Well, here I am with stuff piled high all the way around me. Someone bought Papa's trailor. We hadn't advertised it. Hubby just happened to mention we were thinking about selling it and we had two people come look within a week, and then one came by with 1/2 the money in cash. Unfortunately it isn't enough to pay what we owe the nursing home for December, but it will definitely help. I have just part of last week and the rest of this week to get all the stuff moved. We had some help last Tuesday and then some more on Sunday. That took several loads to the consignment shop and got the big furniture over here. Can you believe I have stuffed 2 dining sets (with hutches) and a large picnic table in this little 3 bedroom 100 year old farm house? Yes, I'm crazy. Although I am naturally a tosser, I got a touch of pack-rat from both parents. Yes, Granny J, I'm going to blame some of this you! But you should have seen Papa Jo's face when he found out I gave away all the model airplanes. He was planning to help the children hang them all from the rafters in the barn! I have to admit it would have been cool, but when some of my halpers showed interest in them, I was happy to not have to come up with money to pay for the help... Anyway. We put the picnic table (8'x4') in the little addition (12x16 steel building added to the front door), with all the crafty and school stuff. I'm hoping to use it for our craft and school room. Hubby's planning to have some windows and a window unit put in to help heat and cool. Our old blond and blue dining table went in the breezway for the oldest to put her computer and stuff. Then, Papa's dining table is in the dining room. It's 20" shorter than the picnic table (which we had been using) and it's oval, so we've lost a lot of space for eating area. I'm hoping to come up with a bench for the little'ns to sit on on one side. That would save space. I think it's gona work if we can keep hubby's paperwork off it. We brought over an interesting rolling cart for him to use. He can roll it up to the table to use, then we can move the whole thing without having to upset his delicately "organized" mess... We'll see how it works. I may end up wanting my picnic table back! I have one hutch in the dining room and the bottom of the other under the window on the other side of the table. The top is in the little pantry / hot water heater / extra frig room on top of the big buffet that I refinished when a freind gave it to me several years ago... Now The boy's room has a twin bed (I'm hoping to figure out how to put a loft bed above it to make it into a bunk bed), Papa's recliner, the antique dresser with mirror, civil war secritary, a wicker chest (which, there will be one more of those to fit in), and a heavy end table.... The family pictures, huge portraits of hubby as a child, globe, shelves with Papa's comentaries, bible studies, and devotionals, and a few misc things I thought would be familliar to him when he stays with us for a weekend. This is all in a 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 room! I still have one more room in the trailor to go through. It is the worst one. Shelves all the way up and across on two whole walls... Aaahhh! This needs to be done in two days, and the oldest isn't feeling well today... Then, I practically promised Papa he could come for a weekend in a week and a half! I've got stuff piled on my couch, on and around the table in the dining room, and the addition is wall to wall stuffed, with stuff all over the picnic table. I'm feeling a great need to go through things of my own, but don't even know where to start with some of this. You know, I May Need It Some Day! May God grant me wisdom much greater than my own, and may He keep my strength and energy sustained.
On a more fun note. I recently got to attend a conference with Steve and Teri Maxwell (www.Titus2.com). I was so blessed. I've been getting their newsletter for years and have used the MOTH book for scheduling. It has really helped (though I never have a day that goes acording to my plan, every day is a surprise around here!). She also has a chore thing that I picked up while we were there. It's a chore-pack system the children wear like name badges. It's too cool, I even did one for me. The little ones are really liking it and it's helping the older ones to 'do the next thing'. I'm hoping once the house is in some kind of order, that we can really start taking off with it and really getting things done. The Maxwell's are a very inspiring family.
Well, better get back to work. Guess I've had enough of a rest. |
