Heading West

First, I must apologize for not documenting the first half of our journey West, but I think I was still in shock that it was all happening. Was I really leaving everything and everyone that I knew for a strange uncharted land I knew nothing about?


Stationed on the console of the car, Roscoe, our copilot, did not miss one bump in the road.

Look! Viva la Mexico! Yes, that is Mexico just to the left of the interstate. Border? What border? I cannot discern where it begins and ends.

We are going to be in our new home by noon today! Don't look so excited boys. Wake up!

Literally, piles of furdom cover the entire rear end of the car. After three long days of traveling across the country and sleeping back there with the dogs, the clothing we wore began to resemble a giant lent roller. The extreme dry weather and static cling did not seem to help with the fur situation.

Taking in the sunshine and snoozing on Daddy's pillow.....Precious!

It is getting hilly, we must be close! The terrain truly is beautiful.

The boulders do not even look real. It is like we are driving by some sort of "Planet of the Apes" movie set at Warner Brothers Studio!

Finally, home! One nights rest before the moving van arrives with my years of hoarding stowed deep in its bowels!

Moving Day!

The BIG day has finally arrived..... Am I ready? I have no idea what to expect. My life just went from a moderate puttering around speed of about 30 maybe 35 mph to a NASCAR 250 mph! Where the hell is the pace car to slow it all down? I hope I do not blow my engine before it is all said and done!

My packers/ movers were with Highland Moving and Storage located in Goldsboro, NC. I cannot give them the proper accolades and praises that make them worthy. I have never seen four more professional, hard working and caring men in my life! Alex, Charles, Terry and Cedric were my saving grace! They literally saved me from the brink of a nervous breakdown!

While loading the moving van, the truck from the warehouse arrived with my crated armoire. Thank you guys for being so careful with all my stuff.

Okay, just roll me up the ramp and pack me away. I am about done! We all looked on with great scepticism that there is a possibility that it may not all fit. Our driver Corey assured us it would but I am beginning to have my doubts. They haven't even loaded my concrete statues, and we sure are not leaving that behind!

Higher and higher it went. It was quite impressive to see such a delicate juggling act to make it all fit perfectly. It was like watching some sort of freakish Cirque du Soleil performance the way they balanced off that ladder with those heavy boxes cantilevered off in their arms. What true acrobatics, they make it look effortless. Now, what will they do for a dismount? Possibly a double somersault back flip from one of those straps and land on the dolly below? A drum roll please...

Okay, take a deep breath, suck it in, cinch it up, tie it down, and...................................................

think light thoughts because we are being charged by the pound!

with fingers crossed......

Phew..........What a relief! It all fits! All except the driver's ladder, which had to be strapped to the outside of the vehicle.

Going.......

going........

still going.......

Gone!!! Bye guys, see you in Tucson!

A final goodbye from friends wishing us a safe journey! We love and miss you too!

Thankful for all the memories

I certainly did not foresee this being the first of my posts while we settle into our new home. Unfortunately, late last night on the eve of Thanksgiving we made the difficult decision to have our sweet eldest dog Vergel put to sleep. Words cannot begin to explain how painful and heart wrenching a choice it is to finally make, but in the end all is done and we are at peace.I have had my Vergel for what seems like an eternity. He has not been just "man's best friend" but my best friend. What is it about our pets that make them love us unconditionally? If we love them, scold them, or praise them, no matter what they always lead with the emotion of love. Love is what comes first in their heart, it is what comes naturally. The love they contain in their heart is unmeasurable. It is like our preacher said a while back, we (man) are their "god" and they are the servant. It is funny how they are always thirsting for more, love that is. Shouldn't we approach all in life with the same love? After all, dog is "God" spelled backward. Maybe we should all learn a valuable lesson from the relationship we have with our pets or maybe it is the relationship they have with us...... I believe it is this; we should all love one another, regardless of any past indiscretions and only see the good and love that one has to share.

Vergel loved, although maybe the word should technically be "lovingly tolerated" his little brother.

Vergel loved a good romp in the dirt on a hot summer day.

Vergel loved to lie around the house on the cool hardwood floors.

Vergel loved to go to the store and was always my protector and companion on those long winter nights, working late at Elizabelles.

Vergel loved a freshly fallen snow... that is when he saw it for the first time in North Carolina.

Vergel loved Christmas at Mimi's house, because he knew with all the commotion and distractions he could somehow swipe a quick bite to eat!

My Vergel loved life and loved our family. Because our pets remind us of unconditional love, when they are gone it hurts, and our heart breaks. That little piece of love is missing but never forgotten.

Pull Up a Chair!

Early this summer a friend of mine requested a little interior design, shall we say, nudge. We began our process focusing on the kitchen. I think if anyone is contemplating revitalizing your home interior you should start with the place you spend a majority of your time and for a majority of us this would be the kitchen. It is the centrifuge from which our lives are centered around, where each day begins and ends, and where we gather together.

The next step, we chose a color pallet. What better place to impact our family and friends than where they are seated. I wish I had captured a quick pic so I could awe you with a before and after, but due to my anxiousness and rush to get things done, I simply forgot.

I cannot take credit for the infusion of the sewn stripe down the seat of this chair. Suzane Kasler (famous Atlanta interior designer) has a fabulous must buy book titled, "Inspired Interiors" and she is a featured designer for Ballard Magazine http://www.ballarddesigns.com/Kasler. I must dub her my inspirational muse!

LOVE it! The stripe adds just a touch of an unexpected mod to an otherwise very traditional chair.

"FALL" in love with Pumpkins!

Unfortunately, I am having to live out the splendor of the fall/ Halloween season vicariously through tempting Target store displays, Dollar Store end caps, as well as through close friends wonderful home decor. Since our move to Tucson in looming in the very near future, I have vowed NOT to buy any pumpkins this year! .......................that is until the other day. The temptation to stop at our local farmer's market (Elroy Farms) was almost overwhelming. Each time I pass by on my way to church, I must simply turn the other cheek, hoping to not catch a glimpse of these beautiful fall beauties. I simply cannot be trusted around bin of pumpkins or gourds. My husband loathes a pumpkin ( I guess because it just "sits there"), where I adore them!

I even proclaimed to a dear friend of mine, Susan, I would not buy or "break" for any pumpkins this year. Why add more weight to the move. Right? Then, Susan left a message on the answering machine that peeked my curiosity. She said, "Elizabeth, you must go by Elroy! There is a pumpkin with my name on it!" What could that mean? Is my name going to be literally translated into the skin of the pumpkin? What could this cryptic message possibly mean?

So, to relieve my curiosity I made the pilgrimage out to the market. Oh.....My.........Goodness! God does exist! I have seen lots of pumpkins in my life, but never have I seen one that was Pink and Gray! Not painted pink and gray, but designed by the impeccable taste of God! It is as if Suzanne Kasler (read a Ballard Design magazine) or Martha Stewart genetically engineered pumpkins and gourds to accessorize their home interiors! Perfection!

These pumpkins are the most perfect color you could ever imagine, slightly blush pink with a hint of a patina gray. Yes, I crumbled under the pressure of its beauty and bought one. Just ONE!

Precious cargo must be properly strapped in its seat!