GRRRRRR!! ;)

**

Not really angry, just flumoxed and overwhelmed by such a huge, dusty job.

I'M MOVING!!

YIPES!!!

These past four years have been years of downsizing . . . . ridding myself of the big, bulky pieces of furniture, replacing them with smaller, more manageable ones. I've sold off lamps, books, even shoes and clothing. Even though I've donated shoes, clothing, linens, knick-knacks, the house keeps getting fuller and fuller. A mystery we never seem to see occurring until we get ready to move. YUCK and YIPES!!!

So far, I've packed 11 boxes of books, four of framed pictures, one of picture albums, and a large box of decorative items, mostly angels for Christmas time and included a few stuffed animals. Now you tell me! Why does a great grandma need stuffed animals? They're not for my grands and great-grands since all are over half-way across the country from me. I've six boxes and bags filled with Christmas decorations, including three trees of differing sizes from 6 feet to a 15" fiber optic.

Now you of large houses might think, 'what's so numerous about that? Well, dear ones, I live in a Hobbit house of 318 sq ft. This is silly. So now I'm moving into an apartment with about 100 sq feet more than I have here. Yippeeeee!!! Now I have more room to stuff more stuff into corners, closets, shelves, behind doors; stuff that I'll probably not look at again until I move yet again. [God forbid!!!]

When you live in a wee house such as mine, packing boxes is a game of chess - pack and hope they can go right back into that space, but in a box or tote this time. Books I can't do that at all. So, the first packed was the bookcase in my bedroom, which I then gave to a neighbor, to make that corner available for stacking books. In order to stack a double stack of books [all redundancies are purposeful, btw, :) ] I had to move my side table sideways - the drawer now opens toward the bed and only about 3 inches at that. My knuckles are scratched, bruised and angry.

The china cabinet glares at me, daring me to empty her possessions - she's only turned loose the angels and smaller knick-knacks. The next stage is either a genius decision or can turn into a disaster. Pack the rest of the stuff and stuff the boxes back on the same glass shelves.

Then there's the black hole of Calcutta known as "THE Closet" - a semi-walk in closet between bedroom and bathroom. I need spelunckers' equipment to brave The Closet; garden tools, potting soil, laundry bags and products, sewing machine, 4-drawer chest filled with bits of fabrics - a whole drawer full of sermon tapes from my San Diego church - emergency birthday and Christmas gifts at the ready when needed, which I promptly forget are there, prompting a quick shopping trip to buy the 'emergency' gift. Summer shorts and tank tops hung between the chest and laundry products, winter throws, Dad's serape,blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, a recliner's slip cover - my living room has jewel tones and green but the slip cover is light blue. Well, you get the idea and THE Closet isn't about to give up its hold on the vacuum cleaner, iron and board, light bulbs both regular and new fangled florescent, four folding tables, too hard to get to so can't use them in the living room - - - - well, you get the idea. THE Closet isn't going to let go - not easily at any rate. Did I tell you,

I HATE MOVING???

The kitchen giggles at its surprise awaiting me. The bathroom defiantly gurgles at any attempt to move one pillowcase from its linen closet....and we won't mention the products under the sink - how about the three mirrors, count them three mirrors hanging on the wall, the sea shells strewn here and there, a kit-kat TP holder, another holder, this one a green glass fish, filled with decorative marbles [how do you pack marbles???] I tell ya' - my Hobbit House hates moving more than I do - it dares me, defies me, glares at me, gurgles at me, all trying to say:

I HATE MOVING!!!!!

(and then there's the UNPACKING!) I give up. HELP!!!!!!!