Update, pictures and settlement....

I always thought that weekends flew by when I was working and that they were just not long enough.  It does not change when one is retired.  Time flies by during the week and weekend time seems to fly by faster.  At least that is what I have been experiencing.

This weekend was no exception to this rule.

I set an alarm Saturday morning... something that I really dislike doing now that I am retired.  But Sew Much Love was meeting on this Saturday.  It was a working meeting as we were running out of pillowcase kits for the ladies to work on when they come in to sew.  So Patty arrived as did Sheila and Anita.  Beverly was there, too and me.  Patty brought her special cutting setup and Beverly cut out parts and pieces for the Sani-Pad project.  Anita and Sheila, along with Patty's ability to cut pieces quickly put together 57 pillowcase kits, so we are ready for the August meeting. 

I was tasked with going through the 'loaner' sewing machines.  I had given Sew Much Love a couple of my sewing machines that will not be going to Alaska.  So I cleaned them, oiled them, changed needles so they are ready to sew.  Then I went through a couple of machines that had recently been donated.  I cleaned out the lint in the bobbin areas, oiled the rotary hooks, opened up the upper mechanism and oiled the moving parts.  I changed needles, put in a bobbin and ran some test strips through the machine until it was sewing a nice, even stitch.  By the time the day was over, there were 6 working sewing machines that can be lent to ladies who come to sew but have no sewing machines.

I came home, planning to take a nap, but that never happened.  I had things to do and each one seemed to lead to another and before I knew it, the time had come to play Dungeons and Dragons with Rob and Kate and friends in Alaska.  They call me and I can see them on my Amazon Show.  Since they are four hours later than my time (for now) I usually am awake until 2:00 AM which makes for a very short time for sleeping before I had to get to church.

The nice thing is that I have turned over the complete responsibility of the A/V job at church to Laura Wagner.  This weekend she had taken on all of the duties herself.  So... at least I did not have to be totally on my toes.

After church, I gave away some coats.  I had come across some really nice coats that my mother had owned.  (My Dad had brought them to me when he moved to the area after my mother had passed away.)  One was rose colored leather, one was a brightly colored patchwork suede coat, one was a mink stole and one was a mink and leather jacket.  My mother did not get gussied up often, but from time to time she liked to dress well.  And my father saw to it that she had some nice things to wear.  I was not ever going to fit into them... my mother was much more slender than I will ever be, I inherited my father's body type... so I wanted them to go to a good home before I headed to Alaska.  I was NOT going to put them out on the "free table".  So I had taken them to church.  Saturday, Beverly took the suede coat.  She looked beautiful and it will keep her nice and toasty during Pennsylvania winters.  Sunday Parmalle Hershey took the leather and mink jacket.  Sarah Hershey took the rose leather jacket and Laura Wagner swished home with the mink stole.  I am thrilled to have been able to bless this women with such nice jackets.

I came home to enjoy a visit from my niece and nephew... Nancy (Boylan) Wallace and her husband Jeff.  These folks were related to my late husband, Nancy was Rudy's sister, Marcy's daughter.  They have always included me in Thanksgiving and Easter dinners, even after Rudy died.  They brought lunch up and had planned to dig in and help me with sorting things.  But we ended up just talking and talking and talking.  I think I really just needed that break.

Today I had the car back at Hershey Motors.  They installed the wiring harness so I can now tow things with lights.  BUT, they noticed that the hitch device that I gotten for the car did not have any hardware to hold the spare tire that I will be hauling on the road to Alaska.  I came home to search for anything that might have been in the box, but there had not been any other hardware included, so they are going to come up with a plan B so the tire can be mounted.  I am so lucky to have a shop willing to help me with this issue.

Then I heard from Rob and Kate.  Settlement was today for the Alaska house.  We thought they would be getting keys today.  But it seems that in Alaska, when one buys a house... you go to settlement, sign the papers, pay the money and then you have to wait for the paperwork to be filed overnight and THEN you can get the keys the next day from the realtor.

They did go through the house for a pre-settlement inspection.  They talked to the sellers and got some information from them.  Everything seems to be in order so tomorrow, after they get the keys and the sellers are gone (they are spending tonight in the house) we will be walking through the house to see it empty and bare.  The interesting things they learned today was that the area being used as storage at the top of the stairs in the living room used to be a BIG fish tank that held Piranhas.  Also, whoever originally built the house had phone jacks installed in each and every room.  It was rumored that they might have been drug dealers.  The current sellers certainly were upstanding citizens, so I doubt that stigma still exists.  The sellers also had an offer on the table for the house that they were considering before they got our offer.  But those buyers needed a really quick turnaround to purchase and the sellers liked the fact that we were not in a big hurry and had wiggle room with time frame.

So, tomorrow, we should be able to go through OUR house to see it from a different set of eyes.  EXCITED!!!

Today was laundry day, stripping my bed, washing clothes, etc.  I did get downstairs to get pictures of the progress that has been made in the sewing room.  I will post the before picture again and then the current condition.  Still lots to do, but making progress feels really good.  Thanks, Patches.  You have no idea how your assistance has helped me physically and mentally!

Before.. the picture Rob took for the movers in June...

From the same direction today...

Area at the front of the room where you can see flooring...

Area next to basement fridge where nothing is stacked anymore...

Miles waiting at the top of the stairs whenever I am down in the basement...

And so, you on the same page.  I am folding laundry, making my bed so I can sleep tonight and getting ready to make something for dinner.  I hope your day has been a productive as my day...