And we're off...

Farewell for a bit, friends! The packers have everything boxed except the computer, the mattresses, and a large stack of stuffed animals that my six year old had tried to stuff in his backpack.  I passed a limit of only two. When the packers arrived Tuesday morning, we were still groggy from watching fireworks at the beach on the Fourth of July. We were expecting a couple little old ladies, since the company had said they would need three days to pack all of our junk. But five strong men showed up and went immediately to work. They practically had the entire house finished yesterday.  I sent the kids to their rooms to gather everything they would need for our month of travel, and they all burst into tears, as if they didn't realize we were actually leaving until just that minute.  Meanwhile, I had to fly to get everything I needed into the laundry room, too, and then start cranking out clean sheets as fast I as could so they could get packed, and we could deliver our 2 year old washer/dryer to its new home.  (I'm now a fan of Craigslist.)

That all is accomplished, as is the scouring of 2 out of 3 bathrooms and the front room.  It's amazing how dirty everything can get in 2 years. Dust is everywhere. I don't have any illusions of being a great housekeeper, but when I see the size of the dustballs under the couch and all the dirt under the area rug, I feel a little itchy. Or maybe that's allergies.

Unless I get inspired while on vacation, the next posting will come from the other side of the world. Happy summer!