Saying good-bye to our Monroe Home

How does one say good-bye to their home?  By thinking about the people who will move in and making the home sparkle for the new family.  As I washed the floor boards in a closet, Eddie the mover told me he had never seen anyone do what I was doing, "...and I've been doing this job for 23 years,"  he said.  I shrugged my shoulders and said, "This is the only way I know how to leave a house."  Eddie and his crew worked hard to get our things in its proper place:  Monday they packed and marked where all the things were going;  Tuesday, the crate for air cargo was packed with room to spare;  Wednesday, the sea container was packed, again with room to spare.  Jacob and I worked to free ourselves of "stuff."  Between us we gave about 150 books to the Monroe public library.  We gave about 10 pieces of furniture to Goodwill and to a place in Bridgeport that warehouses furniture to be distributed to people who have lost their furniture to fire.  Thursday, the things to be stored went into another truck, and that wasn't much either.  We had to think are we really going to want this after 3-4 years?  On Friday Jacob took charge of sweeping the basement; he had done a beautiful job cleaning it weeks beforehand.  I had cleaned the garage weeks before so all Jacob needed to do was give it a good sweeping.  Today, Saturday, we took things to the dump and said good-bye to our neighbors, Jimmy and Cindy.  Now I am sitting in bed at the Doubletree Inn, writing this and sort-of-kind-of watching Ohio State vs. Penn State, two teams who have had their share of coach problems.  Tomorrow, we are going to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, a show I have always wanted to see since I was in high school. After a very hectic week, The Rockettes Christmas Show is the perfect show to see. On Monday, Jacob takes a short trip to Wilmington while I stick around doing last minute errands including handing over my Matrix to a couple who have agreed to buy it.  They also bought our really nice, heavy duty snow blower one week before the horrible snow storm.  We thought we wouldn't need it!  But Mike the snow plow guy came through for us.  We were in the 5% of Monroe residents who had power during that storm.  We were very fortunate because we had to leave for Sao Paulo that Monday, October 31.  This Tuesday Jacob and I fly in different directions.  I will spend Thanksgiving with my mom, brother and sis-in-law in Phoenix, and with my sister Lynn and bro-in-law who are flying into Phoenix from Salt Lake City.  On December 5, I fly to San Jose, California, to spend December with my daughter and son-in-law.  Margaret and Bill are due to have a baby boy on December 9 and I am beside myself with joy.  Jacob is going to Houston to spend Thanksgiving with his sister and her family.   He will spend December in Sao Paulo before flying to San Jose for Christmas.  We fly to Sao Paulo on December 28 to begin the new year in our new homeland where we have become permanent residents.  I loved my stay in Connecticut.  It is a beautiful state and really, this part of the world is lovely, especially in the Fall, my favorite season.  Thanksgiving Day is less than a week away and I am very grateful for all the blessings bestowed on Jacob and me, and I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.