We packed everything we have and finally ended up making boxes and filling them in the late hours of move day minus 12 hours. I now have a bunch of boxes labled "kitchen/bedroom" in my Lake Placid house! At the last minute when I thought I was finished, we were still filling boxes and filling the car and the truck. It’s a good thing we did that because the mover’s truck was FULL. I say to YOU, "Go NOW and clean out under the sinks." Do you keep old sponges? Do you keep bottles of cleaners with 1 inch of cleaner in the bottom and buy and start using a new one? How many spice containers of your favorite spice, all open, all half used? My car looked like I went to the grocery store and bought EVERYTHING!!!! It’s a good idea to throw it out now as moving day is the wrong time. I threw stuff into plastic bags and loaded my trunk. This was right in hurricane season so I had several large cases of bottled water, lots of beer, and there was a sale on wine so …. We moved a lot of cleaners, beer, and wine! Moving morning was amazing. We hired "The Good Greek" a very professional organization. We saw one guy move furniture that Chuck and I could not budge!!! Chuck pulled out first with the truck and trailer FULL, then the movers jumped in their big "Greek" truck and headed off for Lake Placid. I was last and got to the house as the first items went in from the big truck. i was going to run off to Seabring and get Xfinity parts but I got involved in placement of furniture. When your furniture is wrapped in blankets and plastic… you might ask, "What is that ugly thing?" Finally all was placed… OH boy!!!!! It’s actually not TOO over crowded. (yes it is) Our wonderful helper Sergio came over and while Chuck and I lay prostrate in easy chair and couch, Sergio emptied my car and Chuck’s truck. I could not have lifted a box of kleenex out of the car at that point. Sergio left and promised to return to unload the trailer the next day and he did! Sergio is a high school sophomore of lovely manners and great strength. He wants to join the Coast Guard out of High School. So say a little prayer for Sergio to succeed! Meanwhile, I finally got into the car the next morning and sang my way to Seabring with the windows open! It was so beautiful at 8am. Cool, no traffic!!!! I went to the Xfinity store, Home Depot and Winn Dixie and talked to lots of people and had a great time!!! I bought a Bird Feeder that is squirrel proof and bird seed to attract birdies who live near by! Friend Peter hooked up the TV and internet. No easy task for 72 years average age old folks…. We now have beautiful television and I have to figure out how to work DVR and other 21st century features. We are still dancing and singing although we are a little bent over from the hard work of opening boxes and figuring out where stuff goes. i still haven’t found any socks. I had to confess to some of my friends that I couldn’t find underwear, but that problem has been solved. They were in with Chuck’s boots. Now where might the socks be? I’m going to have to get off this sofa and make dinner. We have a delightful Italian pizzaria really close but we have had it for 3 days in a row…. I might have to do something different or spark a rebellion. Actually we have chicken from Shorty’s bar be que on Bird Road so… I get one more reprieve day!!!!
I went for morning Mass for the first time today at St. James in Lake Placid… It was a beautiful morning Mass with singing and extra prrayer! The Sacristan asked me to be a Eucharistic Minister, giving the Blood of Christ (the concecrated wine), and I realized I have not done that in almost 2 years as I took up full time lectoring at St Timothy. Here there seem to be fewer people (probably the whole of Lake Placid is the size of St Timothy parish!!!). So I will serve with the choir on weekends if they will have me… and serve as lector on Fridays. I also will talk with the Pastor about putting my Catholic books into the chruch library. This is a great opportunity for me to serve in a small community who needs servers! The Sacristan took me over to the office to "sign up" as a new parishoner and I was careful to tell them that this big city girl with lots of talent and experience is "here to serve! not to lead"… What can I do for you? If you ask for this kind of service, people will ask for you to help!!! So, go, walk into a place where you are new and no one knows you (your parish church? a home for aged or chronically ill?) and ask, what can I do for you? The Lord knows exactly what he needs! YOU! God bless you dear readers.