The Only Constant Factor in Life is Change

We can all relate!

Have you ever taken one of those life stress tests to tell you how much stress life experiences are giving you? Well, this month, I feel as if I’m in the middle of a challenge to see how many of those I can handle and still stay sane (or as sane as I’ve ever been). 

Steve had done some major renovations on our house this past autumn such as extending our deck, upgrading the countertops in the kitchen and installing an additional cupboard and finishing off the garage. These were in addition to installing an under deck roofing so that the patio and surrounding area stays dry during rain (nice for barbequing in the rain), a fan over the patio and removing some overgrown bushes.

My new motto

It was now my turn. One of my first stressors is getting our house ready to put on the market. Have you ever had to “stage” a house for showing to prospective buyers? The priority as been to de-clutter. I thought that I was the de-clutter queen, but I took on the idea that we would be downsizing considerably in our next move, especially our move to Mexico. Not that we are, but it’s always good to work on that premise. So, in the last two weeks, I’ve been through every closet, drawer, kitchen cupboard, desk drawers, filing cabinets – you name it and it has been cleared of almost everything. There have been lots of trips to charity shops.

My life this month

My next project was to figure out what needs to be done to “enhance” the rooms. I’ve been through each of the rooms with a detailed list to determine what needs to be done. Of course, the first thing is to clear all counter tops, tables, desks – basically, any level surface of almost everything. Next is to make sure that there’s nothing on the floors except for furniture and a rug. This even applies to closets, laundry room and every other room in the house. Closets and cupboards have to be cleared to make it look as if there’s tons of space. The cats have been disrupted by their litter box and feeding stations being moved, but they’ve adapted very well.

The lemons are on my counter

The staging is an interesting concept because while you have to make it look like a “dream show home”, at the same time, you have to make it look “homey”. It’s a fine balance between being squeaky clean and sterile while still lived in, well cared for and loved. That’s where I’ve excelled with list upon list upon list. I’ve been reading loads of e-books, web sites and other materials about staging so Steve has left this up to me.

Because this transition hasn’t been enough of a stressor in my life, I ordered a new SmartPhone so I'm trying to get used to it while having to use it a lot; I’m in the middle of 3 classes, two in nutrition and a Spanish class, and have added various workshops on top of those.

Probably the biggest stressor this past week was that my car’s engine blew up as I was driving back from Baltimore. Black smoke was pouring out from under the hood, and it completely died in the middle of the road. Fortunately, I sensed something was wrong with it just before the black smoke so I had pulled off at the nearest exit, and it died in the middle of the exit ramp. It was fortunate because the motorway is a nightmare of speeding demons who tailgate within a couple of inches. A very nice man stopped and helped me push it off the road and roadside assistance came to my rescue an hour later. It didn’t help that it was below freezing outside so while my car was overheating, my body was completely frozen. Needless to say – the car is totally dead so Steve and I are sharing a car until we can get a second car sourced. 

My Miata looks great - just doesn't run!!

The weather hasn’t helped either. The snow and ice have made it difficult to get around and keep up with appointments and work.

It’s only mid-way through February, and I’m wondering what the next couple of weeks can bring. The house is under “staging” processes, my car has died, Steve’s father in the UK is critically ill and Steve who has been overwhelmed with work is getting over his cold. Oh, and there’s the search for a new temporary home in Texas. And did I mention that I’m getting ready to move to Delaware for work starting next month? Has to get better, right?

I did have a bit of fun last night while taking a flower arranging workshop at Whole Foods. Here’s my completed Valentine’s bouquet that will cheer me up while everything else is in chaos!
 

My Valentine creation