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Life Throwing Challenges

We bought a new home after being here several years, after living in corporate (furnished) rental, after selling our home in another state (11 hour drive) 2 years ago, and after putting almost all our worldly possessions into storage where they remained those 2 years.

It's our dream retirement home, in a beautiful small town, atop a knoll, with views of the mountains out front and a lovely landscaped yard. One story. A great patio out back. Perfect for downsizing our newly empty nest. Perfect in every way, except that it needs a new a/c unit shortly. In light of that, we bartered with the former owner for the new guest room suite (she had tried to rent the house prior to selling and had beautifully furnished it). So we have the king size bed and head board and the dresser, lamps, table and she left the photos and decorative little boxes. A cute room.

I mention this for a reason.

After living in corporate rental for years, I was so excited to get my own things back, to enjoy and to decorate, to be ME! If you've ever spent any length of time with someone else's things, you'll understand. Moving day was set for September 6, 2012. The moving truck pulled up right on time, 9am sharp.

Then my world came crashing down.

This was the first item off the moving truck. It is the only thing I have of my dad's who died when I was 12 years old.

We halted the move after a few more items came off the truck in the same condition. Sent everything back 11 hours the other direction.

And have been fighting for justice ever since. Living in an almost empty home (we had bought a recliner and rocking chair over the last year or so). We had the guest room bedroom to sleep in. A friend had lent us a dinette set. No carpets, photos, pictures, dressers, tables, lamps...or any of those hundreds of other items that make a house a home.

I had opportunity in November to drive the 11 hours to inspect the goods with an inspector and hygienist sent by the insurance company representing the movers. We were advised to never ever bring anything "soft" or upholstered into our home. All beds, sofas, chairs, rugs, books - all ruined beyond redemption. The hardwood pieces (and we have several antiques) might possibly be cleaned (at great expense).

Two weeks ago, the movers insisted we remove our belongings as they were leasing the building and the lease was running out (or something) so the things are with me here, in storage units.

Before Christmas break, in anticipation of my daughter coming home for a month, a friend brought us a futon and also insisted we borrow the furniture that used to be in her church's foyer. So now we have a sofa, end tables and lamps and area rug. I picked up a coffee table at a local second hand shop.

I am in the process of locating an attorney in our former state (this is proving to be quite difficult) to take our case as the insurance company has denied all claims based on mold/water damage and the owner blames US because this has never happened to him before. Nice, eh? Sigh.

Through all this, I've lost my mojo. Lost my joy. Lost my creativity. Lost my zeal. I've felt like a ghost of my former self. My health has suffered as well, my blood pressure soaring and now being monitored by my physician.

Yesterday, I decided to look at fabric again. Just getting a wee niggling of desire to sew. I had tried to sew in November but ended up ruining a beautiful piece of fabric: I ended up with a perfectly fine vest, but after cutting, realized I had wanted to make a skirt out of that material. Wearing the vest annoys me rather than bringing joy. I realized my thinking is skewed and it would be best to leave well enough alone until I was thinking more clearly.

I think I went into shock.

So, yesterday, I pulled out a piece of fabric and was musing about whether to make a long or short skirt and came here, to my blog, to blog about it and seek suggestions.

When I discovered that my photos had disappeared in my absence. Seeking help on Stitcher's Guild (that wonderful group of sewists), I was able to recreate my header, side bar, and latest post. I'm not sure if I'll take the time to recreate the other posts...maybe I will over time. For now, I'm going to look forward and not back.

In keeping with that, I'm trying to delegate the moldy furniture to mornings only, working to call attorneys, write emails etc, and then walk away from it for the rest of the day. It's hard to do because the empty house is so "in my face" but I need to find peace and health. I need to start swimming again as well, and have been to the pool several times in the last couple of weeks (of course it turned bitterly cold these last two weeks and the thought of being cold and wet has stopped me from keeping a regular schedule).

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we weave through the process. I hope to do some sewing soon, and if I do, I'll keep you posted!

And lest you think all I do is mope, we put up bird feeders the first of the year and have been enjoying our visitors. I took this parting shot yesterday.