A few photos....

Just a quick post this evening.  I got home from work and unpacked a box, made dinner and then unpacked another box or two.  I did find our plates and bowls tonight!!  Silverware was uncovered last night, so no more paper plates and plastic forks!!  I also have been doing laundry.

Joe found my makeup last night, so I was able to brush on some mascara before work. I've not worn makeup all week! Ha!

Our son being here last week is all that saved us and got us moved.  He was AMAZING, making trip after trip, lifting box after box and shuffling our stuff from room to room.  God bless him.

We got the old house emptied on Friday.  There was still "stuff" in cupboards, the laundry room, and the garage after the movers took everything else.  We got that done except for what we were going to put in the garage sale.

We went home (new house) around 7:00 pm.  Joey made us stop to rest, and told us to just get up early and get there before the sale starts to finish up.  I got up at 3:30 and we were at the old house by 4:45.  We were still putting stuff out at 7:00 when Joe put the sign out and the people started coming.  Two-thirds of the junk was gone by 9:30.  Garage sale people always amaze me. At 10:00, I called a non-profit group that has a thrift shop, Helping Hands, and they came at 11:00 and packed up EVERYTHING that was left. Everything. We were blessed to make just under $250 and got rid of everything.

There are still boxes everywhere, but the City will do a courtesy pick-up next week of all the boxes and packing materials.  That's incentive to get as many emptied as possible.

One last photo of moving day....

If you look closely enough, you will see someone napping at the kitchen table. Bless his heart!  We are both still exhausted, but it is all good.  I'll post pictures again when things are 'done' and looking much prettier!!

I have missed you all!!  I doubt I'll be back again this week, though the closing on the old house is tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to that being done and getting that check so we can get the bridge loan paid back.  One step and one box at a time!!

Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts. Peace & hugs.

Sunday Catch-up....

Just a quick hello!  I miss being here, but I must say that taking a break has been a good thing for me. There is so much to do and we are not youngsters anymore.  I'm sitting here Sunday afternoon, so grateful that our son Joey is here helping.  He and Joe took over a van full of boxes that I didn't want the movers to move.  We are storing them in the guest room that we don't have beds for yet so they will be out of the way of the movers on Wednesday.  We work all morning and then we pretty much just stop for the afternoon,

We are fortunate to have some extra days.  Even after the movers take the furniture and boxes on Wednesday, we still have until the 28th to get anything left that we haven't gotten to.  Saturday will be the garage sale.

The new roof is on; the painter is done and we are so happy with his work and our color choices; the handyman has been and will be back for some odd jobs. The refrigerator repair person is coming tomorrow. The ice in the door isn't working. Hoping it can be repaired easily.  We got our closets organized and ready for our clothes. We can start moving some of that tomorrow too.

I'm sorry that I don't have photos yet. I just don't think about taking pictures when I am over there, but they will come, I promise.  We have met a few of the immediate neighbors.  One side are permanent residents and the other side are snowbirds from Wisconsin. There is an Italian couple across the street who moved here from Syracuse, NY.  They are also permanent residents. We got to meet Shadow, who is a long-haired dachshund belonging to another neighbor down the street. We are feeling at home already!  There are lots of people out walking all the time and many have pups.

Two more days to get as much packed for the movers as we can!!  We took Joey to dinner last night and he took us to breakfast this morning.  I'm making pasta for tonight, with a salad.  We have not been to the grocery in a while. I'm out of eggs and milk, for instance.... good excuse to go out, though!

Thanks for stopping by!  I've been breezing through blogs and not leaving messages often, but trying to at least keep up a bit.  I'm looking forward to getting back here soon!  Hopefully we can get Spectrum to the new house on moving day and our friend (and techie guy) is coming for pizza Wednesday night so he can get our computers and network up and running for us. Fingers crossed.

Peace & hugs!!

The new-to-us furniture....

Just a quick post on this Thursday morning. We are getting ready for life to get to warp speed now. Still so much to do but things are getting done!!

Our new-to-us dining room furniture was delivered yesterday.  The electrician came to install extra outlets in Joe's shed and the 'bug people' came to do their once-a-year insect protection for us. The closet folks came Tuesday and I don't think they will be able to help us. When I explained what we needed, he had this blank look on his face.....

The roofers will do the roof on Monday.  Our garage sale is this Saturday.  Our son arrives on Friday and we are so happy for his help.  I measured all the windows for curtains. We got the paint Tuesday night and our painter will start on Saturday. He says two days....

Here is the dining room we purchased.  Joe and I are both very happy with it.

The table has a leaf and there are eight chairs.

Missing you all!  Keeping you in my prayers and appreciate those keeping us in yours!  I'll check in as I can!  Peace & hugs!!

A Recap of Last Week....

Missing you all.  Here is a recap of our week, with more busy times ahead.


Feb 7:  Closed on the new house!  Went in and realized (with all the lights on) that it really does need to be painted, so one more item on Joe's list of people to call.  Glad we know a good painter!  Found at least a dozen rolls of (good) toilet paper in the two linen closets! LOL  We also found two Shark vacuum cleaners in the shed.  They might go in the garage sale.  Measured out where furniture will go. So happy to have the den/office off the kitchen. It will make such a huge difference for us!

Feb 8:  Locksmith changed the locks and keyed all the doors for us. Waiting patiently to hear from the roofer.  We really want to get that new roof on. Got to the tax office again (couldn't get there yesterday) and got the home registered in our names and paid the sales tax.  Pockets getting empty!

Feb 10:  I got to get into the new house after work on this day!  Joe has been spending a lot of time there waiting for workers, etc. But I got to see the new kitchen faucet, try out the new garbage disposal and see how well the MaidPro women deep cleaned for us (excellent).

Feb 11:  We had to meet the electrician at the new house at 10:00 (Saturday) so we invited Helen and Cheryl to also drop by to see the new house.  Joe's 'shed' needs a few more outlets so he will get those installed next week.  Helen and Cheryl really like the house and were surprised at how much room we have!  We took them out to lunch and then did some shopping at Sam's Club and Publix. I did some more sorting out and got some things ready for next week's garage sale.  Our neighbors came over because we had a few things we wanted to give to them (see if they wanted them) before the garage sale.  It was good catching up with them.

Feb 12:  Met the painter at the new house (#2), at 10:00.  We want him to paint the main living area and hallway, the kitchen and the office/den.  The bedrooms don't need paint, thank goodness. Got back home (#1) and tore into my craft closet.  Sorting and packing. Sorting and packing. Sorting and packing.

The week ahead.... the 'bug' people will be by #2 for the once-a-year treatment.  Hopefully, the roofers will be there to get started on Tuesday. The electrician will install Joe's new outlets on Wednesday.

We have a company called Carefree Closets coming by Tuesday afternoon to give us an estimate on organizing our closets in the Master bedroom and I want them to look at the walk-in pantry in the kitchen and perhaps suggest some improvements there.  They did our closets in #1 almost 27+ years ago and did a great job for us. We can't afford anything too expensive, but I hope they can do a couple of things to maximize our space.  We are blessed to have this time to do things before furniture and clothing are moved in.

We have a great consignment store in town called Design Consignment. We have purchased a half dozen things from them over the past few years.  I'm really tired of our dining room furniture and have been watching their inventory.  About a month ago, they had a great dining room on display. Table, leaf, eight chairs, and a buffet.  I wanted it.  Joe said if it's still there when we get the house, we'll get it.  Well, he called me at work last week and told me that something told him to go past the consignment store.  They had just reduced the price on the dining room, so he bought it for us.  He also negotiated with them on delivery and they are going to come get our furniture to sell in their store for us.  It's a 50/50 split, but we wouldn't get much more than that at our garage sale, so I'm really happy.  The new set is more traditional than country, is much more solid and the buffet piece will fit on a wall perfectly.  So that will also all happen on Wednesday.  The store has our wish list for two single beds and a large bookcase system.  Fingers crossed.

I have been keeping up with your posts as I can, but admit it has been here and there. Missing you and missing posting.  Counting my blessings, though! They are many.  I promise pictures soon!  Peace & hugs!!

A Tuesday Tidbit.....

My Tuesday Tidbit is just to say I'm crying Uncle.  I cannot keep up with work, packing, running errands and the Blog.

I need to beg off for the month of February.  I will check in as I can and will try to do quick updates at least once a week, It hurts to admit that I just have too much going on here.  I'm also still not feeling 100%.

Our closing on the new house is today, but that requires going to the bank, going to the manager's office at our new place, then back to the bank then to the tax collector's office to pay sales tax and get the transfer done (rather like a car).

Please email me prayer requests if you have any.  I will still be praying!!  Let me know if there is something going on I need to know.  I won't be on Facebook much either.

My email is  jtdorsaneo@gmail.com.

Love & hugs and thanks for keeping us in your prayers.  I know it will all go as planned and I will be taking photos to share!  I will miss keeping up with you, my friends!!

Weekend Recap on Monday....

I am writing this on Sunday night before the Super Bowl is over, so I have no comments on the game but do have a few photos to share and some packing, sorting, moving information to share.  (The Falcons are playing great, though! Wow!)

Most of you know that I've been sick since last Tuesday and stayed home from work Wed-Fri.  It was "just a cold" until I woke up on Saturday morning (after feeling much better on Friday) with vertigo.  I asked Joe to take me to the walk-in clinic/urgent care.  Since it was early when we arrived (8:30) I was hoping there wouldn't be a full waiting room. Happy that there were only two people ahead of me! Yay!  I got in pretty fast and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection.  Got a shot of antibiotic and two prescriptions called in.  No fever. On the mend now!

I didn't get too much done, but we learned from the moving company that we don't have to empty any of the dresser drawers. They move them intact! That is huge for me.  I spent a couple of hours Saturday afternoon sorting through the rest of the drawers in the bedroom and got them reorganized. Have a pile of stuff for the garage sale and a bag of things to take to a local shelter. So not packed, but I guess they really are packed since they are ready to go!  Sunday I packed two more boxes of artwork, collectibles, and photos in frames.  Vinny decided to settle in one of the drawers I was working on and started to take a bath....

I did not go to church, but Joe got the bulletin and I am only making note because last week and this week we had Masses said for my grandma and our sister-in-law.  Erma Thompson and Joan Marie D'Orsaneo.  For non-Catholics, we can have prayers said for loved ones during Mass and the name is called out.  My church women's group had one said for my grandma and Joe and I asked for one for Joan.

Let's see.... the laundry got done yesterday.  I am trying to use stuff from the freezer so we don't have so much food to move. Had some leftover pasta sauce frozen so making dinner yesterday was easy. All I had to do was warm it up and cook some pasta.  I put a salad together and threw a couple of rolls in the toaster oven.  Joe was happy and so was I.

So we have the closing for the new house on Tuesday!!  Our garage sale will be on the 18th.  The movers come on the 22nd and closing on this house (now our old house) is on the 28th.  Lots to do.  We have a new roof going on the new house, we have a plumber coming to install a new garbage disposal (the one there sounds AWFUL) and a new kitchen sink faucet.  We have cleaners coming (such a blessing and luxury!), we have our once-a-year pest control people coming, the locksmith is scheduled so we have new keys for all the doors, the HVAC folks are coming to service the AC/Heating unit, and thankfully, we have our son coming down to spend a few days with us over the garage sale and moving day. In the mean time, We still have three more rooms to get packed up (and sorted) and the last BIG one...my kitchen.  Two weeks to go. It will get done, it will get done, it will get done.....

Thanks for your visit!!  Thanks for your prayers!  Peace & hugs.

It's Sunday Stealing Time....

The Racquet Questions




Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog

Authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. You may have heard the expression, “honor among thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's questions in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from recently asked questions from a previously post.

Raqonteur's self portrait.

We found this gem because of the questions the Cool Guy 7 wrote for us last week. He stated that he wrote the questions because of his blogger buddyRaqonteur had already written his 20 questions. If any of this is true or not, matters very little. By this time next week, we could be at war with Mexico, Australia or Iran. Buckle in everybody. It’s going to be a crazy ride. Feel free to make up your own question and dump the math one. Or do it. It’s all the same to us. We are posting late today. For us. We are still publishing “Sunday’s Favorite Questions” on a Saturday, so no one will notice. We think. Please like is on Facebook(details below) and Google Plus in our side bar. Let's get to it!

Cheers to all of us thieves!

Sunday Stealing: The Racquet Questions

01 What is the worst nickname that anyone has ever called you?  If there was a bad one, I never knew about it (thank goodness!).

02 Have you got a favorite flower?  The simple daisy (but I am not a 'flower person').

03 Do you add a sauce, ketchup or other artificial flavorings to your food?  When called for, yes.

04 Describe yourself using only words that begin with the letter 'T'.  Terrific! Terri, of course!

05 What is/was your lover's pet name for you?  Joe calls me Terri-oooch now and then. Some Italian thing.... 

06 What is your least favorite color?  I don't look good in navy blue, so I guess that would be it. I really don't have a least favorite color though. I love color.

07 Who did you vote for in the last election, and did they win?  No secret here. I voted for Donald Trump and yes, he did indeed win!!

08 What is/was your grandfathers’ names?  Robert (mom's dad); Orie (dad's dad) 

09 What is the best present you ever received?  I have received so many wonderful gifts. I can't name just one.

10 What is 17 1/2% of 97 + 42 x (6 / 2) – 137 ? [Editor's note: Holy shit!]  5.975  (But who knows?)

11 What would be the best possible way you could die?  Peacefully in your sleep.

12 Given the choice of absolutely anything, what would be your dream job?  Architect.

13 What position do you sleep in at night?  On my side.

14 What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?  I've answered this one before. A booger hanging in my nose during an interview. One of those dry little things you don't feel....

15 Who is your favorite fictional character?  Oh, I have many but I really love Claire in the Outlander series.

16 What food do you hate most in the world?  Three actually: okra, snails and oysters.

17 When was the last time you were ill?  I am sick right now with an upper respiratory infection. Ugh.

18 If you were transformed into a wild creature, what would it be?  A beautiful panther.

19 What was your favorite toy as a child, and whatever happened to it?  I really didn't have a favorite toy because I loved being outside, climbing trees and hiking back the railroad track.  If I had to mention something, I guess I did play Barbies now and then.  My two little sisters got all of my toys.

20 What's the most amazing thing you've ever seen? The ancient architecture in Italy.  Then there is Niagara Falls.

Thank you for playing this week on Sunday Stealing! Please consider liking WTIT on Facebook. Click here. Link when you have posted. Stop back and visit other player’s posts. That is really what this is all about, making new friends! Have a great week. See you next Sunday!

Peace & love-
Bud

Thanks to Bud for this week's Sunday Stealing!  You can join in and link up HERE!

For those who might be interested, I am still sick. I woke up Saturday morning with vertigo after coughing the night away. Joe whisked me off to urgent care where I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection (thus the vertigo).  I asked for an injection to boost the antibiotics, which they gladly gave me with raised eyebrows. It seems no one wants a shot anymore, but it's the best way to get that medicine into your system. She also gave me 10-days worth of the same antibiotic and some codeine cough syrup so I can hopefully sleep at night.  I'm sure by Monday I'll be getting back to work.

Also....house closing news!!  We get the keys to our new house on Tuesday!!  The movers are scheduled and we have two weeks to get things boxed up and ready to go!! Whew!!  I HAVE to get over this stupid cold!!

Thanks for your visit!! Thanks for your prayers!  Peace & hugs!!

February's First Saturday 9....

Thanks to our Saturday 9 hostess, Sam Winters, for this week's Q & A meme!  

You can join in HERE!!

Some Guys Have All the Luck

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Some Guys Have All the Luck (1984)
 Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Do you consider yourself lucky?  Not particularly lucky, but certainly blessed!

2) When did you last risk money in a game of chance (lottery, raffle ticket, slot machine, etc.)? How did you do?  Joe buys a lotto ticket most every week. We frequently win another free ticket, sometimes we get three numbers which wins us $5.00 but we sure haven't won big. 

3)  There's a major football game this weekend. Will you be watching? Do you have any money riding on the outcome?   Yes, the game will most likely be on but we really don't care who wins. I just hope it's a good game worth watching.  We have no money riding on it.

4) The composer of this song, Jeff Fortgang, is an interesting guy who's had two disparate careers: first pop musician, then Yale-educated clinical psychologist. It's possible that many of the patients who see him for help with anxiety or depression have no idea that he wrote this song. What's something your co-workers (or, if you're not working, casual friends) would be surprised to know about you?  There isn't much my co-workers and/or friends don't know about me. I'm pretty much an open book.  Those who don't know me well would probably be surprised that I've lost three family members to cancer and am a cancer survivor.  It's not something I talk about in casual conversation (unless asked).

5) Similarly, fans are often surprised to learn that this week's featured artist, Rod Stewart, is a history buff who loves reading about WWII. Is there a period of time or historic event that has captured your interest?   Joe and I both like learning about the Civil War era and are really enjoying Mercy Street on Masterpiece.

6) Rod met his current wife as the result of a dare. Penny Lancaster, then in her 20s, spotted the decades-older celebrity in a bar and only approached him because her friends bet her she didn't have the guts to talk to him. Are you, like Penny, vulnerable to peer pressure? Can your friends talk you into doing things you might not otherwise do?  No, I don't think I've even been vulnerable to peer pressure and no one can talk me into something I don't want to do.

7) Rod vividly recalls being 11 years old and going to see  Little Richard perform in a film comedy called The Girl Can't Help It. When you were a kid, did you enjoy going to the movies? What do you recall seeing?  My first memory of going to the movies was going with my older cousin Tom to see "Old Yeller".  I sobbed and sobbed when he had to kill his dog.  Hated it and have never watched that movie again. I was only six years old or so.  We lived close enough to walk to the theater by ourselves (sure couldn't today!) and away we went with our quarters, which got us in and also go us some popcorn! Yes, I'm old.

8) The lyrics tell of when Rod's car overheats and he calls a friend, who doesn't come through. Tell us about a time recently when you were there and helped a buddy out.  Most people know I'm happy to help.  Most recently it was a co-worker who needed a ride.
 

9) The lyrics mention that "some guys do nothing but complain." Who do you know who is like that? Do you have a friend, relative or coworker who just always seems to find fault?  Yes (don't we all?). I'll just leave it at that.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for your visit today!  Glad it's the weekend...more packing, sorting and getting ready!

First February Friday Foto Friends.....

Linking up today with Deb, at Breathing in Grace, for Friday Foto Friends!  Join us HERE!!

Since I have been home nursing this nasty cold for the last two days, I don't have any new photos to share. I haven't even been packing or sorting.  The appraisal on our new house was finally done and that was the last piece of the puzzle. Hoping to get word of a closing early next week now.  I am happy to say that the appraisal was more than favorable, for which we were thrilled.

I've gone back in time for a couple of photos to share, from those slides I found a week or so ago....

 Me (with LONG hair) and my paternal grandparents, Orie and Leota.

 This must have been Christmas time. I'm sure my sister, Patti, was probably playing piano while we all sang Christmas carols. My dad is behind me, mom is beside me, then my brother's friend Jack and my brother, Randy.  This was most likely 1971 or 72.

 My sweet dad in the hammock and me.  This was in the backyard of the home where I grew up.

Another photo of my sweet Sarge. He was such a good dog....and BIG for a collie.

Thanks for peeking in.  I am writing this on Thursday night and am planning to get to work on Friday.  So far, my cold is staying a head cold. I sure don't want it settling in my chest.  Fingers crossed!

I'll leave you with this since yesterday was Groundhog Day....

Thanks for your visit! Happy weekend!! Peace & hugs.

Thankful Thursday!!

Well, I spent yesterday at home in my PJs, fighting a bad cold.  Not sure where it came from, but I caught it.  So far, Joe is okay and I texted my sis in Georgia to make sure they were okay (they are). One way or the other, I guess it's my turn.

I'm thankful for tissues!

I'm thankful for a comfortable bed, in which to escape.

I'm thankful for chicken noodle soup.

I am thankful for TheraFlu, Mucinex, and Coricidin!

I am thankful that I have a job where I earn sick leave to use on days like these.

I am also thankful for your visit and for your whispered prayer!  Peace & hugs!

(We have a special wedding to attend on Saturday! I need to get over this!)

Wednesday's Hodgepodge....

It's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for giving us the questions that we answer and then link up again at From This Side of the Pond.  Join us! Her link is in her button below!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 295

1. Can you believe it's the end of January?  Time just goes faster and faster the older I get.  What was the best day of January 2017 for you, and why?  The best was finding the perfect retirement home for us to buy!  We are SO excited and hope to get the keys before this time next week!

2. What sounds make up the background noise in your life?  The sound of packing tape being ripped from the roll!  Ha!  Do you know what I mean?  The sound is horrid!

3. I read on the Power of Positivity website a list of ten things to drop from your life right now. They are-

anger outbursts, people who put you down, regret, negative self talk, being a people pleaser, the notion you need to be perfect, the past (but keep the lessons learned!), gossip and judgment, comparing yourself to others, and the word hate (focus on what you love instead)

Which thing on the list do you most need to drop?  Probably gossip and judgment.  Are you trying or will you try?  Trying all the time and have even considered dropping out of Facebook to be done with it.  Instead, I just unfriended almost 100 people.  It felt good!

4. What is sacred to you?  My faith and my family.  Don't mess with either!

5. January is National Oatmeal month. Are you a fan, and if so how do you like it?  I am not an oatmeal fan.  I might make it for breakfast once a year when Joe wants some. I do use it in meatloaf, instead of breadcrumbs.  I like oatmeal cookies too!  :)

6. What feelings does twilight stir up in you?  LOL....it just means jammie time these days!  Ha!

7. Something you're looking forward to next month?  Easy!!  You all can probably answer this for me!  Being moved in and settled in our new home!

8. Insert your own random thought here.  There is nothing random in my life right now. Packing, sorting, tossing, selling....


Thanks for your visit!  Happy hump day!  Happy February!  Peace & hugs.