Here goes one quick blog, just letting everyone know that I'm still alive (tired, but alive).  Thanks for the emails, text's and the messages on my various sites.....you know who you are!  I've been reading them late at night or early early in the morning - but at the moment I haven't had much time to answer back.

About 8 days ago I got a phone call from the friend that is going to be moving in to my 'other' house (yup, the one I inherited). It has remained vacant for the past 2 years while I've been working to update it and clean it out of 100 years of family history.  You see, mother was not only a breast cancer victim, she was a bonified packrat.  I cannot tell you the volumes of interesting stuff I've found.... even a bag of money in the rafters!  The woman actually kept a bank bag full of Liberty head coins in case there was a run on the banks.  I'd have thought she was crazy until this year's near run on several banks due to the national financial crisis.  Yup - it's taken a real focused effort to get the home ready for a new family to move in by late January.

So last Friday I got a stunner - the move date has been changed to the day before Thanksgiving!  My friend's home was sold and the new buyers (who don't have children) scheduled the closing the week of Thanksgiving.  That means I've had to make some hard choices about the things still in the house.  My friend is horrified at the imposition - but hey, she's just helping me speed up the inevitable.

Tomorrow the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer is coming to pick up two bedroom sets, a formal dining room set, a room full of furniture from the library and various paintings, lamps and otherwise beautiful stuff.  But no matter how beautiful, I know it makes no sense to hang on to something because it reminds me of my parents or a family that no longer exists.  They are forever in my heart - but the mahogany table and the tiffany lamps are just symbols of a family now gone.

So for now, I'm 'paying it forward'...and getting intimately acquainted with Craigslist for free boxes!  Just tonight Emily of St. Louis park was a wonderful friend!  Tonight I scored 20 more boxes with sturdy lids!  Of course Kid Norman escorted me to ensure I wouldn't wind up in a trunk. (speaking of trunks, I've got one of them too!).

Just keepin' it real - and wanted to say I may not be blogging, but the station is keeping me company while I pack and I'm enjoying the late night reads.  Keep it funny.....and wtf Captain...since when are you a mouse?????

xo - IJ