Last call

This is it, the night before the 'little move.'  For the next month we will be living between two houses: our old house here, and the park residence.  The residence has no tv, internet, phone, appliances, furniture.  We'll be sleeping on mattresses on the floor, keeping milk in a dormitory refrigerator, and cooking in a crockpot, hot plate, George Foreman grill, or over an open fire.  I'm just glad it's got modern plumbing.  We'll be coming back to the old house when we can, to continue packing and to do laundry.

The 'big move' will be the first week of October, if all the paperwork goes through okay.  I am trying to keep on top of things, but it is a losing battle.  I had to drive four hours round-trip today to drop of a check for earnest money on the new house.  I swore I mailed that check last week.  Apparently I didn't.

We are still madly packing, packing, packing.  The dust we are kicking up, excavating corners that haven't been disturbed in years, is making everyone sneeze and snortle.  We leave after breakfast tomorrow.  We'll see how much sleep I get tonight.

I shouldn't have sat down at the computer.  This sitting-down thing is pretty awesome.  Not sure if I can get back up again.

Where we'll be

Eventually, after we close on the house.  Yes, THE house -- we have found a house and have signed a purchase agreement already.  A lovely old house in town, on a city-sized lot.  I'm going to have to brush up on my urban gardening.  Closing date is September 27.

We have one more week before the little move to park housing, where we'll rough it (no tv, internet, major appliances) until we have the big move to the house in early October.  So, there will be a dry spell of blogging during September.  Much like what happened last year, only this year I have a legitimate reason.

So much to do, so much to do, so much to do. 

Smelling of elderberries

My good friend Rebecca brought over a bag full of elderberry branches this afternoon, a most generous gift.  I have no time right now to do anything besides freeze them, but when life settles down a little bit I will make some elderberry syrup.  I hope it will help ward off the worst of my family's flus and colds this winter.

Two weeks

This is a drawing of Fort Ridgely, located near Fairfax in south-central Minnesota.  The fort served as an army outpost from 1855 to 1867 and played a prominent role in the Dakota War of 1862.  The Minnesota Historical Society has marked the 150th anniversary of this war with a series of educational programs and museum exhibits, including one we visited while at the Minnesota History Center in July.

This is also the location of Fort Ridgely State Park.  And where, in approximately two weeks' time, I will be starting my new job.

Yes, you heard me right, my new job.  And yes, in two weeks' time.

Life right now is pretty crazy, and it's about to get a whole lot crazier.