Moving Adventure

Time has flown since my last post.   I haven't had the heart to post giving everything that has happened in our lives.   It all started when someone knocked on our front door, wanting to buy our house.   After 30 years of rain, we want to move someplace with more sun.  I wasn't quite ready to move, wanting to wait 2 more years, but then I thought, why go through the hassle of listing the house and have people walking through it.   I'm pretty tidy, but I don't like the idea.   So, we said ok.  SOLD.

Will I miss my 40' long room with the fantastic view of the Columbia River?

 Will I miss the ever-changing views of the Columbia River?

 The mist coming off the river, covering the airport in fog.

 An early morning sunrise enshrouding the river in light.

The colorful sunsets when there is a break in the clouds.

The night light of the city, watching the planes take off.

The house has always been an oasis for us.  Moving wasn't easy for me, even though I am tired of taking care of a 73 year old house that required constant attention to stay in good shape.

Or will I miss all the remodeling we have done for our own comfort and pleasure.  The master bath.

 I miss the Perrin and Rowe faucets.

I will definitely miss the heated marble floor and the heated towel rack.

 

Below is a photo of my daughter's room as a small child.   It was done in a Colonial Williamsburg wallpaper, from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller collection.  The blue stripe was a copy of a ribbon.

 Upstairs, a bedroom had Mario Buatta wallpaper in it.  My daughter picked it out when she was about 6.  I know I needed to redo the rooms with wallpaper, but I just didn't have the heart to do it.

I didn't think that the wallpaper below looks dated.  Hurrah for toile!  I had taken out a fabulous antique mirror and moved it, but I think the mirror below looks ok.  The tile floor is some $.99/foot tile that we laid 20 years ago when we were broke.  It was white sheets, but I popped out the tiles to make a pattern in the floor.   There's one black tile put in the wrong place.  Try and find it.   I didn't notice it for a few years! (ok it is behind the door)

I loved my walnut counter in the laundry room.   I always giggle when I think about this--it was walnut flooring that we brought home in the Mercedes--  it was the days before my husband would let me have a mini van (he says mini vans make me armed and dangerous--and that a Mercedes was cheaper -- oh the things I could bring home!).   The guys on the loading dock laughed at us as we stuck the flooring through the sunroof for the drive home.  (Yea, it was Portland, and yes, it did sprinkle on us a bit)

Below is the kitchen which has cabinets made by my dad, who is now 86.   So sad to leave those.  I will miss my sub-zero refrigerator.   I loved the way it kept temperature.

I was asked to leave the antique runner, which I obliged.

I also left these fabulous antique planters. I miss them too.

While I had about 30 days from signing to move out, it got very complicated.   My 82 year old  mother was rushed to the hospital with pneumonia and a serious infection.  It was terribly sad to see her struggle.   She passed away on my birthday.

She was a wonderful person who raised 7 kids.  Growing up in Germany, she was babysitting her younger siblings all day at age 4 1/2.   She had to go through so many hard times growing up and we tried our hardest to make her life easy as we became adults. I love the picture of her below--reminds me of that invincible spirit she had.

I will always be sad that she never got to move into the casita we built for her, but I know the anticipation and excitement about the move was something to look forward to.  She enjoyed being a mother, a grandmother and travelling.  She will be forever missed.

Doves released graveside.

As for the house we left, I guess it was time to pass it on to someone else who can make it a wonderful family home.  The first thing they did was open up the staircase to the living room.  I always wanted to do that, just ran out of steam.  I understand that our home is wherever we are.  I'd just like to make that place as special as the last one.

My husband and I packed over 160 boxes in 3 days.  We used uniform size boxes to make it easy to load the moving truck.  (They moved everything out in 2 hours).   Everything safely arrived, I am only missing one remote control.  The fragile stuff we moved ourselves in a mini van.

We are living in an apartment and having a house built.   I have lots of decisions to make, and will be asking for opinions.  I appreciate those of you who have hung in there even though I have been absent.  The foundation has been poured, so it's full speed ahead, with a move-in date this summer.   

I didn't do any sorting on my move.  I have spent the last month going through all of the boxes, sorting and tossing.   Tough for a collector like me.  I have a lifetime of projects.  In fact, I even turned down going to an antique show, I feel like I have TOO MUCH STUFF!

Best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014.