WHERE THE HEART IS

209 N Occoneechee St has been my home for 14 years.  For Ben it’s been 30.  I remember thinking early on how after so many years of moving hither & thither, I had finally found roots in this little town.

Deconstruction: For 2 weeks the Baby Boomers crew worked 4+ hours daily taking our house apart.  Being someone who’s always enjoyed rearranging & decorating, I was initially energized by it.  Working with the crew was a delight-as much as it could be under these circumstances-& we both enjoyed getting to know them as they became intimately knowledgeable about our living style, working around areas I designated as “untouchable” until the last day. Ben began taking his studio apart, the place he’s worked for 30 some years, wading through stacks of supplies, receipts, memories, carrying some things to the house for sale, tossing some, holding on tightly to others.  This is painful stuff, deconstructing your identity.

Reconstruction: Staging & tagging took monumental effort as the crew researched ebay, Amazon & other sources to come up with fair prices.  Most of the smaller items for sale were collected by Ben over the years & he knew each artist.

Anticipation: My dear friend Denise offered her lovely house as a respite during the sale. We took care of their sweet dog, Cassie, & felt safe & comfortable during the weekend.  Rescue Remedy helped as my anxiety heightened.  So did a trip to the Raleigh Museum to see the Georgia O’Keefe/Candida Hoffer exhibit.

Purge: Saturday-shocked-why is there so much left?  Sunday-relieved-so much gone now. “Empty” house-what’s missing? Did our friends come? Buy something out of sentiment?  It was a good turnout we’re told.  Friends did come by to take a little piece of us home.  It feels good.

Funny how so many folks want to get together now.  Meet-ups we’ve talked about for months, or years.  And there simply isn’t time.  My advice?  Don’t wait!  Don’t wait to be with the people you care about &/or are interested in.  Do it NOW.  And don’t fill your house up with stuff you don’t love or need.  Don’t leave it for someone else to do.  Don’t leave it for yourself to do-someday.  Do it NOW.  And it’s about the planet as well.  It’s about using more resources than we could possibly need.  It’s about recyclables that are only 9% recycled.  It’s about the time you spend buying, taking care of & getting rid of STUFF.  I know.  You’ve heard this before.  And I’ll continue to say it-to remind myself & you-because it is to vital to our planet.

On November 8th the movers will come & pack up our 2 crates (lift-vans) & head out to Laredo, TX to meet our Mexican company that will carry it all through customs & store it in Ajijic until we get there.  November 10th another mover will come & carry off a few large items for my son & daughter-in-law & granddaughter to be.  For 2 & 1/2 weeks after that we will camp out in our house with a few items Ben’s cousin will take after we leave & a few borrowed items.  With plenty of food, a good book to read, a roof over our heads, a good heating system & a hot shower when we need it.  Enough…more is more than enough.

A movie title comes to mind now…THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING.  And it strikes me that we are perhaps not meant to be weighed down by objects but to delight in the space & people around us.  Home, as they say, is where the heart is.