Boxed Out

Its been a busy couple of days here and so the blog has been neglected again but I have a good excuse this time.  About a month ago, we decided that it would be best for Gary to go back to Minnesota to pick up our boxes of personal belongings.  When he left Minnesota in April, he had our personal stuff pretty much boxed up but he left it all there.  When he came back to Florida in April there were just too many boxes to fit in his carryon. So he had to make a special trip back to MN to get the stuff.  He left MN last Sunday morning and got back here the next day at midnite.  1825 miles.  


All the while we were living here in Florida, we got along just fine without any of that stuff.  Its amazing what you can live without. I don't know the last time I needed a pair of mittens or wanted to watch a videotape or go thru my high school yearbook.  

So when it all got unloaded, I wanted to cry, I just didn't know where to start, the boxes were multiplying, they were everywhere, we had to crawl over them to get in the house, the garage was full, and our house was already full of stuff.  So I thought the best thing I could do is lay down and take a nap, maybe we would be robbed.  Maybe the dogs would chew everything up and then throwing stuff out would be easy.  But no, I can never catch a break.

Box by box, photo by photo, underpant by underpant, until we finally could get thru the house again.  It was overwhelming and now we just have to rent another truck to get all the boxes of stuff we don't want to Goodwill.  To think all those mittens and stocking caps and parkas might keep an alligator warm.

Some emptied boxes ready to be thrown out. 

Its been 9 years since we last moved so it is not a lifetime of things, we threw things out or sold them or gave them away the last time we moved.  It just makes you wonder why you need all this stuff and even if you did need the stuff you have you probably can't find it. I have new respect for hoarders.  I just don't want to be one.  Margaret

Adele

Moving to Florida has made me realize several things.  I really miss my friends.  When we came down here it was all very exciting and so new, so much to learn, to see, to experience.  With that being said, there is also a comfort in having old friends and I really like to be comfortable.

One of the things I always believed is that true friendships take time, you can't have a history with someone in a few weeks or months or even years.  When we start out liking someone and spending time together, we don't really think about the time, we just have the moments, the good and the bad.  And all those moments make a friendship.

So here I am with no friends and it bothers me, something I keep trying to ignore but it keeps tapping me on the head reminding me that all my friends are a long ways away and I miss them.  Its kinda like air, you don't really miss it til its gone.  I feel like I'm suffocating sometimes. And women need friends, we need to bitch about stuff, mostly men, and we need other women for that.

Then I found Adele. Again.  We have a history, we have had moments, most of them over 30 ago. Back in the mid-1970's, she needed a roommate and I needed a roommate, we never heard of each other before that.  And it worked out.  No expectations, we didn't know each other but little by little we got to like each other and spend time together and we raised hell.  We just had fun.  This was before husbands and babies and serious jobs.  It was all about guys and disco and guys and staying out late and guys and parties.  And it ended almost as fast as it started, we each got married and went our separate ways.  But somewhere along the way, we became friends.

When we started thinking about coming to Florida, I knew Adele was here but not sure where. Thank goodness for Facebook.  I found her, she lives 35 miles away from me now and we have a history.  It has been great fun to catch up, she's easy to be with and we laugh about all the crazy times back in the day.  We can't go back.  But we have the memories. And I'm hoping we can make more.

Boating in Naples  7-7-12 with Adele

So I have a friend.  It makes me happy.  I can never replace my old friends. But I think I have one here.  The tapping on my head is getting lighter.   Margaret