Sigh.....

I have been neglectful in my postings for more than a month. Many times I thought of entries, but just never got around to it. The truth is, I am wiped out and a little melancholy. I have been standing outside on the deck with Goliath today, just looking around at all the beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowers Matt and I have taken care of these several years and it makes me a little sad. The reason -- we are moving. At the end of April, someone made an offer on our house and we quickly found a new place to live that will be more suitable for us. The first week of July we will be moving into our condo in Dublin, located about 3 miles from my parents. I am excited for the change and look forward to many things. We won't have to worry about mowing the yard, getting the siding replaced after a nasty storm, and no more figuring out what I am going to do with the deck. I will be able to walk to work every day, even though Matt is concerned about what I will do in foul weather. I assured him that for 4 years I walked myself around campus at Akron in some of the worst weather I have ever experienced. We will be moving into a smaller space (so that means less energy for heating and cooling), there is a small stand of woods and a creek behind us (for wildlife to explore), and for the first time, we will have a dining room. I have spent so much time packing, going to inspections, setting up a new loan, and arranging for the movers, that I haven't taken any time to look around. We are leaving the first house we ever purchased. Here is where I watch the geese on the pond behind us, and where I wait anxiously for the hummingbirds to return each year to the honeysuckle over the deck. This is also the place I have celebrated holidays, birthdays, and the arrival of a little puppy that would change our lives. It is just walls and carpet, but it is my memories that I now have to pack up. I know that the most important things are going with me and wherever Matt and Goliath are, I am home. Maybe it is the muscle I pulled in my back yesterday, but the whole thing is making me weepy. Yet, I have a new chapter ahead, and I am looking forward to what comes next.