starting to settle in

I am starting to "settle in" to my new home.

I still have unpacking to do. The most visible of that is that I have not yet unpacked the "good" dishes that go in the china hutch. That is partly because I was hoping to buy a new dining room suit (table, chairs & hutch) soon and was postponing this to not have to pull them all out again to get rid of the old hutch -- and them put them all back up in the new one. However, I have not found anything yet that I want to purchase. In addition, I had told myself I would not purchase anything that major until after the other house sold, and it has not yet. So, I will likely go ahead and unpack them. (Maybe that will be the catalyst for the house to sell!)

Once the dishes are put away, then it will be time to focus on all the boxes and piles in the various storage areas. THAT could take a while. But, for the first time I can ever recall, I have space enough to get things organized. Having said that, I now have no real excuse if I do not do so! But those who know me best, know I much prefer things that way.

The curved sidewalk from my driveway to the walkway that runs for the street to my front door is to be repoured next week. I then need to landscape between it and "the wall." I think I will probably put in a crepe myrtle (here they only grow to be a large shrub, not a full-sized tree as they do further south) in the larger "loop" and a smaller shrub, maybe a peony, in the smaller one. I am not sure what else I will put in. Knowing me, a mixture of different types of bulbs. Further relandscaping of the yard (inside courtyard) will likely wait until next year. I am determined to finish the unpacking & straightening this spring & summer. Plus some painting of furniture and other "fix up" projects in the house.

But this house has definitely become "home" and it is fun to have people over. I went to dinner tonight with some friends who had helped me move. They came over afterwards to see what it looked like decorated in something other than "classical boxes." Her mom had dinner with us, so she came by as well. It is always interesting to see the reaction when someone comes for the first time and they start walking through it, because it is so much bigger than it looks from the outside.

I have had conversations with a couple of different folks this past week who know how I grew up and how I lived until I came here. The line from the old commercial that said "You've come a long way, baby!" could not be more true. God has blessed "the work of my hands" and prospered me. I am very grateful and appreciative of all that He has done in my life -- in every area of my life. He is a Wonderful, Loving, Faithful God!