My sister, BARB, at A Chelsea Morning, asks "what is the one thing you will miss most about Pennsylvania and especially your town, when you leave (and you can't say Leslie).

Even now, 1 1/2 years ahead, it physically hurts inside to think of moving away from Leslie and her family. If I think about it too long I start to cry. She and I have talked about it many times. I think we're both slowly working through / toward it. It will be painful, and I dread it. Still, I know it's what we're supposed to do. (Silly me, I'm getting weepy even typing about it...) so we'll move on. Barb didn't give me that as a choice anyway.

I've moved 31 times in 52 years. 24 of them were in the same state, pretty much the same town. Don and I have moved 5 times in our married life, to five different states (never within the same town.) We never knew anyone going in, no family nearby, so we always started over. He would go to work, and I'd settle the house and the kids, then begin to get situated myself - make friends, get involved in a church, etc. We've lived in this house for almost 12 years, it'll be 13 by the time we tell it goodbye. I don't love everything about it, and I am not crazy about the long, grey winters here. This house represents 'home' to Don, me and especially our three kids and grandchildren more than anywhere else we've lived. When I go to the grocery store I see friends, familiar faces. At our church of 1500 we probably know, on a first name basis, at least 500 people. There are two groups of girlfriends - one is a circle of friends - we get together regularly for coffee, lunches, etc. and there's my quilting group - we meet weekly in each other's homes. I've grown to care deeply for each of these women. It takes years to grow friendships with women that go beyond the surface. When we move, I will be at the stage in life to cling to my husband for awhile, while he gets his retirement feet under him. It wouldn't be a good time to have close girlfriends, leaving him alone too much of the time. Still, leaving all that is familiar, familiar in a way I've never had before in my life - will be hard.

Because Leslie and her family will stay here, we're blessed that we'll be traveling back on a regular basis. I'll still be able to have coffee with girlfriends, visit the sewing group, see the trees change color in the fall, spend some time in the snow if I miss that, go to our church for a weekend, and then drive by this big old white house and see what the new owners have changed. I know it's going to be okay with some time.

We have two children and their families who will be about two hours away from where we've chosen to retire. There will be wonderful times together with them. But I'm just like most people - I don't want to open my hand and let go of what I'm holding onto, so I can take what God's waiting to give me. I want it all - all three of our kids and their families living near each other, so we can be together. I know it's not reasonable, or probably even healthy and smart. The unobjective mother in me will always long for it. All my little chicks gathered around...

Life is all about changes, I know if I get too comfortable in my daily life I tend to not need God so much. It's going to be a good thing to start all over, it's just going to feel a bit awkward and scary and maybe a bit sad for awhile.


DIANE at Diane's Place, asked, "If your house was burning and you could only rescue one thing (not a person or pet) what would it be? What possession do you value above all others and why?"

I am not terribly sentimental, and like my sister, Barb, dislike clutter. I tend to give away a lot of things, rather than keep them for a rainy day.

So let's see - the typical - photographs? Good Lord, no! They're in six big boxes and I'd never get out of the house with them. Even if they were scrapbooked I likely wouldn't grab them.

Passports, birth certificates, etc.? They're in a fire-proof safe, we'll get them out of the ashes.

One particular keepsake? I don't really think so. I don't really have anything like that. I'm not really into possessions. Almost anything I have could be replaced.

So one particular item? My daytimer - sits on my kitchen counter all the time, has all our appointments, etc. in it. If our house burned, it would be frustrating enough to deal with replacing everything, so I wouldn't want the added aggravation of trying to know when the next dentist, eye doctor, haircut, etc. was. I'd also know exactly where it was and wouldn't have to go running all over creation trying to find it. I could just grab it off the counter as I scooted out the back door!

If Diane had let me, I would have chosen my cat Miah. The two dogs would run out in a heartbeat but she'd get scared and confused and hide under some bed, so I would have grabbed her. I've had a cat since I was 15 years old, and she's probably the sweetest I've ever had.

Labels: Girl Talk