Have you ever noticed that if you look at a picture taken on the North Atlantic coastline, that even under a summer sky, it still looks kind of cold? A long time ago I spent a few days in a borrowed Nova Scotia house in a village that looked much like this one. It may even have been this one, too long ago to be sure, but I can say that's when I fell in love with the eastern seaboard. The coastal climate gets increasingly savage the further north you go but there's a primal beauty in places where nature gives just enough for people to get by.It won't be long before we go. Tomorrow is my last day at work and the moving company is scheduled to pick up our belongings before the end of the month. Have we packed? No, not yet but we cleared the rented storage space and learned once again we didn't need much of what we'd paid to keep there. Maybe those places could be seen as a kind of drying out space for our attachment to stuff. There was one in RI we paid for every month for 15 years, eventually sending the keys and truck rental money to a sister. Not mine, I don't have siblings. We arrived out here owning next to nothing.
This time we're taking what we've collected with us - bed, couch, chairs, carpet, lamps, bookcases (lots of bookcases), drawing table, and all the accoutrements of the wired life. Should I even mention the books, music, movies, art and art supplies, portfolios, photographs, and the little treasures saved from my mother's collection of things? I've become the family repository of memorabilia. It's all worth more to us now than things once were. Isn't that the way?
I haven't done well with blogging just recently because I'm unable to start any new projects and prefer to treat you to stories and pictures of what I'm currently doing. Now it's become totally apparent that what I'm doing is moving, my choice is to stop blogging altogether until it's done or to post about the move and things considered between here and there.
In a way we're going home to a place that's vaguely familiar and that's always a good thing to be doing.
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Nice Nova Scotia scene. Oh, but don't stop writing if you so feel inclined, even if it's not about your work. Your writing is your art too, Susan, isn't it?! Anyway, good luck with the packing, sounds like you are pretty organized.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you. This seems like such a good thing to do.
ReplyDeleteIt's all worth more to us now than things once were. Isn't that the way?
Yes.
how funny...i just wrote to you from your sweet comment to me, are you moving soon? had i missed it? anyway my sweet, please keep writing as you make your trek across the continent, the sights you see, the places and people along the way,, trees, flowers, you know...the assemblage of moving from coast to coast...that's all-you can do it! ;)
ReplyDeletexox and many more for your sweet compassion.x
marja-leena - How nice of you to say, 'Your writing is your art too'. I tend to think I must do the equivalent of hand-stands to keep up so that's high praise. So far as the organization is concerned I try to do something every day but the packing will happen all at once.
ReplyDeletelisa - I so appreciate your good wishes and I promise I'm trying to stay calm. Really.
linda - Yes, it's Nova Scotia here we come and it's suddenly happening fast. We have to be there to meet the mover at Customs so depending on their time estimate nearer the move date (8-23 days was ballpark) we may be speeding or meandering our way there.
Please, please keep blogging. From your list it appears to me that you are taking only the most necessary stuff--art supplies, books, music are a must :)
ReplyDeleteI think it always looks cold because the shots are always of a dock and very rarely are there patches of freshly cut lawn found on a dock. Just a theory. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your move!
I hope that all goes as smoothly as possible for your move. I can't wait to hear the stories about your new environment. As I mentioned to Pagen the other day about her recent trip to Nove Scotia, I can't wait to get there. Next summer for sure, I will visit the Maritimes.
ReplyDeleteI envy you a little, as you might remember, I like to move. The best to you and husband and goods and art and spirits.
Peace above all.
I am sooooooo glad that I am going to be in Portland before you leave. I would HATE to miss you. I am really looking forward to seeing you in person.
ReplyDeleteYou must be getting excited about your move. Clearly a lot of work and yet it will be so worth it.
xoxo
liberality - Yes, I will so long as the stops along the way have internet service. Do you think Motel 6 is wired?
ReplyDeleterandal - Have you ever tried mowing gorse?
I think I'll enjoy the move most when it's over.
spadoman - Thanks. We'll need those good wishes to help us on our way. It's always good to remember the universe is chaotic and to allow for surprises. We'll look forward to seeing you when you touch down on the Maritimes.
belette - Wow! I can finally see you're really just as beautiful as I expected. Me? Not so much but I'm sure you'll recognize me when we meet.
Yes, we're excited.. mostly :-)
I can only imagine that calls on your time are greater and greater a the move date looms. I hope the move preparations are going well
ReplyDeletejams - Right now it feels a bit like running in place. Thanks for your good wishes.
ReplyDelete"a kind of drying out space for our attachment to stuff" yup! and a little distance makes us more objective. after forgetting we even have it, that faded 70's poster in the cheap frame looks less profound than it did months (years?) ago. happy trails. keep us 'posted' ;0) I'm very envious....getting to know the east coast is in my 'yearned for, and yet to come' list.
ReplyDeletegfid - Then again, there are things we open now that once were just extra baggage and it turns out they are treasures of memory. I have two boxes of things my mother wanted me to have that she mailed to me years ago. I never opened them but now I must and I'm a little nervous about reading the letters I know are enclosed.
ReplyDeleteHey, at least now you know you'll have some friends to visit once you get there :-)
read those letters! life is short.
ReplyDeletefriends to visit.... Nova Scotia's not all that far away, after all, is it? i have a long lost friend in Chatham New Brunswick too, if she's still there...... could happen.
gfid - I will. Tomorrow perhaps. There were too many boxes of books today and that was just from the bedrooms upstairs.
ReplyDeleteNo, once you're in Canada every place is close by :-)