Thanks, Bless! The hand pain IS much better after surgery on both hands, but I still have some weird nerve pain ("Nerves Gone Wild" I call it). Neurologist calls it some sort of auto immune "thing." Haven't gone to Mayo clinic yet to pursue it. If I can stay in this "holding pattern", I'll manage.

So my hands haven't returned to normal & I still have to pull on the gloves to rest them often as they get so painful that I can't touch anything; strangely (not so strangely, according to the neurologist) STRESS seems to make the pain increase & go from my hand up to my shoulders. So it is a new way of learning to live--that delicate balance of enough stimulation w/out making life stressful.

But life seems to add stress on its own, doesn't it?

I am slowly moving to AZ. Every trip I stay about 5 days longer than my husband & have made new friends there. We have a car there now, too, as renting a car was getting very expensive. I'm moving stuff from this house one carry-on suitcase at at time!!!!

That means one pot or one vase, one photo, etc.!! The place is already furnished so don't need to take much of the furniture from this house...

Just want to take a couple pieces & sent a very large painting by one of our favorite artists to our daughter as a housewarming gift for her new condo. It wouldn't work in our smaller place, but the wall here in the dining room sure looks bare! I can go visit it at my daughter's, though. We also sent another painting to our son's new place in San Francisco...

Gave 50 cookbooks away. Goodwill is getting to be a weekly destination.

I had surgery on my right foot on 4/4 & it is taking its sweet time healing so that has been a pain (literally) as I have to use a wheel chair at the airport. But off crutches & just using a cane now the rest of the time. Can't stand or walk for long--but am managing to get along better each day (except for those awful days when I think the surgery was not a success as the pain comes back full force when I don't ice it enough & try to do too much like stand for a couple hours while cooking a full meal & then doing the dishes & then I'm limping around).

So--my posting would be pretty discouraging to read! Can't do very much on my JDI list. Some days it is nil.

My great words of wisdom: DON'T GET OLD!!!--Suzy

Hi Suzy;
It is good to see you here again. Moving to Az! Finally making your way there. You plan things well, and I like your packing one or two things at a time! Smart lady.

Well--not quite moving to AZ YET!! Not for a couple years before my husband is ready to retire! He loves his job & they allow him to do telecommuting from AZ so we can take lots of trips & he doesn't have to count them all as vacation days. But we did have the house built 5 years ago! So I do spend more time there than he does since my pain issues made me quit my job a couple years ago & if I'm going to be in pain, it is a nicer location to suffer in!!

But that is good news because his medical insurance could not cover as much as it does now (even though I have to fight for the coverage I deserve)when he retires, because IF the premiums go up (& how could they not?) we would have to pay the difference. In other words we would have to pay the difference in the cost of the insurance when it goes up when he retires. Right now his company pays for all the insurance coverage.

But, thanks for the nice greeting!--Very Sincerely, Suzy

And w/my numerous weird medical issues popping up--insurance is very important...

Bless, thank you for this post. I am here officially 8 years myself, and aside from downsizing to a very small house, I still am in total amazement of how much stuff I still have.

I am constantly tossing, and I am so careful about what comes in here. I have almost given up my favorite pastime of garage saling in fear I will bring "clutter" into the house.

I, too, would have thought by now I would be in a "minimalist" phase of my life! But, it is a heck of a lot better now then when I first moved here.

I am so proud as the "unofficial" GONer mom at how well my ladie do! Congratulations WL on 8 years, amazing how time flies!
I think I have been here 12 years! Goodness!

We bring things in and out of our homes daily. I stopped going to garage sales, unless there is something specifically that I need, and say to myself, is there really any more you need to bring into the house? My downfall is decorations for seasons, and holidays, but just doing it for myself seems silly, and have also started to lessen that load! I just get bored with looking at the same old things, so if I can change little things and not get carried away like I did previously, I think I can enjoy changes with quite a bit less work, and "STUFF" as George Carlin
use to say! He was right!

Suzy:
Jut getting to AZ in the winter is a blessing! Glad you are able to have both houses! Yes I agree, the insurance will go up, and hopefully cover your needs.

Suzy: So sorry to hear that you are still in pain. Hope it gets better soon. Don't get stressed!

Waterlady, I gave up garage/yard saling, myself, about 6 years ago! I no longer buy books, decorative items, etc. But I tend to keep what I do already have and that is my problem!

It's time for another round of decluttering. Expect to hear a lot of whining...