The Pick Up -Truck

All winter I mentioned  to my son that when he came for a visit, he should fly out and rent a large truck and take lots of stuff back with him. He had to drive one of those when he moved his things back to Arizona and it wasn’t fun. It was January, cold and lots of snow and ice all the way. It’s summer now, almost.

All 3 lilac bushes in the memory garden are blooming.

Does he listen to his mom? Not usually. I was hoping he would wait another month to come out until I was a little more rested and ready for the chores and clearing I was preparing to get done. Instead, they show up two days after I get back home from my trip visiting them driving the father-in-law’s pickup truck. I was absolutely certain that everything I had for him to take home would not fit.

They came to work. Tools in the back taking up valuable space but they came in handy. I had a list of big and little jobs for getting this place inspection ready and for the future sale when that should need to happen.

New laptop came unhinged

Tech Support saving the day…again.

 

They worked hard each day completing projects that I had asked to be done and many that popped up out of current need.

Because my daughter is now living in the room they usually slept in, we had to make adjustments. I gave them my queen bed and tried the air-mattress in the sewing room floor. Didn’t do it for me so we tried to put it in the den and moved out the TV into the living room.

They had to be emptied to move.

He had to get the wiring right for the TV

This had to be unloaded too. So I dusted really good.

He turned one bookcase sideways without unloading. Scary

All the books had to be moved. I slept in there a night and it was slightly better. Mentioning it to my sister, she suggested we come get the full-size bed she wasn’t using. After the hour drive to her house, the kids did a good job of getting it down her stairs, into her open bed truck, then set up in my den. I now have a guest room again. I slept very nicely the rest the two weeks they were here. We had a giant inside shuffle.

Does it have enough air?

It feels ok now.

Very comfy guest bed in the den now.

My son trimmed the shims under the master bedroom toilet and caulked it, replaced the flimsy skirting we had originally put around the new raised deck after the fire and hauled all the wood out from under the deck. It had to go. They pressure washed the old deck wood and cut it to fit in the truck. Then we went to the shed and got four large boxes of Dept 56 village pieces, several boxes of Christmas ornaments and trims, a space heater, pictures and knick knacks that would eventually be his anyway. He took books and anything else I could give him. If he didn’t take it, I threatened it would be sold in the yard sale.

They work as a team.

wood drying out after a good wash. Under the deck was muddy and buggy. Yuk.

 

They also arranged several contractors to come look at my carport to see about repairing it. It’s leaked since I moved in and I can’t sell it like that. The main roof has to wait…indefinitely. It’s not leaking yet.

A bribe for one of the contractors. His two sons are my step great grandsons. Long story.

They wouldn’t let me pay them so I took them to my new favorite place for breakfast.

In SE Portland, Hawthorne street is an eclectic, artistic area where hippy and creative types hang out.  They have great shopping and fun little restaurants. Not a chain to be seen. So, it was breakfast at Bread & Ink for all with my sister joining us. My sister and niece introduced me to this sweet, busy restaurant. Breakfast was my daughter’s contribution because she was always at work. We love the atmosphere and the food. Here is the link to the history of this wonderful little place. They stand for an hour to get a table on weekends. https://www.southeastexaminer.com/2016/01/bread-and-ink-cafe/

Their special bread for French toast and bananas/whipped cream

Best waffles ever and I shared.

Scone and Jam are made here.

Egg scramble

crab omelette and cheesy polenta

Niece’s idea of a balanced meal. Giving it 2 thumbs up

Some of the ink drawings

More of the ink drawings

Ink drawings on envelopes. No longer allowed

Then came the stuffing of the truck. My DIL is quite skilled at fitting 40 pounds of stuff in a two-pound bag. Son took a large portion of what I had set out but there will be more. The truck needed to be a bit bigger.

How do you deal with the unexpected and are you good at stuffing?

Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change. — Jim Rohn

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself