It is getting very close now for our major move from Panorama Drive to Cascade Manor this coming Friday, April 2^nd. It has been a learning, nay a relearning, experience of finding out how much crap we’ve accumulated over 60 years of marriage – Well, maybe just 14 years of living here in Eugene since we moved from our home of 42 years in Berkeley to our home here because we did a similar downsizing for our move here. In taking inventory now of stuff we have to downsize now, obviously we didn’t do a good job back then.

I’ve been serious about my sorting out and packing of just the stuff we’ll be taking with us and have learned a lot about what I’m attached to and what my mind reels with over why we still have some stuff, and why we even got it in the first place – and I’ve been even more rigorous with boxing the stuff we’re taking to St. Vincent de Paul before the final move because we’re getting rid of a ton of stuff – I’ve also learned that packing too early means I come to a situation where I need something I’ve already packed, and now I have to figure out which sealed box I packed it in to avoid having to open 5 boxes to find that one that contains what I now need. There should be a smart phone app that helps one avoid this happening – PLEASE…!

Back some 2 months ago we toured our then prospective apartment, and over the next couple of days we poured over rug samples and wall colors to decide how Cascade Manor was going to refurbish our apartment to our liking in preparation for our moving in. After some struggles deciding, we ended up with a simple beige colored rug, keeping the hardwood floors (it was “left over” from the previous tenant and had a scratch in one corner which CM agreed to touch up), and settled on just 2 off-white colors for the walls. We thought for a New York moment about some wild color for some wall, but couldn’t decide on one that felt like us, so gave up that thought.

Tomorrow we meet with Cascade Manor people, sign final papers, pay the remainder of our buy-in, get the keys to apartment, learn out two parking spots, and check out our new apartment now complete refurbished, and take a tour of the rest of the facilities.

Friday the movers come to Panorama Drive at 9:00 and promised to have it all moved to the apartment easily within the one day, and then it’s kicking back with a glass of Merlot and setting up house in our new apartment.