It was a long and arduous fight, lasting many rounds, but today, I am proud to declare victory over the many boxes that we moved to our new home in Virginia. Here’s the final score:
248 cardboard boxes of all shapes, and small to barely-liftable in size–empty
6 tubs–empty
6 milk crates–empty
We moved in on May 20th and I unpacked the last one on August 31st. It would have been sooner, but I found the last one hiding in a corner–underneath more boxes that we are keeping for Sarah. We had some wonderful help and a great deal of support in this endeavor from Marie bringing donuts the day of the move to Alice and Bruce keeping food in their freezer to Leslie who helped me (well, I helped him) take a load of over 100 broken-down boxes to the dump, to the gang who helped unpack the first Sunday we were here, as well as others who helped out in those first couple of weeks.
There are still seven or so boxes in Martha’s closet which I’m not counting because they may be unpacked next week or next decade, and so they don’t really count. There are still some pictures to hang and we’re having a deck put on in October. Even as I write this, the electrician is here installing ceiling fans upstairs. It occurs to me, however, that a house is always a work in progress. After all, there is always something to fix, straighten, add, paint, dust, scrub, remove, or rearrange. A home, however, is a different matter. A home is complete, first, when you feel as though you belong in it, and second, when your friends feel free to stop in and use your bathroom and their way home and end up visiting for an hour or more.
I’m happy to say that our home is complete.
Before . . .
Austin Gisriel 
Yay! Looking forward to visiting with you this weekend!
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Looking forward to having you!
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Congratulations!! Feels good doesn’t it?
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Yes, it does! We’re having an open house on Saturday from 2:00-4:00. Stop by if you can.
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Austin, What an accomplishment for you and the family. Speaking of accomplishments our hometown Evansville Otters begin their playoffs against Joliet tonight at historic Bosse Field. We have 1st 2 games here and close the best of 5 series in Joliet. My CUBS are looking good and Baltimore is in a heated race. Should be interesting baseball up till Oct. 2nd with lots of important games in the very near future. My Dad and I will be cheering the Otters on to a couple of wins tonight and tomorrow night we hope. Another baseball trip is planned for myself, my wife Laurie, daughter Erin and her husband Matt(were at Otter’s game the night you were at Bosse Field-also they just got married this past June. Met at University of Dayton). The final couple in our family attending the final series in Cincinnati between the CUBS and the REDS is my son Drew and his wife Jen. We are ALL CUB fans and are thinking there may be more CUB fans than REDS fans at this series. We are renting a 3 bedroom house about a 20 minute walk from GABP in the Over the Rhine(OTR) district. We are looking forward to some GREAT FAMILY TIME and hopefully a few more CUB’S W’S. May have a cold beverage or two during our trip to the “Queen City”. Enjoy this last month of the regular season and then the month of October things really heat up in the MLB world. And then LOOK OUT for the start of November. May be some chilly weather at World Series time. Have a GREAT DAY!!! GO OTTERS & GO CUBS!!!! Dave
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Thanks, David. You have quite the baseball pilgrimage planned! We’ll be rooting for the Otters. I’ll be happy for you right up until the Cubs face the Orioles in the World Series!! (Can’t say that too loudly as I’m friends with many Nationals fans. I’ll be happy for them, too; under the same circumstances, lol.)
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I love your definition of home, Austin …. so sweet.
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Thanks! The bathroom example actually took place,lol.
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Love the hockey table! Quite an upgrade to the one you had at the house we played at. Feel like playing the Baltimore Clipper fight song now!
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Love the hockey table! Quite an upgrade to the one we played on at your house many years ago. Makes me feel like playing the Baltimore Clipper fight song right now!
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It’s great!
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Sorry, didn’t think the first post went through
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