July 10, 2023 Monday--3am

Greetings!

First of all, on July 4th we had the hottest average temperature on the earth in 125,000 years!  Whew!  We had some cooler days in the 70s up here the last 4 or 5 days in a row that were soooo nice!  I love having the place opened up...so does Allie.  :)  But today--despite only a prediction of 76 it was 90 degrees.  So maybe this cooler spell won't be around for another week like they thought.  Ah!  Weathermen and their Ouija boards--LOL!

Monday

Well, the guy finally showed up to collect the bedroom furniture.  He must have a difficult time with time itself.  First he had told us 12-1pm.  Then it was 2pm...let's just say he finally showed up about 4:30pm.  No help with him.  But he did have a really heavy-duty dolly and Leah had those slider pads--so it actually went well and really fast...when he finally showed up, but I was hoping Leah wouldn't have to help again.  (What is it with these guys showing up with no help to move big furniture?!)

Miss Allie was very stressed out again.

I try to tell her I am not going to abandon her...but she doesn't understand English very well.

She paced and cried that night again.

During the day...

...she found out she could get up on the gatefold table...

...and look out the window.

  Her yowls echoed in the bedroom.  She paced and cried...but after throwing up and a couple of days had gone by, she did settle down.

Anyways, Leah was planning to actually go to IKEA when she went down to Minneapolis on Wednesday because she wanted some more fake plants.  (She has some up in the schoolroom.)  She knew I planned to get fake plants for the new place so while we were waiting for the guy to show up for the bedroom furniture, we went through the IKEA website.  I showed her the fake ones I liked and the small pots.  I trust Leah to pick the plants and colorful or textured pots for me.  (She and I have close to the same decorating taste, if you haven't noticed that by now--LOL!)  I also picked out two regular dining room chairs instead of two more rolly chairs.   Having a couple good solid chairs seemed more practical than having all rolly chairs.

Tuesday the 4th

While McFamily were visiting with friends...had this delicious dessert...

...and were watching the fireworks...

...I started emptying my oak barrister bookcase.

The last bookcase in the livingroom.

And where did all that stuff go?  On to and under the old white folding table in the bedroom.

I also started hauling into the bedroom all the various stacks of stuff I had piled around the livingroom and the studio so that it was easier to get the bedroom furniture out of there.  You knew the bedroom would now turn into a big old storage room, right?  lol! :)  

I need to do a bit of rearranging.  But once the barrister bookcase is sold, I will put the other folding table (still at Leah's) on this wall behind my chair.  

That is where I need to have all the stuff I use regularly.  Maybe all the packed U-Haul boxes can go in the bedroom?  Yup!  Will be some rearranging in my future.

Wednesday

I finished emptying the bookcase and Leah made her first trip to Minneapolis and back.  Leah went to IKEA with Ariel, her hubby, and little boy.  Leah said they live about ten minutes away from IKEA, shop there regularly (because of the great prices), and wanted to go with.  Later they packed up Leah's car...

...and she was here at my garage unloading at 10:30pm.

Added lots of boxes.

Looks like these are part of the Billy bookcases.

And there was still another big load to pick up at Ariel's!

Leah said she planned to drive down again on Friday but she didn't know if she could get it all in that trip.  Might have to make yet another trip.

Thursday

The final hallway bookcase sold!  McFamily showed up before 8pm when the couple was supposed to show up.  Brought dinner for the boys and even for me, too.  :)

The couple was on time and then McFamily rushed off because at 8:30pm they had someone coming to their house to pick up their old snowblower they had also sold!  Whoohoo!

Friday

Leah was off to Minneapolis again to pick up the next load of IKEA boxes from her sister's garage.  BTW--these are 4-5 hour trips one way depending on traffic, weather, and if you stop to eat.

Side door view.

They got it all in!!  Whoohoo!!

A thunderstorm had come through here in the afternoon.  The worst of it was brief and it passed on to the west.  Well, Leah had to drive through it when she got to Alexandria--about an hour or less away from Fargo.  She took it slow all the way from Minneapolis but extra careful in the storm.  

When she got back to town she drove home.  Dagan came and picked me up to watch the boys so he and Leah could drive over to my place and empty the load of boxes into my garage.  Looks like a mini-IKEA warehouse--LOL!

This is the formerly empty donation corner--lol!

Ian was upstairs watching something while they were gone so I never even saw him.  Liam was trying to show me what Minecraft was but I can't say I understood what was going on.  He was basically taking wood and things from other houses to build his house.  It was the five-year-old version, I think.  LOL!  Anyways, they were done really quickly and back home.  Then Dagan dropped me back at my place.

So relieved to know all the IKEA stuff is here now.  Once the apartment is finally done it will probably take them my whole 2-month notice to put together all that furniture--LOL!

I've never moved and had 75-80% of the furniture there and in place already.  Will be a brand new experience...a really nice one.  ;)

Speaking of the apartment...

Trent has been over a couple of times.  They got the front door framed now.

I think that is maybe the last of the framing.

They've been pulling wires all around to the electrical boxes.

Wires all over...

...sticking out of the various boxes on the walls.  

Coming along slowly.  :) :)

End of July/beginning of August I plan to put my four big planters up for sale.

Leah and I were discussing plants today.  I am a new fan of petunias.  They don't take much maintenance and grow like crazy.  They should be perfect for the window wells.  Leah has big pots around on their patio and I can plant some geraniums (do love that splash of red) or coleus in them if I want.  Nice!

I had bought up some seeds before I knew I would be moving and never planted seedlings this last spring.  But I have seeds for petunias, coleus, marigolds, and geraniums, I think.  So when it comes time this coming winter to plant seedlings for spring...I already have seeds and little pots and markers.  Sounds like there will be a few plants for me to fuss over next summer, eh?

But there will be no Critter Cafe over there when I move.  Leah asked me if I wanted to put up a bird feeder or something--only because she knows how I love to feed the critters over here--but when I told her no feeding the critters over there I could feel her relief--lol!  

(1) I know she has been battling voles digging up and killing her grass for a few years.  I would not ever want to encourage voles to stick around or return.  Leah has a gorgeous, thick lawn.  They've planted quite a few trees so eventually there might be squirrels, more birds, and such in a few more years.  But the neighborhood is new yet.  Voles have become a problem in this area.  We had the start of them at this building, too, and saw the exterminators out here regularly.  I'd see voles run across my patio!

(2) The partridges and arctic hares where I live now were already here when I moved here and people were already feeding them...and will continue to do so after I leave.  Yes, there have been the very rare sightings of partridges and arctic hares in the shrinking field behind McFamily's house, but I don't want to try to tempt them to stick around or draw them in.  They are better off staying farther away from town.  There has been sooo much construction in the area that they are kind of confused, but should really relocate.  

(3) Feeding the critters is really quite messy and getting more and more expensive, like everything else--lol!

I will miss them.  Truly.  You know I will.  But there will be no Critter Cafe when I move.  I'll be happy to have a few flowers, though.  ;)

Next time I am going to confess to you about my shower curtain...well, what?  ...enjoyment...silliness...collection?  Does anyone else like to switch out your shower curtain for the heck of it or change them seasonally?  Or is it just me?  LOL!  More to come about shower curtains.  I am going to be living the dream!  ;)

Well, this week--Keanna comes on Tuesday to clean.  Hoping Leah will make it over one night this week to start on the kitchen and pantry.  Leah just posted the oak barrister bookcase for sale Sunday night.  Otherwise no plans except to keep plugging away at the P&P.  I am happy with my progress...even if I am very slow...because so are they with the building--LOL!  But who am I to complain!  I started on P&P in my bathroom back last September!  ROFL!  They only started on the part-time construction in April.

Till next week, my people!  You are so very special to me.  Thank you for sticking with me through these past couple of stressful years and putting up with my brain fog and all the endless health issues.  I am grateful for every kind thought and hopeful prayer.  Yes, you all are very, very special to me.  And now you are all on this snail-paced journey toward a new home with me.  Another new chapter in my life.  Feels like my life has been a string of new chapters.  I'm always looking forward to the shifts and changes, I guess...even if I hate the actual moving part--lol!  This should end up being one of the easiest moves ever because of it being such a long process and my having all this time to do the pre-move P&P long before the actual move.  

The world seems to be in such a mess right now.  Disappointment, pain, sorrow, and disbelief everywhere you turn.  I am well aware.  It's why I try to focus on petunias and soap dispensers and shower curtains and which card & art supplies I will need in the next several months.  Those things keep me busy and bring me joy.  And the world needs more joy, IMHO.  ;)  Less hate and more love. 

See you next week, my friends!

Love and hugs from Fargo.  :) :)