May - A Look Ahead

This is “the month”. The one we have been waiting for! It took a lifetime to get to this point in time, and we are finally here. In a few short weeks, we’ll be once again changing our address and moving. Except this time it will be to our retirement cottage. We will be living within the convenience of a villa community, but the development is in a country setting of rolling hills, woods, and even a meandering creek. It is cottage living with a twist, LOL. We will fondly remember the lovely acreage that we sold last year, but we most assuredly will not miss the work!

Last month kept us on our toes. We had our old freezer give out on us. We were able to quickly get a new one and save our stockpile of meats and vegetables. But we were challenged again just five short days later when the new freezer went kaput. A supply of dry ice tided us over until a replacement was delivered, and we once again averted disaster.

I also had a follow-up visit with my orthopedic doctor for this bionic knee of mine. I still have aches, pains, and nerve damage with it, and I am learning to live with the end result. The doctor gave me a cortisone shot in a tendon to relieve some of the chronic tenderness. That seems to have helped a bit. Since last June, I have learned that bionic parts are not miracle cures. But I am thankful that I can walk and get around better than I used to.

Our focus this month will be all about our new cottage! We will be working with Builder Mike to ensure that all the last minute issues are successfully resolved. The wood floors are getting finished this week. Half of the kitchen backsplash is completed. Little bits of plumbing, electrical, and carpentry work need to be done. Sheetrock and painting imperfections will get attention. Closets and the kitchen pantry will be outfitted with racks and shelves. Flowerbeds were mulched and landscape bushes were put in this past week. The front and back yards still need topsoil and then grass sod. There are a million little details that must be taken care of in the days ahead. We’re getting there!

The movers will soon be scheduled. We’ll start the chore of submitting address changes whenever a mailbox appears, LOL. Getting ready for the move won’t be nearly as onerous as it was last fall. We only have a few belongings to pack because we have been literally “camping” at the rental home since November. The big job will be unpacking the long-term storage boxes and trying to figure out where to put furniture and accessories in an entirely different configuration!

This month will be chaos. It will be confusing. It will be tiring. At times, it will be frustrating. But we will get through it all with smiles because we will be HOME. And we will be thanking God for the beautiful roof over our heads and the start of a new chapter in our lives.