A House Of ...

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, ..." Doctrine and Covenants 109: 8-9

As we establish our new home, we focus on having a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, glory, order, and a house of God. It's always a work in progress. 

Moving Day

We moved in midOctober

Our moving crew consisted of one 26 foot truck and five men. With our two storage units and the condo itself we had to deal with two entrances/parking spots and one elevator. Incredibly for both entrances there were ideal parking spaces for this huge truck. This doesn't happen very often in downtown Kirkland. The weather was also very good. We had about 80 boxes the day we moved. The next few days I packed another 10-15 with clothes and kitchen items we moved ourselves.

Our old place

We had seven of these metal racks on wheels. They were full of our journals and books. The movers decided to use the truck's lift to put them into the truck. 

In a small condominium storage space is important. Our condo came with a bonus. In addition to the usual 4'x6' storage space on the left we have a 7'x17' storage space. That's an AMAZING amount of space for a place in downtown Kirkland.

first came the furniture

then the boxes - we had a double line of boxes the length of the living room, 3-4 boxes high

picture from Joe's chair - he asked the men to move some of the boxes so he could see through to the TV

The fun continues!

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 Our across-the-hall neighbor moved in the same week we did. His stuff arrived in a POD. It was fascinating to watch the process. Check out this video posted on YouTube.

I'd be interested in who invented this "podzilla" and how he/she came up with it.

Our kitchen looks like it exploded

so does the living room

the last load from our old place

The missionaries came over to help rearrange the various components in the master bedroom closet

last box ready to be unpacked

living room is "done"

turn around and you see the kitchen isn't quite done

The work continues

We're Moving!

We're moving - just a few blocks from our old place - still in Kirkland.
We're excited about our new home. 

Here's what's been going on.

Rogelio & Jose spent over a week preparing, painting, and cleaning up our place. 

We shared a bit of our story with them & asked them to paint happiness into our home. 

They did.

Day 2 of the job - everything masked, covered, spackled, sanded 

- or whatever needed to be done before the painting could start

We had EVERYTHING painted - walls, ceilings, woodwork

Finally finished

Lots of cleaning to do

dressed for work

recognize the butterfly? Click here

time to start moving

Have to have plants & easy to grow philodendron are the best! 

Got cable set up so we have TV & the Internet

Our year round Christmas tree will go on top of the fireplace

moving in - one cart load at a time

another load

another break - this will now be my go-to gelato 

when we don't go to the nearby gelato store

Haggan-Dazs dark chocolate chip gelato

We love our new place - it feels good - it feels right

You CAN Take It With You!

First there were things we couldn’t bring with us to Kirkland. Now there are things we can’t take with us to our new place in Kirkland.

In all our downsizing over the last four years it’s easy to focus on what we can’t take with us. However, the focus should be on what we can take with us – the tangible items as well as the intangibles. 

As we shed more and more of the stuff that has surrounded us during our mortal journey, we become even more aware of the intangibles that have become part of us and our time here on earth – things that we can take with us no matter the size of our physical home and no matter which side of the veil we're on. 

            Relationship with each other

            Relationships with friends and family

            Relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ 

            Knowledge of earthly and heavenly matters

           You can take it with you!

Book - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo

"This best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing."   worldcat.org

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I read this to see if it would help me with the downsizing process as we get ready to move. Our new place has one less bedroom and no private, separate garage in which to store anything (gated, shared, open garage) I’m still thinking about Kondo's ideas a few weeks after I finished the book.

Kondo’s main premise is to surround yourself with things that bring you “joy” and that things came into our lives and homes for a reason. She advocates that each item be touched so you can tell whether or not there’s a positive connection with it. I found her tips helpful up to a point, especially when going through our clothes. Most of her ideas make sense. I do draw the line when it comes to ascribing feelings to socks – I don’t know if my socks truly resent being folded and the tops pulled over to make a bundle. 

I think it’s stretching it to talk about “joy” connected with office supplies and things in our kitchen cabinets. But the premise does help me quickly connect with why I might be keeping items – is there an emotional connection, am I stockpiling for a friend or grandchild activity that realistically isn’t going to happen, did that sale item turn out to be something I didn’t really need, and so forth? 

I’m glad I followed her advice to start with clothes instead of books as I originally planned our weeding out process. It was somewhat “easy” to go through each piece of clothing and quickly think about the last time it was worn and how I felt when I wore it. It sounds strange but I think all of us would have to admit that certain clothes bring forth specific feelings. This process went much more quickly than I thought it would.

I’m thankful we dealt with many, many family mementoes last year. We have a “manageable” number now. I’m leaving them and the books until last. We gave away hundreds of books when we moved from North Street. We don’t have quite that many to give away this time but we do need to downsize even more – keeping only the best of the best. 

As we’re making space in closets and rooms, I’m reminded of how I felt when our North Street home started emptying out. There is a "freeing" and open feeling that comes with space and the absence of lots of stuff and clutter.

Some of Kondo’s ideas are a bit much for me – I don’t want to empty my purse every day. I don’t feel a need to thank my clothes every day. But I can and want to have a greater awareness of and appreciation for the things in my life – and make conscious decisions about which items should be part of our surroundings.  

Things - Weariness?

"Every increased possession loads us with new weariness." 

John Ruskin

During our journeys here on earth we tend to accumulate a LOT of stuff! Mom and Dad lived in their home more than 50 years. Result - a house full of memories and things. 

And then there was the process of cleaning out West North Street for our move west. Every possession accumulated in our 34 years in that house had to be evaluated. Did we need it? Did we want it? Was it worth hauling across country (and paying for that hauling)?

As we boxed things up at North Street, it was interesting to pay attention to the feeling as my desk and surrounding bookcases were emptied. Part of me loved the feeling of being surrounded by books and cozy reading chairs. But then I also liked the feeling as that space was emptied. As we left the house for the last time, we were amazed how large it looked when it was empty. 

Once we arrived at our new home in Kirkland, we had a few days before the moving van arrived with its 260+ boxes. Our son and his wife had set up a table, chairs, and air mattresses for us. (They offerered for us to stay at their house but we wanted to get acquainted with our new space and neighborhood). There was a feeling of freedom and lightness to live in a place with no clutter and so little stuff.

I've written about our ongoing downsizing. Eventually we'll end up in a smaller place. I have a  good feeling when I empty a bin or box - discarding or donating something that we haven't used since our move. Sometimes we look at something we've been saving and ask ourselves if our children will want to deal with this after we are gone. Sometimes the answer is "no" and we discard or donate the item. If it's a keepsake or knicknack that's spent the last 30 years in a storage bin, should it be passed along now or should we just admit that we might as well be the people who make the decision to discard it?

I want to get to the place that each possession has a purpose or a family connection. I don't want "weariness" attached to the things in my life. 

Orphan Lessons

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Monday, Feb. 27 1995

ORPHAN LESSON TIME

Yesterday the Ohio branch of the family gathered for lunch and I took the opportunity to summarize our financial situation. We discussed this briefly with ... in a phone call last night. This letter is to give ...  the numbers and to put all this stuff in writing for the rest of you.

Let me preface this recounting with the mention that this is not being done in anticipation of death. We are both, thankfully, in good health & of sound minds, and anticipate remaining in this happy state for some time to come. However, you all have the right to know the state of our affairs if only to set to rest any thoughts you may xxx have had about needing to take care of the Old Folks in their declining years. 

You also need to know that we are attempting to order our affairs such that transfer of our assets to you can be affected promptly and simply. Furthermore, that we do not place any restrictions on what you do with any assets you receive.

Here’s the picture: [a detailed accounting of finances follows]

........

Questions?  Comments?  Suggestions?

Granted, none of us like to contemplate the End Times. But they will come, and it is only prudent for us to set our affairs in order as best we can. I hope you will each take a realistic view of this material and give us your thoughts. 

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Orphan lessons - I do remember those conversations around the kitchen table. Dad would pull out his "End Times" notebook and say, "It's time for orphan lessons. When I die, just take this notebook to Morty*, and he'll have everything he needs. We did. And he did. Thanks Dad.

1997

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*family lawyer

Note - image at top. Dad used NCR, no carbon required, paper for most of his correspondence with his children. Over time the letters have faded. Some, like this one, are barely legible. The letters need to be transcribed or they will be lost.

Journey

When I went back to Ohio in April, I found myself driving up and down High Street quite a bit. I thought about the hundreds, probably thousands, of times I’ve driven High Street between Worthington and downtown Columbus. I thought about the conversations I had with God as I journeyed back and forth to work on Glenmont Avenue in Clintonville – those were some intense, and often teary communications as I pondered and prayed.  What does it mean to be a daughter of God? What does God want me to do with my time here on earth?  How do I handle personal challenges? What do we do about family situations? When should we go on our mission? ….. Those were very intense times journeying up and down High Street over the years. As I traveled the route in April, some of those strong feelings came back to me.

During my April trip I spent a day with my best friend since second or third grade. I am thankful we’ve chosen to stay close throughout our journeys. Our conversations and friendship over the years have strengthened both of us. It’s precious to have that much history with a friend. 

Family  - getting together with three generations of family in Columbus is precious beyond description. I think it’s really four generations because I feel Mom’s and Dad’s pleasure that the family is close and enjoys getting together. DNA and marriage link us. Love and loyalty keep us together. The choice to share each other’s joys and sorrows results in blessings and relationships that are beyond measure. 

When I went to church while in Ohio, I was overwhelmed by intense feelings of love for my Worthington church family. Some of the people in the congregation have been with us from 1981, the very beginning of our discipleship journey. We’ve served together, learned together, grown together – cried, laughed and supported each other through good times and hard times. The quick hellos, hugs, and “how are yous” at church were nice. Even better were the longer visits I was able to have with a few of these good people. 

My life’s journey certainly didn’t turn out the way I thought it was going to. But then, how much do we know when we’re thinking about these things in our late teens and early 20s?! I started on one path. Divorce and remarriage were unanticipated reroutings. Discipleship and yoking myself with Jesus Christ added a depth and breadth to my life that was unanticipated and is totally awesome. I even got a transfer to Seattle – who would have thought I’d end up in the Pacific Northwest! 

The specifics and timing of our future are unknown. Part of me would like a lot more answers than I’m ever going to get. While we don’t know the exact route, the detours, the bumps in the road, we do know that the journey leads back to life with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We have the word of God to hang on to. We have communication with God, the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, and the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to guide us.

Journeys are easier, and more fun, when you have companions. I am thankful for Joe, my eternal companion. I am thankful for family and friends who have chosen to accompany me and let me be part of their journeys. The adventure continues!

More Transitions

Changes in technology certainly offer us many different ways of doing things 

at this point in our lives. 

Moving from point and shoot digital camera to the camera on my phone - the camera on the phone is better than the camera on my midrange Fujifilm camera for most of the pictures I take. The separate camera is still better for zoom and macro shots. It certainly is handy to always have a camera in my pocket. 

Dad's interest in and love of words impacted me. I used to stash paper dictionaries in various places around the house so I could easily look up words. With my iPhone I no longer need paper dictionaries. My dictionary app is well used. 

Transitions - Camera

You can probably tell that we take a LOT of pictures. I come from a family of picture takers - going back to my father's parents. Dad processed his film in the darkroom we had in our basement. Several of us learned how to print pictures at home. Some of my siblings and I were photographers for the high school newspaper. 

Our family has had many kinds of cameras over the years. We've done big, bulky cameras; film point and shoot as well as film SLR. Then we moved to digital, always point and shoot. We've purchased medium to high end point and shoot cameras. It took me quite a while to mentally adjust to the fact that the camera on my iPhone 5s takes better pictures than our point and shoot camera (except for zoom and macro functions). This past family reunion I took all pictures on my phone. That's a major transition for us. Some people at the reunion had digital SLR cameras. I don't know if we'll make that leap or not. One of my criteria for a camera is that it fits in my pocket. 

Will convenience or quality win out? Or will we go with both? Time will tell. 

Going, Going, Almost Gone

film canisters - handy for so many things

With all the photography going on in my childhood and then adult life, 

there was usually a good supply of these containers. 

I wonder if our grandchildren will even know what the little canisters are.

Ironing

My iron and ironing board must feel very neglected. They don't get used very often.

My memories of ironing go back to childhood. Mom had a lot of ironing with a family of six. Those were the days before  permanent press, wrinkle free settings on dryers (even before dryers in the very early days) and before the days of steam irons.

My most vivid memories are of Mom with a basket full of laundry; hot, muggy days; a pop bottle with a sprinkler attachment on top, filled with water to moisten the clothes. She set up the ironing board in the living room. Hopefully she ironed in the basement in the summer when it was hot. 

I don't remember how often I had to iron, or if my siblings also ironed. We did sheets. I remember Mom ironing Dad's boxers and wondering why that was necessary. Mom taught me how to iron Dad's white shirts. I still know the order of ironing various parts of a dress shirt. We pressed dresses and shorts - practically everything in our childhood wardrobe needed ironing. 

Mom taught me to check out how much ironing a fabric would need by balling it up in my fist. If there were lots of wrinkles when I let go, I knew ironing would be required - buyer beware. I still do that when I purchase clothes and/or fabric. 

It was a wonderful day when permanent press became part of our lives. 100% polyester turned out not to the be best fashion trend but polyester and cotton can be nice. That, combined with customized dryer settings have made ironing not really necessary. Also, I think our cultural expectations have changed and the starched, freshly ironed look is no longer "necessary."  

I did teach the boys how to iron (along with how to do some basic mending). Joe knew how to iron from his days in the Navy. 

Over the years my iron and ironing board could go months and months without being used. One time Michael came home from college and wanted to iron a shirt. When he asked where the ironing board and iron were, I was mortified to realize it had been so long since I used them that I had no idea where they were! Eventually I located them and Michael proceeded with his ironing. For some reason this is a vivid memory (Guilt? Some feeling that a "good" wife and mother would be doing more ironing? Who knows.). I even remember which shirt Michael was ironing.

Now I don't feel at all guilty about neglecting the iron and ironing board. I'm thankful for the advances that have made them less necessary. 

It's Just Stuff

We bought this telephone chair for our house on Harvest Street. The rotary phone was on the ledge. The phone books were stored underneath. Rotary phones and phone books - things of the past. 

When we moved to North Street, the chair came with us. Never again did it hold a phone. It served many functions and held a variety of stuff over the decades. It made the trek across country with us. In our recent downsizing and reorganizing, it didn't make the cut. It's time for the chair to be part of someone else's home. We gave it away. 

I know it's only a piece of furniture. But it's something that's been in my life for more than 40 years. That's a long time. 

Transitions

Kirkland used to be a town full of people who worked in the shipyards on Lake Washington and other such industries. They lived in small homes like the one to the left in this picture. The jobs in the area have changed greatly since those days. So have the houses. 

The small places are being torn down and replaced by larger structures. These houses are just a few blocks from Lake Washington. The two story new place will likely have a wonderful view of the lake and Olympic Mountains.