Reuben has been okay today… there was so much flurry in the house and in the U-Haul truck, he probably didn’t notice that things were going in the truck and that Rebecca’s box stash was getting smaller in the house. Tomorrow we will finish up the loading and then Thursday morning they will be off…
I am too emotionally spent, seeing all her things get packed up…so I don’t really feel like writing a post…
I know I’ll be okay one of these days but today isn’t that day…
However, I will ask you a question, so you can all chat amongst yourselves…
How many times have you moved and where was your favorite place to live?
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Yes, Jeanne, I’m sure it’s been an emotional day, watching all of Rebecca’s things go into that truck!! And that’s okay; you take the time you need…..
I think I’ve moved 8 times, not counting the to-from between college and home a few times. I was born in NJ, moved to Wis. when I was 1, to Upper Michigan when I was almost 7 (first grade). When I was almost 15, we moved to south Seattle (I went, kicking and screaming! I did Not want to move!!). While I was in college (winter quarter, 1967–I was just 21) we moved up to Everett.
After I had graduated from college, and my girlfriend Joyce graduated a year later (she had taken a year off to work), we moved into an apartment. Over four years, we were in a total of three apartments. Then I got married and moved to Mountlake Terrace in 1974, and have lived here ever since. (Our basement is Very full after all those years!!) Yup, 8 times.
Yesterday someone suggested Rebecca leave a shirt or something of hers behind for you to put in Reuben’s bed. That might be a good idea, something with her sent on it might be very comforting for him.
Update: My swap is all done, photographed, and packed up, ready to mail. The deadline to mail is the 22nd, so I will be in time. (I’ve often said, if it weren’t for the last minute, I’d never get anything done! LOL) When I went to the p.o. this afternoon, there was a box waiting for me!! Yup, my swap partner was an early bird, and had already mailed my package. I am dying to see what’s in it, but made myself wait until I had mine ready to go, and wanted to have some daylight when I open it, so I can take pictures, so it’ll be tomorrow, probably later afternoon, when I finally get going on that…IF I can wait that long! But I do have some commitments during the day, so I guess I’ll have to!
Dear Charlotte, I am so excited. I can’t wait to see you lovely surprises!
You are so patient. Your namesake, Charlotte Noelle, would have ripped open the package the moment it came through the door (laugh).
Maisie, Cora, and the rest don’t know it’s here yet! We get our mail at the post office, so it is still in a tote bag. Today ended up busier than intended, so will open it tomorrow. The girls will be so excited!!
I know this will be a weepy time for you, Jeanne, but when you see Rebecca so happy and confident in her choices, you should also feel proud of raising her, and now is her time to shine. You will always be her mother!
About moving, well, except for a few times, I have lived pretty much in the footprint of St. Louis. I was born here and grew up in a suburb of St. Louis, Affton, until I was 12 years old. Those were the happiest years of my childhood, and I did NOT enjoy the next move, which was just 30 miles away on a 400 acre farm! We had no neighbors, and the town itself was tiny, maybe 350 people. Most people lived outside the city limits, and also on farms, so we were very isolated. Having 3 sisters meant that they were my playmates.
When I went to college, I started at a local college in St. Louis, and lived with my grandparents. After two years of that, I went to Cape Girardeau for college and lived in the dorms. Loved that!
When Michael and I married, I was a senior and got married over Christmas break. I still had two weeks of college left, so finished up and we moved to Fort Lee Virginia, where Michael was in the Army, and preparing to go to Viet Nam. We were only there a few months, and then he left and I moved back home with my parents and took a teaching job at the school where I also went as a child.
This. Is a book! When Michael came home from VIet Nam, we moved to Fort Knox,Ky, and he finished his tour of duty there, and I continued teaching another year in Hillsboro.
Next up, we bought a house in Kirkwood, Mo, and stayed there for a whole 3 years, and we had our two children while living there.
The end is near! We bought the house we live in now exactly 47 years ago and are still here!
The place I loved best was my first home and I do like it here too where I am now.
Jeanne, I always wanted a daughter, it must be really hard for her to leave, especially since she was living with you. I adore my sons, but they both moved to the west coast, and I live on the east coast. My greatest wish when they married was to be close to grandchildren, and that did not happen, only great visits a couple of times a year. You won’t be as far apart as that, but I know it is hard.
If you count moved “house” not just moved towns or states, I moved 11 times. Funny thing, when I was brought “home” from the hospital, we lived in a rental down the street from my childhood home because an upper story was being added to the house, so my first move was from there to the home I lived in until I graduated from college and moved into an apartment with friends until I married a year later.
I adored the place I grew up, on the beach, in a neighborhood with my best friends. However, when we moved back to the area, we built 1 hour north of my childhood island, it has just become too popular and crowded. We now live in a quiet neighborhood, near a wildlife refuge on a river looking over barrier islands and marsh. Great neighborhood, wonderful church, we are really happy here, and will be happier when things calm down and our church opens up again!
Love seeing that UHaul. Makes moving so much easier. Looks like Rebecca knows how to pack one as well as George. How exciting it will be to have more space in your lovely home. I’ll bet with Rebecca’s old room as a guest room, you’ll have many more visitors bunking at your place. We were actually glad when our daughter moved for the last time as it meant that we didn’t have to do the moving anymore. When we loaded up my dad’s borrowed truck and moved her stuff from her last house at college, we looked like something from the dust bowl. As we drove that very loaded truck down the highway, everyone stared at us as they passed by to see who owned all of that stuff. I’m sure they were quite surprised when they saw us. We just waved. š
The only time we have moved, except for college, was before we were married into our current house. That was 46 years ago. It would take several moving vans to move all of our stuff now. š
It would take several moving vans just to move your doll collection. But I know what you mean. We’ve been here 31 years and no matter how much I try to thin things out there is still a whole lot of stuff, much the kids left behind but don’t want to take off my hands just yet. Sean has taken most of his, but Andrea lives in a tiny house and has no room for her stuff – but I’m not allowed to find new homes for it all. If I move she’ll have to take it or I’ll do what I think is best. If I pass on before that happens, well it will be her problem and darn I’ll miss the fun. LOLOLOLOL
Aw, hugs from BC Jeannie. Youāll be in my prayers today. Such big changes!
Jeanne, I know its a sad day for you, I got emotional just reading about it. Brought back memories of my daughter moving out for the last time, when she got married.
But you will be ok… What is that saying with daughters you gain a son
I will be thinking of you today. Take care, dear Jeanne.
Love you Jeanne. Goodbye is never easy. Takes time.
I feel your pain. It reminds me of helping to pack the U-Haul to send Andrea and Jamey off to Colorado knowing our every two weeks visits would be no longer. But she had not lived home for six years (five of them were pursuing a theater degree) so things around the house had changed years before that.
I’ve moved 18 times. Seven were in PA, four in DE, and seven in TX. My favorite place to live was definitely the Lehigh Valley of PA. It was a beautiful place to live. I enjoyed the climate and the natural environment was absolutely lovely. And living in Bethlehem was extra special at Christmas. They called it the Christmas City long before it officially took that nickname. Christmas there was really amazing. I keep hoping some day to return to visit. David finally has his knee surgery scheduled for November and December so maybe he’ll want to do some traveling in the future.
Dear Barbara, PA misses you. Come on back (smile).
Hi, Barbara,
Good to hear David has his appointment. I wrote late last night on this blog as I often donāt have time in the mornings.
Anyway, I wrote to you, and Linda, too, about how I handled my knee replacementā¦recliner and bed and my trick to get in and out of bed easier. It might help both David and Linda.
Hugs,
Sally
I remember when my last third son left home. .. thatās life! In France we say :Ā Ā» when you marry your daughter you buy a chair, when marry your son you sell oneĀ Ā» I got 3 sons and they both leave away from me ! And I wish I could see them more oftenā¦
I never moved too far from my birthplace(Nantes in Brittany) but nearly 7or 8 times as well.
Now I live at 60kms on the seaside and I do think itās THE last and good place.
Bon courage, amicalement
Sophie
I came home from the hospital to Spanish Drive in St. Louis, then moved to Ferguson until I was about eight when we moved to another house there until I was 15 when we to England for two years. Then to San Bernardino where I lived in three different houses. Then to Alabama for a few months, then off to Hawaii for three years. Los Angeles Area for four years, then Alabama for a year. Then Dayton, Ohio, for three years. Japan for three years. Cypress, California, then Garden Grove for the last 30 years. I think thatās all. Iāve never written that down before. Had to think hard.
I think maybe Rebecca wonāt be moving all over the country nor the world. Hope not. Sounds like sheāll be happy wherever she lives.
š„°š„š„°
Jeanne with friends around her. We’re feeling your pain!
I moved from my parent’s home in western Pennsylvania to southern Illinois in 1980. So I kind of put my mother through the same thing. In 1997 she moved to Carbondale IL to stay with me for the next 20 yearsš¤
Jeanne I feel your pain. I know how you are feeling, especially if Becca is your only child, like Tim is mine. I have moved about 11 times in my whole life as an adult, and my very favorite place that I was most excited about was when I was stationed in W. Germany and I finally got married and moved off base while I was in the USAF and set up my apartment for my husband to come back to W. Germany to be with me after getting out of the USAF in NM. I was so excited about this one bedroom apartment that I didn’t even want to wait till the carpet was dry from being cleaned. I slept on it without even any furniture in there because I was so excited. Only 22 years old. We lived in Waldorf-Morfelden and it was on the 4th floor. We even had a balcony over looking the Wohnpark and the Kindergarten down below. I could hear the Church bells ringing on Sat and Sun. and all the shops would be closed on Sundays and Saturday only the first of the month which was long shopping day, would they be open on Sat. late. We lived very close to a train station in our little town. It was so exciting to get my own place finally. I felt so grown up. It was a very magical time for me.
What a wonderful memory. It all sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing.
I know you’ll be sad, Jeanne, but Rebecca isn’t that far away and can come to visit or you can go to her.
As far as moving, well, I’ve always lived in Ohio although vacations to Michigan felt like home and when we went to PEI I would have come home, packed, and moved in a heartbeat.
I’ve moved six times. My favorites were the first place I lived because I was ten minutes from my grandparent’s house. I also loved the house I lived in as a teen that was on one and a half acres with woods in the back and a “secret garden” accessed through a wrought iron gate between the house and guest cottage. I love the town I live in now. Wish I could have transplanted that house here, I’ve lived here the longest at 34 years.
Dear Jeanne, it’s interesting that times of joy can also be times of sadness. You are joyful that your daughter is stepping out into life. You are sad that this life will be lived hundreds of miles away.
Know that you have given her the foundation she needs to make this move physically and emotionally. Know that she sees you as her greatest role model. And know that you are not losing her.
As the saying goes, we give our children “roots and wings.” No matter to wherever she flies, she will always know her roots began with you.
I feel for youš¤ I would be very teary too. Iām spoiled cause all our kids are near hereā¦.but that doesnāt mean we see them all real often so donāt feel too bad. My daughters more often than sons but they are super helpfulā¦all of them and the Grand kids too. You and George will stay busy and find new interests Iām sure.
I moved to Omaha from Cedar Rapids , IA at age 5. Lived in the same house thru college and when we got married( city girl to farm boy) we moved 20 miles south of Omaha where we raised our 4 kids on a little farm in a 100 year old farmhouse almost exactly like Jeanneās. Best years and best place to raise kids, be in 4 H , small awesome school district and community. When my mom passed in 1989 we bought her house in Omaha and our youngest son made us promise not to sell the farm until he could buy itā¦which he did when he was 24. Now We have a ranch house in Omaha with a big living room so is awesome for holidays.
So glad you have received your swap Charlotte! I was so excited when I found out it was youāŗļøš¤ Have fun opening your swap!
Dear Kathie, what fun! Elizabeth handled the swap so I didn’t who was partnered with whom. I can’t wait to see what everyone received.
Thank you, Kathie! I was going to open it to day and take pictures, but things got a little out of hand, so tomorrow, I promise!!!
I was so pleased you drew my name! I think you did once before, too, in a swap a few years ago!
Jeanne, my dear.
Yes, you are sad and our hearts go out to you. But you have done your ājobā with Miss Rebecca, and we need to rejoice that she is spreading her wings and living her life. Sounds like you and George raised an amazing woman. Rejoice for her and give thanks for all the time you had with her. You are SO fortunate. Each new chapter of life is exciting and often challenging. Sending a huge hug.
I have enjoyed the responses and this was a good question. Thanks for thinking of it.
I lived in the same house in VT until I got married. We have been married 52 years and have lived in 9 places, all in New England until coming out here to CO. My favorite home was a large center chimney cape in the White Mountain National Forest on the Mad River. Great house for dolls and entertaining. Miss it like mad, but there was barely anyone to entertain and getting groceries was a 48 mi round trip proposition. I was filling up my gas tank at least once a week. I would love to have that house here in Salida. But I love that I fill up my gas tank once every 4 to 6 weeks and walk everywhere. Life has been good; Iām lifting a glass to all of you āsistersā that you may say the same. Carry on with joy, girls.
Hugs,
Sally
What a timely question. Our realtor just left with the photographer to list our home in Tennessee. This will be my 12th move. My father was in the Air Force when I was a baby, when I was 5 he went to work for IBM which stands for “I’ve Been Moved”. In high school we moved from New York to Louisiana – culture shock – but I was very happy there until 2011 when we moved to Tennessee for my husband’s job. Both of our children have moved to North Carolina so we will be crossing the Appalachian Mountains in a few weeks to be closer to them in our “golden years”.
Jeanne, I know it doesn’t help, but I have been there and it is not easy. Give yourself grace.
Blessings,
Debbie