Hindsights and insights - moving to Clarksville

Moving across country at 30 something with 2 kids was much easier than moving across country at 50 something with 2 dogs. The dogs had nothing to do with it being harder. So I guess me being older was the hang-up? :-)

It is possible to find a new hair dresser who can do a nice job with my hair, however, she will never really replace my friend Jodi. There is just something special about going to Jodi.

I had a roommate most of the first 2 months I lived here. While I like the freedoms that living alone has, meals are much more enjoyable (and delicious!) when there is someone to share them with. Besides, magically the house gets clean. That NEVER happens by magic when it is just me!

It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks - the house came with a grill. I learned to use it and it is fun and easy!!

Just because the house has 300 square feet more than what I moved from does not mean everything will fit nicely. Shapes of rooms and storage areas make a huge difference. The joys of change!

Having a garage is a nice as I thought it would be! Now that is a joy of change!

I went from one dream job to another dream job. However, the job I left was truly a dream while the job I came to was a dream of the nightmare variety. Thankfully that has gotten better! - but it will never be the dream I had in good old ABQ.

I have always heard pastors use family members in sermon illustrations, but I have not been accustomed to being the family in the sermon illustrations - until my son became my pastor!

I had no idea how beautiful Tennessee is. And though there is much about life in ABQ that I miss, for me, the beauty of the desert does not hold a candle to the beauty of grass and trees and real seasons!

I left long time friends to be near family. I love being near family. I miss my dear friends much more than I realized I would. I guess it is a joy gained and a loss encountered. Somehow they balance out? Not all the time.

If you are counting calories to get ready for your daughter’s wedding, you can get creative if you work at it. I discovered such tricks as how to make a small serving of egg nog equal a fresh peach! :-)

Contra dancing and country dancing are not the same thing but both are a lot of fun.

Picking up dog poop out of the grass is a chore. Picking up rained on dog poop out of the grass is nasty! Picking up frozen dog poop out of the grass is not so bad.

Traditions move too! Oreo and candy corn turkeys were once again on our Thanksgiving table. Cranberry banana marmalade made its 25th annual appearance. Can’t believe Kara was 7 months old the first time I made it. We don’t know how to do Christmas without it. A jar even went to Brazil this Christmas for Kara’s soon to be in-laws!

I always thought I had a great sense of adventure. What I discovered in this move is that short term adventures in a lot of ways are much easier to enjoy than long term adventures. Traveling for a week or a few is a whole different thing than moving permanently. There is no going back home to routine. Now that the deed is done I really can not go back to life as I knew it. It was harder than I realized it would be to learn everything over. And just because a store says ‘Wal-Mart’ or ‘Lowes’, does not mean it is laid out like the Wal-Mart or Lowes that I am accustomed to. Ah the joys of change!

Just because you buy a cute, nearly new house with a pretty kitchen does not mean that there will be ANY drawers in the kitchen! I did not know until I moved in that a kitchen could exist without drawers - but I have learned to cope! More joys of change!

I am glad that God promises never to leave me or forsake me. His Book remains my constant companion and I draw strength from Him for every day. He has given me joy and beauty here in Clarksville and in Albuquerque. He has walked with me trials in the past just as He will in the future. I would never want to experience the joys or the difficulties of change without Him. He truly uses each experience to help me become more of who He wants me to be.

It is looking like a home!

I am not sure how well these photos actually show what I have done, but hopefully it will give you an idea. The only room I have painted is the living room. The rest of the painting will have to wait until after the wedding. I have a dress to sew a zillion beads on and 2 flower girl dresses to make! Anyway, the living room is blue on 3 walls and brushed pearl on one wall. It came out really nice, but is a little hard to see in the photos. I have all my lilac stuff up in my bedroom and bathroom. I have things up on all the walls in every room in the house except in the office/sewing room, which is still a disaster waiting to be unpacked an made right.

As you can see I now have a small fenced area for my boys. I also have a great doggie door too. It is so nice not needing to put them in crates all day. Brutus goes in and out no problem. Buddy paws and paws and paws and finally works up the nerve to go in or out. Thankfully he does it!

It is fun having my own place that I can paint, decorate and do doggie doors and fences the way I want!

Fun with my girls!

I was not on call this weekend so asked if the girls could spend the night with me. They came over at 6pm on Friday and I took they home about 24 hours later. We had such fun! Emery is posing by the tree in my yard that we spotted after our walk. We decided it looks perfect for decorating at Christmastime. We also went to SweetBerry for frozen yogurt after dinner. On Sat morning Em helped me make banana bread. Emery's job was to peel and mash the bananas. I happened to catch the shocked look on her face when she accidentally dropped both the peel AND the banana in the trash! We unpacked the box of toys that I moved out here. She had such fun recounting memories as she pulled things out of the box! Glad I let her do the unpacking. Being around my little girls is sure fun!

Emery

Last night Debbie & Greg Rockhold had me and the rest of the Miller clan over for dinner. Emery greeted me at the door with a huge hug and 'I drew a picture for you Gramma!'.

She explained the two drawings. On the left is 'a picture of the Gram Debbie that used to live in Albuquerque'. On the right is 'a picture of the Gram Debbie that used to live in Colorado.' 'On the other side I drew a rainbow for you!'

Yes, it is already fun living near Emery and Adalyn!

Made it!

I got to Nashville about 4:30 this afternoon. It was easy to find Donna's place with my phone. We went to the mall just so I could walk since I have been sitting for 2 days (and the mall because it was too hot to walk outside). Had tacos for dinner at her place and then took a driving tour of what is near her place including where her classes will be.

Tomorrow we will do breakfast together at a famous pancake restaurant near here. Then off to Clarksville. Donna will come too. We will have lunch with Jenn and the girls and get to see my place. Jenn has my keys and garage door opener.

Yay!!

Sent from my iPhone

A long day driving

Here are a few pics from my day and a little recap. I left ABQ about 8am and arrived at my hotel about 9:30pm (10:30 AR time).

Brutus cried almost the whole way to Amarillo, TX. After that he would make it about 90 miles past a walking break and start crying again. Once we hit OK City I guess he gave up. No more crying, just happy when we got out. Buddy was fine in his crate all day. And of course happy for walks too.

The abandoned gas station is one place I stopped for Brutus. I thought he was desperate to poop or something. He only wanted out. So no more emergency stops. I picked places like 'Love's' the rest of the day.

I ate jerky and dried apples and a couple cookies throughout the day. It was much too hot to go in somewhere to eat and leave the dogs in the car. Got something to drink each time I gassed up. That worked out well.

I made it all the way to Russlleville, AR by 9:30 MST. I drove just under 800 miles today. That leaves just over 400 miles for Sunday. So I will sleep until I wake up and enjoy a free breakfast, then hit the road bound for Nashville and Donna's place!

As you can see I have my air mattress set up on top of the bed I rented for the night. It is nearly midnight here in AR. So I am off to sleep!

Leaving

Just turned in my key. This is officially not my home any more! Tennessee here we come! (Brutus is crying in the back seat!) he will have to get used to being in the crate the next couple days. We went for a walk before I put him in there. First stop coffee to drink with my protein bar. Then I am on my way!