16 Months Later & It Feels Like Home

I don't know why it is that each time I have moved as an adult I am surprised by how long it takes to feel like the new location is home. This time it took almost 16 months. It sure was easier as a student where you met lots of people also new to the area because of school!

So what makes this feel like home now?

1. I can find my way around without thinking about it and have identified key places to go for what I want and need.

2. I have made a few local friends and am seeing the potential for others.

3. I have gotten involved in 2 organizations which gives me some scheduled activities. I've also tried and decided against quite a few activities/organizations.

4. I've adjusted my exercise activities and wardrobe somewhat to fit the change in climate.

5. We have finished fixing the things that were identified as problems when we bought our new home and have found that the homes spaces are working for us.

6. We have found ways to integrate ourselves back into the daily lives of family after 20 years of being across the country and flying in for brief visits. This is still a work in progress though. If you move to be close to family again please don't be surprised if after the initial flurry of time together  you find that they are back in their routines and you don't exactly have an ongoing place in those. It doesn't mean they don't want you to - its just an adjustment.

If you are quite outgoing or are passionate about hobbies or activities that you can jump into in your new location, you may find that feeling at home comes about much faster. If you are even more introverted than I am, have few hobbies that involve others or feel sad about leaving your former home, it may take you longer and require a lot of concerted effort to feel at home.

I recently read a book that might help if you are struggling in a new location or planning a move and feeling anxious about how well you can adjust.

This book is partly a memoir of how she tried out various strategies to become connected to her new hometown after moving very frequently and partly reporting on social science research and/or experiences and data from other sources.

6 months after our move

What has transpired?

I am taking a look back to see what we have done, what is working well and what is still ahead after our cross country move, Hubby's retirement and general life changes.

It has been quite a journey since we started painting walls in our former house about 15 months ago. Or as we are saying, so far so good!

Moving from Georgia to California including selling and buying homes:

The move itself went well and we feel comfortable in our new home and location. Even the dog has adjusted to the changes in routine and people.

We got unpacked rather quickly although there still are 2 boxes of photos/ decorative items as well as some pictures to be hung. We bought the big items we planned for (new HVAC, washer & dryer, 2 beds, bedding, den furniture, shutters for 3 windows) and some we didn't plan for (water heater, recirculating water pump). We restocked the pantry, toiletries and some emergency supplies.

So far for emergency/earthquake supplies we have in the pantry canned and boxed food plus lots of gallons of water, some first aid supplies, a battery powered lantern and extra pet food. For the car I repurposed a backpack which so far has emergency blankets and ponchos, long lasting LED light stick, first aid supplies, face masks, foot and hand warmers, gloves, and 5 year shelf life food bars and water packets. I've added shoes and socks to the car in case we aren't wearing good walking shoes and a few bottles of water. I still need to add supplemental cell phone chargers, a hand crank/solar radio/siren/light, more car first aid supplies, etc.

Many home repairs have been completed: popcorn ceilings removed and painted, termites treated, plumbing fixed, electrical to code, bathroom fan installed, stuck doors repaired, window uncovered (although why it was dry walled over remains a mystery), outdoor porch lights re-installed, etc.

Hubby cut down the overgrown bougainvilleas that were a hassle to trim each week (big thorns) and used up too much patio space. He scrubbed the patio walls and had the irrigation hose disconnected, put down pine straw and put in some large decorative pots and plants.

The repair list has been added to as we experience the home and we plan on getting new attic insulation and we are still waiting for the Association to take down the dying tree in our front yard.

We couldn't figure out a new wall color for the open floor plan and our furnishings so we decided to live with the existing one. Hubby did paint a dark master bedroom feature wall, dark walls in a small room and dark ceilings in 3 places. That was a huge improvement.

Feeling at home in our new location:

We have learned our way around and found that we like the library cafe and a few local restaurants. The local art gallery is becoming a favorite including the events they put on. I am enjoying taking an OLLI class and Hubby is enjoying golfing. We found a primary care doctor, dentist, vet, orthopedic masseuse, and hairdressers. I met up with some online friends and saw East coast cousins who were vacationing in California. I've met some locals that I can see becoming friends.

We like the weather and can get to the coast or to my FIL's assisted living facility in 20 minutes, to our local son & DIL's in 60 minutes and to the others in 7 hours. I have gotten involved in yoga, the Pet Club, and the local AAUW chapter.

The biggest win is all the time and fun we have had with family! It is so great to be close again and we and they are figuring out how best to fit into each other's lives on a regular basis as it is a change after 20 years. We are also able to help out such as dogsitting for 3 weeks while the local son and DIL celebrate their 20th anniversary with a European trip. 

Finances:

We have managed to retain most of the profit we made from selling our house and buying a less expensive one. We decided to try being a one car family at the time of our move and so far it is working for us ans saving lots of money too. Hubby has utilized the free bus service some and the train. I do need to get the Lyftt app on my phone and learn how to use it!

I took a look at expenses for the first 6 months here vs the same 6 months last year in Atlanta (excluding one time home expenses at each end) and so far our housing, home insurance, property taxes, utility and cable costs are about half to two thirds of what they were in Atlanta. Food and gasoline are about the same as we are driving a lot more and food costs are similar. We will see if that continues.

I found a free Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will form on the CA AG's website and we completed those. We are going to research if our Georgia wills and Durable Powers of Attorney are valid and double checking all beneficiary designations on accounts.

Hubby worked full time until the end of September which meant working remotely with monthly commutes to Atlanta at our cost. He completed all the paperwork for retirement, I started my SS on my 68th birthday and we both signed up for Medicare. He bought a laptop computer and got a personal cellphone as his work ones were returned. 

Since we know our income in 2018 will be less than half of 2017 we are maximizing our itemized deductions this year including paying our full property tax bill instead of doing 2 payments. We will be tapping into our savings for the next 5 years until we both reach 70 and have our full retirement incomes, but that is planned out as much as one can.

What is ahead for us?

We will be spending the next 6 months getting the hang of living on my SS, the yet to be finalized income from his pension and savings. That is planned to last for the next 2 1/2 years.  I say yet to be finalized because it takes months for the Feds to process retirement and finalize the pension payment so you receive a partial pension in the interim. Then I will have mandatory minimum withdrawals from my 401K as well for the following 2 1/2 years. After those 5 years Hubby will take SS at 70 and his mandatory minimum withdrawals from his 401K and 403B as well. Best laid plans and all that LOL.
 
I need to finish preparing our emergency/earthquake supplies for home and the car and getting the last of the unpacking and home improvements finished. The new to us house will require less attention as we complete improvements although we plan to do a a partial remodel on the guest bath in the second half of 2018 as it still has some original fixtures that aren't in good shape.

I also need to find a dog sitter so we can plan some vacations or as an alternative figure out a pet friendly vacation. We do like to travel.

Hubby has to figure out his retirement activities, I need to up my weekly activities and both of us need to make new friends. We will continue to spend lots of time with family members and stay in touch with friends and family on the other side of the country.

We also plan to broaden our distance in our search for restaurants, arts and theater that provide us with what we need to be happy in those arenas.

So it has been quite a journey and the new normal is here at last. Some surprises along the way but our extensive planning made it go fairly smoothly so far. Now on to the not unusual challenges of retirement, aged relatives and everyday living!

Finally, the den is finished

So we started with this

Which evolved to this as we unpacked

 

And now we have a cozy place to sit and watch TV or read or extra seating for gatherings. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out and enjoying having more artwork hung.

 Fortunately this was the only room we had to furnish if you don't count our new beds!

Taking a deep breath after our move

Lots of things about our cross country move are working out very well. Our new house is comfortable, neighbors are friendly and the weather is divine. We have seen more of our family in the last 4 months than we have in the last 4 years - and that is wonderful. We are ready for the next phase of life as Hubby retires at the end of September and we figure out how to spend our time individually and together and how to make new close friends.

But .... we were talking last night about the unexpected expenses that have come with this house; not that we didn't expect some but still there have been more than anticipated. Some have been choices such as the quality of the den furniture we ordered but others were total surprises such as having to replace a relatively new water heater and a recirculating water pump.

So I think we are going to take a pause and hold off on a big expenditure that would be a quality of life improvement and also not necessary. The water here is extremely hard which is why the water heater had to be replaced. As long as we periodically flush the new one it should last a lot longer. However the washing machine and dishwasher could be damaged over time.

We have looked into a whole house water treatment system that would be great at solving this problem and making the water taste great without adding salt as many systems do. It would also make cleaning a lot easier as the hard water leaves deposits. But at $3,750 to purchase and install is it really worth it? A spending pause seems right so we can really think this through because honestly I'd rather take a vacation!

2 questions:

Any experience with really hard water and ideas for cleaning materials and steps to take to prolong the life of appliances?

Do you ever take a spending pause to contemplate your priorities overall or in a specific area of your life.

And the settling into the new house saga continues

3 days of partial day's work by the handyman crew.

Day 1:

- They successfully uncovered the window that had been drywalled over and started patching the wall around it. Window is in excellent shape surprisingly.

- Fixed gate latch that didn't work well.
- Filled holes in firewall in garage. Noted that we also need to replace the pull down attic stairs as they do not currently offer firewall protection and are installed backwards. A new item on list for the future sigh.

Yesterday's program:

Handyman company schedules workers to arrive at 9am. Forget to call and tell you that they have been rescheduled to 1pm. You miss a meeting really wanted to go to. Call and say they will be there at 2pm. Show up at 2:15.

They do excellent work. So now:

- The uncovered window is framed with nicely textured and sealed drywall.
- The garage door has an automatic closer as required and opens without kicking it.
- The guest room closet doors actually move smoothly with a new track in place.
- The French doors between living room and study will close without kicking them.
- The front door has new weatherstripping but the back door does not until they can figure out what to do.
- The non-working bath fan has been removed and the size of the opening changed. I think some wiring changes were made too.
- Determined that the recirculating pump under the other bath sink was programmed wrong and when that was corrected that it overheats quickly. Now unplugged.

Today's plan (we'll see if it happens):

- Show up at some yet to be determined time. This time I will call and find out.
- Install bath fan.
- Bring company owner by to figure out how to fix weather seal on back door.

And then, my chores:

- Clean house thoroughly before son and DIL arrive to visit on Friday afternoon. Lots of drywall sanding dust coating everything.

Just reminded me how ready I am for home repairs/improvements related to moving to be over with! We still have a water system to install as well as finding shutters for the "uncovered" window and getting that room repainted. Then we will take a break on all of this before fixing those attic stairs in the garage and remodeling the guest bath.

More progress - the large pictures have been hung in the new house

We love art and have quite a few pieces including ones done by family. Slowly they are getting hung. Lots of smaller ones left to hang though.

The living room before and after. The painting over the couch was done by my MIL. 

Similarly the dining room before and after.

Our bedroom was pretty empty before. Now we have a real bed, storage bench and one picture. Progress.

The hallway got the framed original ballot from the 1994 South Africa election.

The air bed in the guest room has been replaced with a real bed and a poodle making new friends with our DIL and her dog. The last boxes to unpack are still in there though LOL.

  

The den is still pretty empty except for the TV cabinet that we purchased, a random table and lamp and more art waiting for homes. This empty space actually was very handy yesterday as we set up a folding table and seated 6 as part of Father's Day dinner for 12.

 

Two months in and it is feeling like home. The house is proving to be very comfortable and easy to live in which is a relief. Now to buy den furniture but first we are off to Berkeley for a long weekend with our younger son, DIL and grandbaby! Just the kind of family time this past weekend and coming weekend that we were hoping for when we decided to move back to California.

Settling In: 6 weeks since our move

We are starting to feel a bit settled and really, really looking forward to the delivery of our new beds tomorrow! 

 

Trying to get out and explore what is available for entertainment and activities in addition to finding out where all the stores we need are located. 

 

The dog is doing great and had her first doggie spa day with the groomer I selected. It was a success and I too would like a blueberry facial, shampoo, body massage, pedicure and haircut all in one place LOL.

Hubby is often playing 9 holes of golf after dinner and we are both walking more. Except for the first weekend we were here, we have spent time with family each weekend and that was the whole purpose of moving.

I'm debating what to get involved in. The pet club for sure (don't you love that there is one?). Perhaps the Leisure Village theater group that produces one act plays or the Camarillo volunteer run theater that we are going to check out with a Sunday performance. I am also contemplating volunteering to be the emergency coordinator for my "Village" because there isn't one and I think it is very important.

I am attending activities here such as the Women's Club monthly meetings and the performance (music, movies, live theater) that sound interesting. I still need to try out the pool and go to yoga class again/regularly. Still need to get to the Farmer's Market too.  I also found out that there is an art museum nearby and it has a book club - definitely on my list to try out.

We continue to work away at our "punch list" mostly arising from the pre-purchase home inspection and working on a bit of painting and decorating by hanging pictures, etc. We have ordered two pieces of furniture: a TV stand/cabinet and a storage bench for the master bedroom. Once they are in place we will buy den furniture and be pretty much done.

I am feeling like this has been a good move and will work for us for the next few years - then who knows.

May: Week 1

We had to remind ourselves last night that we only arrived in our new home on April 19th and moved in on April 20th! Lots accomplished although I can't seem to list much for this past week.

Getting settled into our home has mostly taken priority over exercise and enjoyment. That will need to change soon. So what did we accomplish?

• Decided not to paint all the walls  Decision: Paint feature wall & 3 dark ceilings; touch up wall paint; we will do it ourselves so we have now saved $3,000 which pays for the new water heater and golf clubs for my husband.

• Unpacked some art work and a few more boxes; started clearing out the garage by putting all the boxes we are saving for a cousin's move into the garage attic.

• Bought and set up a new multi-function printer. We went with a more expensive Brother one as the ink costs are much less over the expected lifetime.

• Had some fun and personal time. Hubby bought a set of golf clubs and tried out the 9 hole course. We took some walks together and alone. I went to a musical performance and to the library. 

• We had brunch in Santa Barbara with our son, DIL and 5 mo old granddaughter as they were there for an event on her side - happy day.
  

• Later that day we had dinner at a restaurant on the Ventura pier with a friend who was in town from Atlanta.

And today's unexciting moving in news

You won't be excited (but we are) that we now have towel hooks in the master bath and the shower door closes smoothly.

We also are the proud owners of a CA smog certificate. See our excitement (mostly that I managed to find the smog check place). I failed at finding a car wash that I wanted to use though.

I did find a hair salon to try and made an appointment.

I failed at finding the Women's Club weekly gathering place this morning and ran out of patience before I found someone to ask. Must have been how much I was looking forward to getting the smog check done!

The irrigation repair guy is working right now to replace drip irrigation lines and make sure everything is getting watered properly as well by the sprinkler system. Just turn in the right form and it happens. Nice.

What is totally unexciting is studying the CA driver's license test manual.

In more fun news, I am going to go here the resident swing band practice this evening. I love that type of music and sat through so many practice sessions with our younger son when he was pursuing instrumental music including participating in a jazz band. Live music with refreshments for free - sounds good.

New home and it's plusses and quirks

 So we have lived here for 11 days and there are a lot of things in the plus column.

- People are so friendly!
- The weather is delightful. We can have the doors open with just screens a lot of the day.
- The house layout is going to work well for us at this point in our lives. We probably could have gone a bit smaller but then we would have had to do major remodeling work and we just aren't up for that at this time.
- The dog is really enjoying her walks here and is going crazy smelling the racoon and coyote scents in the grass.

Let's take a tour of the home.

Welcome. The entrance door is great with a retractable screen. We will plant some flowers in the front beds eventually and/or decorative pots with flowers.

  Want to be outside? We have a small patio in the back.

Inside is a work in progress. We plan to have the whole house painted and buy more furniture. We will hang our artwork once the painting is done.

The living room is enjoyable to sit in. Our living room furniture goes well and the dog thinks the carpeting is great for running.

The den room is off the living room at the front of the house. This room needs furniture and the TV needs a stand that will fit in the alcove.

The other end of the living room is the sunporch/office that opens to the back patio.

Our dining room furniture fits perfectly.

The kitchen is very nice and the two of us can actually cook together in this space. The laundry room is off to one side.

The family room mostly for TV is off the kitchen. This room is dark right now because one of the windows was dry walled over but we will change that.

Now to the bedrooms and baths. The guest room is at the front of the house. Right now we are using it with an air bed but it will get a queen size bed soon.

The guest bath is the only room that hasn't been remodeled completely. Eventually we will do that I think.

The master bath has been redone in a style we like a lot. However there were no towel bars/hooks at all! How do people manage with that?

And the emptiest room in the house - the master bedroom. Another bed to buy very soon.

So other than the garage and the utility patio area that is it.

Well that was a lot of money and there is more spending to come

The credit card should be feeling the burn after this past 9 days!
- Plumbing repairs and (surprise) a new water heater
- New washer and dryer - but I have to say I was happy to be able to do laundry at home today. The laundromat was nice and faster to be sure, but I'm not into doing that each week.
- New HVAC system & thermostat today - still needs some work as they dislodged two ceiling can lights in the hallway and we aren't sure why or how to fix it.

Still to come
- A new printer
- Termite treatment
- Buying a bunch of miscellaneous household items at Home Depot
- Buying 2 beds and furniture for the den
- Some electrical work and fixtures
- Getting some drywall work done and some minor handyman type things as well

Undecided
- We got a quote of $3,000 for painting the entire house. We may learn to like the wall color more than we do right now lol. That would mean we could paint the 3 ceilings, one feature wall and one small room ourselves. We might also paint the inside of the closets.

What we haven't had to spend on, but thought we would
- Carpet cleaning - a bit of club soda and elbow grease removed the spots
- New shower head - it was just a loose at the connector
- Less annoying doorbell - the volume and type of ring could be adjusted on the existing one

Surprisingly more expensive here
- Food, especially produce. This is a shock as we live in a major produce producing area of California. I'm going to try the Saturday Farmer's Market next weekend to see if that is better in terms of price and selection. This weekend is full of family visits.
- Restaurant food.
- Toiletries.

Surprisingly less expensive here
- Auto insurance.
- Live theater tickets at small venues.
- Our cable/internet/phone bundle part of which is included in our HOA feed.

That is just what we have experienced in a little over a week.

I am pleasantly surprised at the exercise programs available in our community and will be spending less in that area. There are also lots of free or inexpensive entertainment options in the community. We are talking more walks. The response to a request for a repair of an item outside our house was swift. The city library is fabulous.

Our house is smaller, but feels larger as it is a relatively open floor plan on one level with attached garage while the house we sold was 2 stories and a partial basement with lot of rooms and a detached carport. That is a 1941 home vs a 1980 home reality. We have discovered that there is good storage space in the attic area over the garage with "Attic Master" pull down stairs and plywood flooring.
We are also seeing that this house dustier inside faster as we can have the screen doors open a lot. Trade offs.

I am trying to explore a bit each day now as I run errands and also to take different routes so I can learn my way around this city. I have found the post office, a bakery, restaurants, a pet store around the corner, an ATM for cash withdrawals without a charge within walking distance, a car wash, etc. In a few weeks it is onward to learning the adjacent cities.

Moving has certainly been an adventurous learning opportunity and full of unexpected financial consequences. I do think that it is going to turn out well for us physically, socially and financially.

Moving after retirement is definitely for the determined or wealthy

We have been in our lovely new home now for 3 days and are happy that we made this move. The weather is so delightful and the house suits us well. We are also pretty tired LOL!

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon and brought a few things into the house. A quick run to Trader Joe's yielded salads for dinner and food for breakfast and lunches. Good idea to pack the towels, coffee making supplies and paper plates/plastic cups and utensils so they were readily available. Basically we camped in the house.

The day after we arrived we had a plumber in to fix leaks identified during the inspection and to brace the water heater safely (CA and earthquakes issues). Turns out we had to replace the water heater at a high cost but all got done. The move helpers were great and the truck was unloaded.  Camped out again but with furniture to sit on. Went out for dinner.

Friday was spent unpacking many boxes, a visit by a cousin who lives nearby, and getting cable/internet/phone service set up. However for some reason now our printer won't work and we are still trying to figure that out. Hubby also bought a piece of baseboard and installed it on the wall behind where the washer and dryer will go since it was missing there. Very tired but we cooked dinner in our new home for the first time.

Saturday I was full of hope for clean clothes but the new dryer was broken and had to be returned. We do have a new washer but I am not trying to air dry loads of clothing indoors. Most of the kitchen stuff and clothing is unpacked. It is interesting to figure out how to use the available storage which is laid out so differently than in our previous home. I went to the closest grocery store and rediscovered how much time it takes to shop in a new store but came home with more essentials.

Tomorrow is more unpacking, a visit from another cousin and hopefully a nice long walk.

I'll take photos to share once there aren't boxes stacked all over the place.

There is a new resident's tea on next Thursday afternoon and we will attend. Time to get back out in the larger world.

We made it to our new home in Camarillo, CA

I think it is going to be a lovely home. We arrived 2 days ago and are in the midst of unpacking, water heater replacement, cable installation, etc.

The drive was as smooth as one could hope and all the dog friendly hotels were indeed friendly and nice. We drove across part of Georgia, Alabama, a tiny bit of Tennessee, Arkansas, the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, New Mexico, Arizona and the finally California. The dog turned out to be a champion traveler!

Lots to do here so just checking in now that I have internet service again. Thanks for all of the well wishes and encouraging words.

More later.

30 Countdown to Move Out: Days 19 - 25

Give me your ideas please! What to eat once the kitchen is packed up? Breakfasts are especially hard for me to imagine beyond a carton of yogurt. I do have paper plates, plastic cups and plastic utensils available plus the frig.

One thing I highly recommend if you are moving to an area that will require a change of health care providers is to schedule appointments with all your main providers before you move! Find out how to transfer your medical records, what to ask to find the best next provider and get prescriptions with refills for any medications. You don't want to be scrambling for routine health care right after your move. That being said, I had the last of my appointments this week. I did have to cancel an annual Opthamology appointment due to the traffic nightmare created by the freeway bridge collapse here in Atlanta but that will not be so hard to replace and isn't urgent.

Happy I accomplished these things this past week:

Sale of current house:
- Cleaned inside cupboards, etc. in prep for final walk through.
- Scheduled haulers for April 13 for items that need to be junked (e.g. old mattresses, etc.).
- Received new microwave and installed it.
- The third item in the house broke and the plumber will be here on Monday morning to fix a leak in the bathroom sink. 

New house:
- Our cousin is picking up our mail at the new house so we won't have any past due bills for electricity, etc. by the time we get there.
- Scheduled cable installation and plumbing repairs.
- "Popcorn" ceilings have been removed and the ceilings painted. Photos look good.

Cross country move: 
- Hubby changed our health insurance to CA and found out how to change his address in payroll.
- Booked hotels and laid out route for drive across country April 14 - 19.
- Had the car in for a check up prior to driving across the country.

Packing & downsizing:
- The older car went to its new owners who are friends and our dog's foster family.
- Finally figured out way to pack a large oil painting and large framed print.
- Packed 11 boxes total. Just the last minute stuff left.

For myself:
- Good bye dinner with closest book club & neighborhood friends & lunch with best friend.
- Haircut.

What I am looking forward to this coming week:

- Mostly this being over with and getting on to the cross country drive! Going to face that day by day and not focus on how far it is LOL.

Dear Stuff: Quit breaking down until after the house closes please!

Keep your fingers crossed that we get to April 14th with nothing else breaking.

Yesterday it was the microwave that gave up the ghost. Granted it was over 20 years old but still...

Before that it was the split heat pump/AC that wouldn't work properly.

Hope this doesn't come in 3's!

30 Day Countdown to Move Out: Days 12 -18

Just general happy news - our state tax refund showed up without me having to call and nag like last year!

And in honor of all who have used it to pack things, here is how bubble wrap was invented -
how bubble wrap was invented

Happy I accomplished these things this past week:

Sale of current house:
- Arranged final meter readings & account closing dates for all utilities.

New house:
- Confirmed that no further documents needed before we take possession on April 19th, but some are needed afterwards.
- Hubby signed the contract for the "cottage cheese ceiling" removal & painting.
- We got the key!!!

Cross country move: 
- A neighbor agreed to loan us a dolly to use on loading day. A cousin has one to lend at the other end.
- Submitted change of address for post office & set stop date for newspaper delivery.

Packing & downsizing:
- Returned some packing materials we won't be using. Picked up more free packing paper. This plus free boxes has probably saved us $100+. Bought 2 picture boxes & picture packing kits for large art works and a flat screen TV packing box & kit. Sometimes you need specialty products.
- Packed 6 boxes. Focused on art, kitchen, clothing.
- Hubby padded/bubble wrapped lots of small furniture pieces, wooded chairs, etc. Which led me to wonder who invented bubble wrap!
- Sorted through my clothing carefully and managed to let go of more items that are nearly worn out, don't fit or won't be needed in CA.
- Took another car load to the thrift store. Posted for free a table & 4 chairs, 2 ottomans, cedar chest and they all left the house on Saturday.

For the dog: 
- Received her ID tag with new address.
- Scheduled May vet appointment, filled out new client form and sent vet records

For myself:
- I'm giving myself a break and planning dinner each morning and then shopping for what is needed instead of trying to plan the whole week as we want to use everything up which is a challenge.

What I am looking forward to this coming week:

- My closest book club friends are throwing me a good bye dinner on Thursday. I'll miss this lovely group of women.
- We are meeting with a retirement benefits counselor as Hubby's retirement date is mid-September.
- Getting a haircut.
- Finishing most packing and final house cleaning.

It was a good & productive week

Last week rather zoomed by. In hindsight a lot happened.

Happy I accomplished these things this past week:

For the new house: Initiated wire transfer of remaining funds for home purchase. Bought supplemental homeowner's insurance for an HOA property plus earthquake insurance. Signed yet one more document for home purchase. Paid the termite inspector for the new house as the bill didn't make it into the escrow settlement.* Closed on the house in California!

For the move:  Hubby ordered more pads for protecting items in the truck and schedule workers to help load. Started a list of what to pack in the "open me immediately" boxes. Also collecting what has to travel in the car vs in the truck such as batteries. Decided on a route and nighttime stops. 

For packing & downsizing: Picked up more free moving boxes and packing paper. Bought some packing supplies. Gave away an easel, sofa, rug, end table, dresser, large plant and plant stand. Decided to get rid of 3 more pieces of furniture. Packed at least 15 boxes of mostly hard to pack art, antiques, tools, etc. Donated a carload of stuff & threw out a bit.

For the dog: Ordered a new dog ID tag with the new address. Made a grooming appointment for truck loading day so she will be out of the house.

For myself: Kept up with chores & yard work. Went out for coffee with a close friend and gave myself some down time to read and relax. Went to my book club meeting. Got a smile by buying Wonder Woman forever stamps instead of plain ones. I also started a nutrition counseling program.

What I am looking forward to this week:

- Dinner Saturday at a friend's.

- Starting first steps in nutrition changes.
- Finalizing my spring capsule wardrobe and perhaps shopping for an item or 2.
- Clearing all paperwork and details on selling house.
- Packing every thing that can be packed before last minute.

30 Day Countdown to Move Out: Weekend edition (Days 9, 10 & 11)

And daily life goes on in the midst of controlled chaos. Went out for coffee with a close friend; I'll really miss her. Did laundry. Walked dog. Cooked. Picked up some groceries at Whole Foods. Sprayed the yard for weeds. Last round of yard work I hope!

 

Move prep:
- Listed a dresser in free section of NextDoor and within 2 hours 8 people expressed interest. It is gone to a college student's first apartment.
- Decided to get rid of 3 more pieces of furniture.
- Used up the flour, white sugar & brown sugar by making banana blueberry, almond muffins. 
- Bought more bubble wrap and an area rug protector.
- Picked up more free packing paper.
- Packed 11 boxes. Focused on hard to pack stuff like art, antique chair, tools, stereo equipment, fans. Started on baking and other kitchen items. Threw in extra blankets  & pillows as padding.
- Made quite a large pile of items to donate and took it to the thrift store.
- Started another donation pile LOL.

The more we pack the less we want to own - or at least move across the country.

In the midst of packing - happy & frustrated

So far I am very happy that:

We have agreed on our driving route and stopping locations. Now we can book pet friendly hotels for each night.

I posted on NextDoor asking for moving boxes, packing paper and bubble wrap. Have received very nice boxes and packing paper saving quite a bit and re-using instead of land filling. I will be saving them for a cousin's upcoming move.

Glad I bought the wide rolls of larger cell bubble wrap. Same with glass  & dish packing box insert and heavy duty boxes. I also bought a rug wrap which I think will be great for a large area rug. Still need to buy more specialty packing items though.

Happy with the packing sequence so far. We started with things that aren't actually used like decorative items and art. Moved on to things we can live without for a few weeks and/or are hard to pack. The kitchen, bedding and clothing will be last.

Glad we decided to give away the furniture we aren't taking instead of trying to sell it. We certainly have received our money's worth from each item. Also very glad that we cleared out a lot of stuff as part of preparing the house for staging.

Thinking it is a good idea that I am testing out a small capsule wardrobe to use for traveling and the first week we are in our new home so it should let me take the minimum in the car . Right now the weather is pretty much the same in Atlanta and Camarillo although a bit warmer here. Looking at our planned route it is a bit cooler in some locations along the way.

And I am finding frustrating:

How to pack large paintings, floor lamps, glass table tops
Still have a lot of "administrative" details to take care of with new HOA, current utilities, scheduling hauling of mattresses, etc.

30 Day Countdown to Move Out: Day 8

We have got to keep up with everyday life while also preparing to move. There is always yard work needing doing so I sprayed for bugs. I went to Trader Joe's for groceries and the post office for stamps (Wonder Woman forever stamps!!!). Played with and walked my dog. Going to my book club tonight for some friendship time.

Progress on move prep:

- Picking up wool coat from the dry cleaners after noticing that my DILs cashmere sweater had moth holes. We haven't had moth problems in Atlanta but I guess you can in LA.
- Ordered a new dog ID tag with the new address.
- Bought some specialty packing supplies.
- Browsed Maytag washers and dryers while I was at Home Depot - research for purchase for new house as these are the only appliances not coming with the house.

- Started going through emails and saving documents related to the home purchase just in case.