Some Notes On Our New Life

1. There are a lot of bugs out here. And critters. They completely freak me out.
2. I have a 25-yard clothesline and this makes me very, very happy.
3. I don't know how to identify ticks or poison ivy. Apparantly both are living in our backyard.
4. Decks are nice.
5. Everyday I have the thought "What the hell did we do?" several times.
6. Everyday I have the thought "I am so glad we did this" several times.
7. Constantly feeling so conflicted makes me very thirsty.
8. Train whistles are indeed lonesome.
9. As much as I love gardens I don't know if I am cut out to be a gardener. (See number 1).
10. The light! The light! There are so many windows in our house and so much light in here. I feel like we used to live in a coal mine.
11. Mockingbirds in the city imitate car alarms and sirens. Here they just imitate other birds.
12. Having a grill is truly awesome.
13. Yesterday I spent naptime sobbing into my pillow.
14. Our freezer is gigantic.
15. The nearest playground is on the Hudson and has an incredibly beautiful view.
14. The air is so fresh around here sometimes I feel like I am inhaling pure oxygen.
16. My dad and Matthew spent the weekend building a sandbox for Lowell.
17. Our new lawnmower doesn't work. Curse you, Sears!
18. Digital cable with dvr rulez.
19. I love our new kitchen. Okay, I love having a kitchen.
20. How in the hell are you supposed to keep a house clean? It's very time-consuming.
21. We have no furniture. Seriously. All of our furniture (besides our bed) fits in one room. And it's a small house. Crazy.
22. I knew having our own washer and dryer would live up to my fantasies. Soon I am sure I will hate laundry like normal folk but right now I am in heaven.
23. I have no idea how to talk to neighbors.
24. Although we have only moved 60 miles away I sometimes feel like we moved to the moon.
25. Neither Matthew or I are sleeping very well.
26. Lowell is sleeping fine.
27. I still can't believe the house is ours and that now we live here. I keep thinking we're on vacation.
28. Our to-do list is ridiculous. Looking at it makes me want to throw up.
29. Bella is a new dog. I have never seen her so happy. I guess she is a country mouse after all.
30. We finally have room for guests. Soon, I hope we have something for them to sit on.

Comments

[jess]

Sounds like heaven to me. Seriously though, moving is hard. Give it time.

Ticks are teeny and look like a little black beetle. When they are on your dog they have a huge grey sack that sticks out. Totally freaky. I recently learned how to pull them off. We have tons, but our little dogs have never had them. We've had a big dog two months and he has had two. My kids or I have never had one on us. Don't freak out. They love broom (if you have that) and other tall indigenous plants, think deer height.

I hate ticks.

Poison ivy i know nothing of.

[LetterB]

Jess, this helps! Especially psychologically, the irrational fear is making me really wacky. I did find bugguide.net which helped me see what they look like but pretty much gave me nightmares. I can't believe I have turned into such a wimp.

[lea]

"leaves of three, let it be" - I think I remember that from long ago? the leaves are pointy too although I am sure you have already looked it up...as for the ticks, try to wear long pants or at least socks in the yard. we have them all over here.

[wordgirl]

Sheets fresh off of the clothesline smell like heaven. Train sounds are indeed so lonely-sounding. Neighbors should be coming to you, dammit! Where's the welcome wagon? If I lived there, I'd be on your porch with some homemdade bread.

[crazyunclekev]

I read number 30 wrong and said to myself "they are going to sit on their new guests... I should warn Kara" ;-)

Glad things are working out and glad you now are posting again...Kara says straight Vinegar will kill off the poison ivy (and everything else too around it so be careful, but once it is gone you can add some soil and regrow things.) Good luck on that stuff...

[alice]

Except for #15 and #17, I'm right there with you. It's uncanny. Hang in there, and so will I.

[LetterB]

It seems like every plant on god's green earth has three leaves now... Thanks for all the words of encouragement everybody - i really need them.

[Ohio philosopher]

In the words of Homer Simpson, "Leaves of three, let it be. Leaves of four, eat some more". We are inundated with poison ivy here in Ohio, and I've developed a nose for it. In addition to having three leaves, the "side" leaves", looked at individually, are asymmetrical and mirror images of each other, and there's a slightly reddish tint to the stalk, at the peace-sign-shaped junction of the three stems from the above-mentioned three leaves.

The best way to learn is to find a neighbor who is highly allergic. Those people can spot poison ivy from a mile away...

[Feral Mom]

It seems like the pros (grilling, decks, kitchens) are outweighing the cons (bugs, dangerous plants, cleaning). I say, skip the cleaning, and put "grill out on the deck while breathing fresh air" on the list. Then you can cross something off! We did a similar move last year, from big city apartment to house with yard, though it's a rental house with a trench in the middle of it, and it's a pain in the ass to clean. And bugs, too, WTF? But having a guest room to stash the in-laws is priceless. I'm not sure I can go back...

[supa]

Ah, a clothesline! Am so jealous. We have far too much oak canopy for a clothesline to be sensible.

The "what the HELL have I done" fades with time.

Oh, and I agree with Feral Mom -- skip the cleaning, pop open a beer, and enjoy that deck.

[jozet]

House clean?

Bah.

Clutter is the new clean.

[LetterB]

No cleaning? No problem. Did you hear that? Was it a twist-off or a church-key cap? Enjoy the weekend everybody.

[Mignon]

Our neighbor association doesn't allow clotheslines or political signs. Since we're moving I'm going to string up a sign that says "Fight the Fascist (Grank Creek Neighborhood Association) Regime."

Can you tell me where to get some clothespins? An antique store, maybe?

[LetterB]

Mignon - awesome idea. And i found some beautiful clothespins for you:

http://cgi.ebay.com/50-Vintage-Wooden-Clothes-Pins-Clothespins-Lot-40-50s_W0QQitemZ6288028158QQihZ010QQcategoryZ33QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I feel another ebay item obsession coming on... Do you know how many vintage handkerchiefs i own?