many more. I am addicted to your blogs and your love for your family and all of your fierceness. Will you be job hunting once you are settled?

sostinkinhappy said...

I am not usually one to grow so nostalgic over a place but for some reason, Williamsburg is making it hard to leave. I think it has to do with the fact that I have had three years of Mayberry-like existence here.

I don't know about the job hunting - we will need to get settled into our new routine there first and then I will see what I can fit in. My husband will be traveling about 60-70% of the time and so I am not sure how much I can handle. There are a couple of universities within an hour or so and maybe I could pick up a part-time gig until the wee ones aren't so wee any more. In the mean time, I will just get my academic fix by attending conferences and writing journal articles.

And changing diapers.

ms. marginalia said...

I hear you. The academic rat race isn't a very nice race at all, and it's not conducive to families very much. At. All.

I look forward to reading your journal articles! And hearing about the latest adventures in your childrens' lives.