The time is drawing nigh...

Good Grief! (what the heck does that mean, anyway???) Time is flying by so fast that my hair is perpetually having a bad day from the breeze! The Thanksgiving guests have all gone home, after a very fun, happy time. It was so good to have our loved ones from various places in Alaska with us for the holiday. I did NOT over-eat, in spite of Judy's Mud Pie and Key Lime Pie. The boys had a party on Saturday night, and once they started playing Rock Band, I took Judy, Jan and Ed--with Vince's blessing, of course--and went to Barnes & Noble. I love that place: hot beverages, comfy chairs by a roaring fire, and thousands of books. My idea of Heaven on Earth! Today is the first "No Company" day, and I woke up with a muscle spasm in my neck/shoulder so bad that I couldn't even drive Noah and Sophia to preschool. You know it must be bad if I passed up a NO KIDS day! So, not much accomplished today, again. Dang-it! I did do a couple of things, I guess. My dining table (HUGE table) is becoming covered with stuff for my Give-Away (kind of like a Pow Wow or Potlatch). I need to call and email everyone and let them know to come before Monday and carry away what they want. There are lots of pots and pans and kitchen implements. There will be books, linens, and home decor stuff, too. We packed up a two large rubbermaid containers of movies (VCR tapes) and books, and the Odhners checked them as luggage to take to their tiny library in Moose Pass. That was gratifying. Judy helped me go through some of the kitchen, too, so the weekend wasn't unproductive! Tomorrow I take the Armada to be detailed (hooray!!!), the three little kids to the dentist, and Ephraim to see his birth mom and half sister. Thursday the kids have preschool, I will take the Armada to the place to be shipped to Germany, and the moving company comes at 3:00 to do a walk-through, and at 3:30 the storage company comes to do an inventory of their own. Friday, I am making all the kids (and myself) pack duffel bags with everything needed for the next three months or so! Last night I packed all the Christmas presents in a big, red, hard-sided suitcase. I sure hope it doesn't get lost!!! Saturday I have my very last afternoon with my Threads in Motion quilting group, and I'm sure to bawl like a baby. Next week the packers/movers will be here packing/moving on Monday through Wednesday, and the storage people on Friday and Saturday. I imagine we'll be staying in a hotel or something until we leave on the 17th. Whew! Can't wait for that plane ride! Auf weidersehen, Andrea