One Home

After hiring movers to bring the majority of our belongings to the new home, we were amazed at how overloaded the truck felt as we pulled away from Dogpatch earlier this week.  Things needed to exist in the house on the mountain had been left behind with the knowledge that we would return for a couple of weeks to finish local business and await closing on the sale. Other things still in the house were destined for charity and scheduled to be picked up the day before closing.  The plan was made and seemed workable.  It was NOT.  Luckily Mountain Girl had not planned to make her move to the house until middle of next month, and she agreed to let us "store" a few odd things in a cabinet and couple of shelves in the basement.

The next stop was in the Arkansas capitol to check into a hotel for the night.  Ol' Abner had a colonoscopy scheduled and had been on clear liquids for the entire day.  We were grateful for covered secure parking for our overburdened vehicle to overnight.  A well run endoscopy clinic provided early morning coffee for me and something a little stronger for Ol' Abner.  Two polyps were removed and an admonition to return in five years was added as we made our way out of town.  An early lunch at Brown's Country Restaurant for one last indulgence in fried green tomatoes and other delicious treats, and we were finally Texas bound.

Two days later, we are finally feeling like we can breathe.  I always thought it would be nice to have two homes in different places.  It is now evident that I need one place to sink my roots.  As much as we hated to give up our sense of home on the mountain, these hills feel like home already.

The men in the neighborhood are forming a cheering section for Ol' Abner to get his "manly garage" built, and  son and daughter in law are ever near and helpful.  I've made shopping plans with one neighbor and Ol' Abner accompanied me on my trek yesterday to find new winter boots.  It's good to have great places to shop nearby.  Its also nice to know we can return to Dogpatch for a visit when the urge strikes!

Mountain Views and Visits

We have so many good friends in Dogpatch and the mountains around.  Events of the last few weeks have kept us ever aware of these friendships.  So many have offered to help load and move heavy items from the house.  Others have offered to come help us pack while some have stopped in to keep us company as we filled the boxes.  Gatherings have been hosted and it's been so nice to visit in the midst of this chaos.

Mountain Girl's Log Cabin

View from Mountain Girl's Kitchen

Mountain Girl invited us along with several friends and neighbors to her beautiful home on Pine Mountan.   We indulged in grilled goodies and  luscious beverages.  It was a delightful afternoon to relax and enjoy the views of the woods and water while laughing with  friends.  It was my birthday and cheesecake was the dessert of the day.  Of course she sent me home with copious leftovers.  We will make more friends in Texas, but the bonds forged in these mountains will always be with us.

In or Out

It would seem our days in Dogpatch are truly numbered.  A call yesterday confirmed a closing date to transfer home ownership to the new owner.  Most of the furniture has been picked up and taken to new homes.  As I sit here this morning in the quiet house, the view is pretty stark.  Empty walls and ever more sparsely furnished rooms are giving that empty-house-echo.   We are clearly on our way out of here.

Ol' Abner was to have finished his dental restoration next Thursday.  After two prosthodontists have bailed from the Veterans Administration clinic, that final step was delayed again.  He has now been "outsourced" and they have asked him not to transfer his medical care to Texas until the process (well into its third year) can be completed.  The private dentist has been given a deadline sometime in mid-November to finish the construction of nine more crowns or caps.  Concern was voiced that a move to Texas for the care would require that another dental lab prepare the crowns.  Sometimes, they tell us, the results are not a good match and less aesthetically pleasing.  Apparently this lengthy process has alerted high level providers of care.  He has been called by administrators in North Little Rock and San Antonio.  Appointments scheduled in Texas have been cancelled to allow the "tooth fairy" to revive his mouth.

So what's the big deal?  It means he will have to come back to Little Rock at least three more times in the next couple of months.  Other diagnostic tests due will necessarily be performed in Little Rock, and he will have to continue to receive his oxygen refills through the Arkansas vendor!  All his prescriptions will still come to the address in Dogpatch.  We thought we were on our way out!

Melancholy

With a touch of sadness we finish packing the unmoved items in the house in Dogpatch.  Most of the things left here will go to new owners or off to charity.  I kept most of my cooking pans and utensils in the kitchen in order to finish off the food in the freezer.  That has made for a grumpy old man around here.  I had a dozen or so chicken breasts, a couple of salmon filets and lots of frozen vegetables.  He lumps all three categories as food-of-last-resort, just before starvation.  Yesterday he ventured out and called from the grocery store to see what else I might need to fill in with bread and milk.  I suggested he bring back some yogurt, he brought home hot dogs!  This afternoon he made a special trip to the neighboring town to purchase a bake at home pizza.  I really thought it was a good idea to keep the pots and pans here for cooking, but they are being sadly neglected.

In the basement, Christmas decorations and gift wrap are being sorted for travel, donation, or discarding.  I have found little need in the past couple of years for copious amounts of gift wrap and package decor.  Tiny little remembrances for friends are often delivered in a pretty basket or special bag made to compliment the gift.  Children and grandchildren are not insulted with monetary gifts and usually only receive a couple of little cheerily wrapped packages.  It seems rather silly to haul thirty or forty rolls of paper and all sorts of ribbon.  I will continue to indulge my home in Christmas trees and all the trappings of holiday decor. The favorites have found resident storage spots in Texas.