Scene Change

     Abbey napping on top of the pile Daniel designated to go to Courtney's house.  Does Abbey want to go too, to change houses, or does she just need a scene change for her nap?  "The world's a scene of changes, and to be constant, in Nature is inconstancy."  Abraham Cowley

     We all need a change of scenery every now and then.  I think that's why I love living where we have four seasons.  As a kid, I used to love to change the furniture around in our bedroom.  Today I know many ladies who like to get a new outfit, shoes, purse, etc.  to "make a scene change."

     Maybe the reason why Abbey is always trying out new places to sleep is for a change of scenery.  I look forward to moving to Tennessee for a dramatic change in scenery.  A new house, new yard, new neighborhood, and new adventures is appealing.  But sometimes I have second thoughts about moving so far away from family (children and siblings).

     This is one of the wood boxes Dad made that Dan doesn't want or need anymore, along with a computer bag thrown on top.  I wanted to keep them, so left them sitting, and now it is a favorite napping place for Abbey.












     In this last photo, I think she is mad about me disturbing her rest to take the picture.

     Saturday morning Joe and I worked at more tree trimming.  I had left the higher stuff for him because I can't move the
14 foot ladder by myself.










     Britney did touch up painting in areas that needed it, especially the old garage windows.




     Brian came out to cut our hay.  Notice below how lush my red bud trees are this year.  They have finally had a growth spurt. 




     It was a good day for drying hay and outside work... temps. in the low 70's, warm sun and strong breeze.  Joe left with Courtney for Iowa (To go to a Don McLean concert) and Britney and I focused on inside work.  She de-cluttered and cleaned her bed and bath, while I worked on ours.

     Scene Change:  (Scene I was Daniel's bathroom, staged last week.) 
Scene II:  Our bedroom,  Before and...                After.











     You can kind of see that it is now de-cluttered, but you can't tell how much cleaner the ceiling fan, window blinds, walls, doors, floor, closet and furniture are. 

     The cooler temperature and breeze felt like fall and had the horses revved up.  I like that they are running around, being happy and getting exercise. 



      The cows still preferred to rest in the shade, chewing their cud.  They were not as tormented by the flies because of the wind.

     I worked in the nursery and then went to second service with Britney.  Making a dash for home, I was then in time to join Lisa for a ride.

     The horse campground was quite full and we met lots of other riders on the trails.  Then Lisa and I decided to leave the beaten path and we went looking for a trail that would connect from Moraine View to the nearby stable Courtney might take Zorro to.



     We picked our way through this one area that was full of dead trees.  Roni and Leo did great stepping over all the timber.  We got "stuck" a few times, with no way to proceed forward, so would back them out, turn and go a different route.  It was a lot of fun, a cool area in the woods, and I was
                                                           delighted with Roni's performance.

     Joe was home from Iowa, putting new bedding in the stalls, when I got back.  I tried to accomplish more cleaning, but my heart and head weren't into it, and I was too tired.  At 9pm I went with Britney to our friend's house in SE Bloomington, to let her dog out.  

     At 6am Monday, we went back to our friend's to let Christy out for a run.  Then I went to Water Lilies, taking more peaches.  I worked here at my desk much of the rest of the morning.  I went out to talk with Steve, who came before noon to drop off horse feed, then Brain, who came to rake hay.  As he worked, Angie arrived to drop off one of her hay wagons and we chatted for quite awhile too.  Britney and I watched a Love It or List It episode on TV during lunch.  With new motivation and energy, I went back to cleaning and de-cluttering.

     Carol reminded me of this article I put on my Blog last October. 
8 Weeks to a Less Cluttered Home
Too bad I hadn't started the process back then... awhhh hindsite.

     After sorting out un-wanted stuff from closets and shelves, Britney and I loaded it all in my car.  (It was a car load!)  We had taken a load to the thrift shop last week, now it was going to go to the NCHS band's giant garage sale.  We like to support the kids' alma mater and my old work place. 

     Brian arrived just after 4pm to start baling hay.  Rain was expected to arrive overnight.  He kept having equipment problems, and I wondered if he was going to be able to finish. 

     Joe soon got home and started mowing.  Then Britney and I left to go feed Christy and give her a potty break. 


     From our friends house, I dropped Britney off at the park to run with the club and I went on to the high school.  They were delighted to get my car load of stuff for their garage sale.  After shopping, picking up Britney and returning home, I did some more cleaning. 

     A gentle rain was falling Tuesday when I got up before 5am.  It was still very dark out... and I realized how quickly our days are starting to shorten again.  The sunrise was pretty, but indicated more rain to come.  This was a good thing for the newly cut pasture and it would also help me to stick to the house where the most work was needed.

     It was a light and gentle rain all day long.  I got a lot more house cleaning done.  Scene III... Britney finished her bathroom, left photo.  It was not near as bad as Daniel's, but still a ton of work.  When Joe got home from work, we sorted through books, DVD's, and winter wear.  We also packed up all the VCR tapes to go to Good Will.

     My car was in the shop and Britney used the SUV Wednesday morning to go into B/N to run, so I skipped Water Lilies.  I got working on the house extra early.  Our bathroom was the main focus.  I spent almost two hours scrubbing the jacuzzi tub.  Our sinks needed plenty of elbow grease too and all the lights over them were quite dusty.  I left our shower for Joe to scrub... Scene III basically completed. 

       It was overcast much of the day and very humid from the fog or mist or whatever it was.  In this photo, Hercules was resting while six of the hens were foraging.

     Then most of the girls came up
on the deck to preen, "sun bath" and make a mess everywhere. 



     Our insurance man (after golfing with Joe) came by the house and sold Joe an annuity that looked like a pretty good and safe investment.





     We had a crop duster working during the "dinner hour."




     He was spraying the fields to the east and south of us, and would make his turn-around over our farm yard.

     Can you see him in the photo to the right?   I said a little prayer for him, that he wouldn't hit power lines or trees.





     I was also concerned about where his chemicals might be drifting.  Luckily the horses were in the barn and the cows by the corn crib for their evening feeding.


     Britney "slept in" Thursday morning, so we had to hustle to get me to Water Lilies on time.  After a second breakfast, and Britney did some homework, we hit the house work hard.  More de-cluttering, sorting, and stacking... then cleaning.  Britney concentrated on the front porch, even doing some painting, while I worked in the family room and dinning room.
                                                                The garage has become a staging
area for all the out cast stuff.  We have the storage pile, trash pile, give away pile, and needs to be packed for storage pile.  I need to get some boxes to finish packing things up for long term storage.  The difficult items are the large framed pictures.  

INTERMISION:  Britney and I went to the pool for a few hours to sun, swim, read and nap.

     We did get the front porch done, but the rest was still in progress.
Scene IV:  The front porch...   Before                    and After










     Britney and I got my car loaded up again and she headed to town to shop, and to drop more stuff off at the NCHS garage sale.  Once Joe was home, he put the "For Sale by Owner" sign out at the end of the lane. 

     We loaded the horse trailer with the stuff going to storage.  When Britney got home we took the trailer to LeRoy and unloaded everything.






     We had to get a 10x12 unit, because there were no smaller ones available.  Joe kidded Britney that it was her new apartment.

     I had a heck of a time getting to sleep Thursday night.  I was so sore in my back, right shoulder and wrist, I couldn't get comfortable.  So, I woke late Friday morning feeling no more rested.
I opted out of Water Lilies and had a second cup of caffeinated tea.  Britney had packed up all the things she would not need for some time, (to go into storage) and then started on packing for Costa Rica.  Alas, I needed to get back on task in case we should happen to get anyone interested in looking at the house.


     I had gotten a call midmorning about Roni (being for sale).  I hadn't even realized Joe had put the ad out there yet.  I had photos and descriptions I needed to add to it first.  So, I took several hours going through all my old photos, picking out good ones of Roni.  I also found some videos and wrote the description to go in the ad.  I wrote several e-mails sending lots of stuff about Roni to the lady who had called.

     Finally after a late lunch,
I was out of my desk chair and working on cleaning.  Britney and I have been watching "Love It of List It" and I noticed the rooms that were most appealing, were neat, organized, and uncluttered.  So, I removed all the books, VCR tapes and DVDs from the bookcase and reconfigured it.

     I also removed a lot of stuff from the desk and mantle.  Another catch phrase is "Less is more."  When the room is too jumbled with furniture, or the furnishings are too busy with stuff, it is no longer appealing nor does it feel inviting or relaxing.  Maybe I should use this same rule of thumb with my blog posts. :-)  I removed magazines from
the end table and used Murphy's wood soap on the floors and furniture.  It brightens up the dinning room, welcoming you to come sit for awhile.






     I have tried to get the same feeling with the front porch.  The new paint Britney applied has helped this space out... it is neat, clean and inviting.

     Before I was near finished with the next scene change, I was back at my computer giving Joe information and photos, and getting help from Britney to open a Facebook page for our Villhauer Farm sale and horse sale.  To the right is our shower, not yet finished.  The orange is the iron stain.  I worked late into the evening to finish the dinning and family rooms.  Britney's Friday evening Facebook post: "Trying to break the second law of thermodynamics to get this house ready to sell." is sooo true.  I hate that she is finishing her "relaxing" summer vacation this way.  She is so good natured about helping.

     "It's not the destination that matters. It's the change of scene."  Brian Eno.  The whole question of moving, where to go, and what house to buy,
                                                           has been haunting my sleep... as has
selling this place and finding Roni a new home.  Britney will only be here one more week, so we have been embracing the last of our time together, even though much of it has been spent working.  It is strange to think that the next time Britney comes home, it may be to a house in Tennessee.