This weekend, after the arrival of the Rabbits and the stay of The Ravishing Mrs. TB for her first time here since we came out here to apartment hunt in March, we set to work on the remainder of the boxes in the apartment. By Sunday evening, all but two - a container of assorted Tupperware that needs a home and office materials that need to know where the office will be to live - had been unpacked.
More of less, we have a home.
My wife is able to go at these things with far more organization and fire than I am. She grabs a box and starts pulling things out one at at time, unwrapping them, and finding at least a temporary home for them. I tend to dither about such things, unwrapping one or two, trying to decide a permanent home (instead of a temporary location), and moving to the next one. Needless to say, one of these methods results in actual results, the other method in a sort of hopeful idea things will eventually all come out.
By the end of the day not only were all but two boxes unpacked, she had managed to join two local groups that post things for pickup and so almost of our remaining boxes and most of the packing paper were recycled for use by other individuals.
Not everything is in its permanent home of course; pictures are lined along the walls and flat space is now at a bit of a premium due to things placed on it. I need to make a trip to IKEA to buy some garage shelves to through up in the laundry room for storage to put the lesser used kitchen items and craft supplies out of the way, as well as to replace the nightstand with the broken leg and the bookcase that was structural unsound - in happy news, those were the only two items that were damaged (along with a small home tool kit that likely was used by the packing crew and then accidently taken home; this has also been submitted on the insurance claim).
I have limited tasks between now and the next visit in early August by The Ravishing Mrs. TB: the replacement furniture, making some space on the level areas, and possibly putting up a picture or two (or maybe not; my placement is never quite on). But it nice to be in a place that is now somewhat complete in possessions and pets.
After all the upheaval you've been through, this must be a relief! It's much more restful for the mind when a place feels like home.
ReplyDeleteLeigh, it is surprising how much better it feels just to have the boxes out, even if things are not all put away yet. We are getting there. My next goal when things settle down by the end of the month is to start making yogurt again.
DeleteAnother step in the process of making home Home, at least on the good side you did not wander for 40 years in the Wilderness. Oh, IMO, let the Ravishing Mrs. TB hang those pictures TB....just ask "Hey Hon, where would be a good spot for this?" ............. :)
ReplyDeleteI would make a miserable nomad, Nylon12.
DeleteAs you advice, I will wait for instructions. It is just easier that way.
If you haven't discovered these things, let me introduce them to you.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.amazon.com/Picture-Shelves-Mirrors-Planters-Decorations-30pcs/dp/B07KRZRT5Y/
I always hated hanging pictures because no matter where they were hung, my wife would inevitably decide to move them in the future and I was always spackling and repainting old holes in the drywall and creating new ones. With these things, there is only a tiny hole that is easily filled and at least on a textured wall, won't even need repainted if you do a neat job.
Oooh, thanks Ed! We have some of the other plastic removable hooks, but these look great for heavier objects! Sending on the link.
DeleteWhen I downsized 2 years ago I went looking for shelves. Eventually found that Walmart with their bookcases worked just as well at storing all the gadgets and needed tools. Also, my management handed me a package of those hooks when I moved in and they are everything that Ed said.
ReplyDeleteAnon- We have used IKEA for the same purposes for years now with great success (and, as it turns out, for relatively easy replacement in the event of a bookshelf failure).
DeleteThanks for the confirmation of the hooks! I have passed the information along to my management as well.
When we made our last move, I got the kitchen in order pretty quickly, and the two living spaces set for having visitors (hosting Christmas a month after we moved in was my motivator). But I guess you could say I dithered for over a year getting my craft supplies in some kind of order so that I could use them. Glad your new home is feeling more like home, TB!
ReplyDeleteBecki, I think one motivating factor here as well was the fact that we do not have any sort of of storage beyond a few closets and a very small outdoor storage space - thus, if we did not get it done soon, we would simply have no other place to put the boxes. I will certainly say that having no boxes makes things feel much more settled.
Delete