Home Sweet Home

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I have moved. It has been heart wrenching and exciting in equal measure. The senior living place I have moved to is lovely and so are the people I’ve met, staff and residents alike. Kudos to my nephew whose unfailing care and concern have made this difficult move manageable.

Kudos as well to Zen Movers, a moving company located in Santa Fe. The team members were absolute angels. The three young men who did the actual moving were careful, kind, and professional.

And thanks to the couple coordinating the estate sale. I appreciate their expertise and willingness to take on the arduous task of organizing decades of accumulated stuff and finding buyers who can make new memories with what was left behind.

The difficult thing about moving, aside from the emotional toll that is unavoidable for most of us, the toughest decisions come from deciding what to take and what to leave behind. I’m not much of a ‘thing’ person so this is less of a problem for me than for most. When I board the train for Heaven, be it tomorrow or a decade from now (or more 😊), I don’t want to leave non-functional stuff for others to get rid of. You won’t find a storage unit full of oddities anywhere with my name on it. The functional items I brought with me create a homey, creative atmosphere where I can write, dabble in painting, and read.

I also hope to do a little entertaining as a means of getting to know my neighbors. I recognize faces, but names are still golden nuggets of knowledge beyond my ability to capture.

I am mostly unpacked, but much remains to be done, like hanging paintings and family photos. Therein lie the memories.

A SUNDAY REFLECTION

The scene outside my window
is not of deer and elk
like it was on the home place,
instead I see apartments
in neat New Mexico colors
and southwest styles.
And oddly, it makes me smile.

Traffic is a constant stream
all hours of the day and night,
unlike my little hometown
where you can get anywhere
in ten minutes or less.
But there’s no place I need to be
or anything in particular I want to see.

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13 thoughts on “Home Sweet Home”

  1. Hi Sharon… thank you for including me in your update. So happy to hear you are settling in and starting to feel “at home”… I took to heart your line about not being a “thing” person. Kudos to you for that! I come from a line of collectors and sadly have followed suit! You may recall that my parents were antique dealers and had a house full of antiques. Interestingly, when my mother died at 104 she pleaded with us not to sell her stuff. It was impossible to keep all her “things” when we already had full homes and most of what she valued was not of interest to us… I’m sure the same will happen with all my “treasured” collections that to someone else will have no interest! If you are able to, please send me an article you sent sometime back about the beauty of doing nothing. I thought I had saved it, but have looked and looked. The idea of doing nothing and not feeling guilty is becoming more and more desirable! Hope you continue to settle in and relish your new surroundings. We adapt, don’t we? What choice do we have? Best of everything to you, sister! Lovingly, Martha
    Sent from my iPad

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  2. I love your balcony and sunset view!!! You were missed today. So lovely you saved the things that are functional and make for a comforting home. I admire you greatly. I would be interested to know who carried out your estate sale, also from Santa Fe? I’m very glad to hear you’re among good company. Love, Freya

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    1. As soon as I get a few watercolors done, I’ll send photos and maybe even write about the experience. I missed being there. Writing group always inspired me to write even when I didn’t feel like it. Most important, it connected me with the work of others. I’ll email you my address and if you’re ever up this way, perhaps we can get together.

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  4. Thank you for letting us know where and how you are. It’s difficult for me to imagine you anywhere else. I’m missing you. Will you be in touch through this web site only? Can you email me please. Patti Romero

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  5. what is your new address. I’m happy that you have made the decision and like/love the new place. Having started anew in CA I am happy we made the decision. tho miss the comfort of old friends. Hugs

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    1. I will email you the address. It’s a wee bit scary to move away from everything familiar but… it’s also fun to make new friends and new memories.

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  6. Hi Sharon,

    I enjoyed reading your article and I am happy for you that you made a big decision to move. I completely understand how stressful it can be to downsize and decide what to keep and what to get rid of or sell. It took me awhile to get used to smaller quarters but we are happy where we are and glad we made the move when we did. Are you in Santa Fe? Please keep in touch and relax and enjoy your new home.

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    1. Great to hear from you! I do so much miss your wit and charm. I’m actually in Rio Rancho. I will email the address if you like.

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      1. Great ! I will be happy to hear from you and how you are doing. Carole Goyner is in the process of moving as well. She will be living in Austin, Tx. near her family.

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