How can a 7 hour trip from Claremore, OK to Brownwood, TX seem so darned long? We made it to Brownwood about 4:30 p.m. today and went straight to Sears to look for a fridge. I’ll post about that later. We’re in the hotel for a few days. Hopefully we’ll get the keys to the rental tomorrow and I can see my new home! The mover may even arrive tomorrow but I’ll be surprised if he does.
Before leaving MO, we managed to fill up the 30 yard dumpster.
We gave away so much stuff too. And, what was left barely all fit on the moving van. But, it fit and that’s better than what happened when we left KY. Friday I kept asking the driver . . is it all going to fit? He kept saying . . it’s too soon to tell. Finally I realized that he wasn’t going to give me an answer til the last box was on that truck. Speck and I got on the road a couple of hours before they finished but Vince stayed and called and told me they got everything on but it was only because of what we threw in the dumpster and the stuff we gave away.
Our realtor came by on Friday and she said she fully expected to see at least three moving vans there. Nope . . we got it all on one van and you can bet that for the next six months, I’m going to be doing everything I can do to get rid of the things I don’t need. Actually, once all my sewing stuff – fabric, machines, batting — everything sewing related, and all the food and canned goods and wheat in buckets and all the furniture was on the truck, it was only half full. I think I did real good getting rid of things I didn’t need. I gave away 4 sewing machines, some batting I will never use, some fabric I will never use . . I’m really never buying anything else I don’t need. Can I convince my dear husband to make that same commitment??
Angie says
Hi Judy, You asked: “How can a 7 hour trip from Claremore, OK to Brownwood, TX seem so darned long?” It think it’s because Texas is so huge! It takes hours to drive anywhere in TX from what I’ve seen and heard. Glad you made it safe and sound! Yay! I don’t know about moving “stuff”, I just know I can live without a lot of the “stuff” we have around here. I keep a grocery bag by the front door now, and almost every day as I do things around the house I can find something to drop in that bag. When it’s full, it’s off to Goodwill. I’m working on the bookshelves in the family room this week. I rarely read books anymore for finding out about something. Instead I get on the internet. Or if it’s a novel, it’s on my Kindle. I’m talking reference books about gardening, birds, plants, traveling, fixing something, etc. I also don’t keep many magazines laying around any more. Today I wanted to know about how to grow a succulent garden as I’m starting one, instead of my Sunset Gardening book, I went on the internet and found a lot of stuff about that type of planting. Don’t need that garden book anymore. Kitchen clutter is my next big project. I was down digging around for a serving platter the other day for fruit. I couldn’t believe how many serving pieces I have….out they go! Glad your stuff fit in the big truck, I’m sure ours wouldn’t! Not if we had to move any time soon.
JudyL says
That’s exactly what I’m doing. Novels are on the Kindle and most everything else, except quilt books, I get the info from the internet. I donated so many gardening, soap making, and other “how to” books.
lw says
So glad you made it! Too bad I don’t live closer, if you were giving away Singers, I would have paid you for them.
JudyL says
I gave away my Babylock, a White treadle and two 301 machines with cabinets. Just had too many of them.
Sue H says
Glad you made it to TX safe and sound. Too funny about the “stuff”. I started going through cabinets and closets and selling treasures I don’t want any more on Ebay. I told the boys we’re having our estate sale early! Feels good to have a little more breathing room in the house.
JudyL says
The more we got out of the house, the more I loved the larger, open spaces. I hope we can get rid of more and make our load a little lighter . . and make it easier for Chad to go through our stuff when the time comes.
Judy Moore says
I too have had many big moves, Australia to UK twice, Tasmania and Fiji but always made the mistake of thinking I will sort it out when I get there … just in case I needed it at the new place. Never again, I have so much stuff, I am sorting, sorting, sorting if I don’t love it and no-one else does either I am dumping it.
Judy
Australia
Sandy says
Glad to hear you arrived safely. How did it feel to cross that big bridge? I know I would enjoy my house more if I didn’t have so much “stuff” to deal with. Our TX home has way less “things” and it is so much easier to clean and I enjoy being in it more. No more fabric or yarn buying for me until I use things up…which I hope is in my lifetime, lol.
JudyL says
Haven’t crossed the bridge yet but we did cross several small ones yesterday with no problem.
Leslie Sorenson says
Totally get that! I am convinced that my husband has more stuff and is more reluctant to get rid of things than me. Don’t even get me started about how many books he has.
Frieda Z says
Welcome to Texas!!!!! I hope being here will be easier than getting here. I am so glad you have a house to call home at least for a while. I will keep my fingers crossed that you find a house to call home soon.
JudyL says
Really! I don’t think being here could possibly be any harder than getting here! 🙂
Linda Steller says
Glad you made it there, Judy. What an adventure, no? I’ve spent my first week of retirement purging the house of stuff I don’t need. My sewing room was so stuffed with junk that I couldn’t even open my sewing cabinet. Now there is nothing in the room except my opened sewing cabinet, a small computer desk with my windows computer, and a twin bed!! I can just walk in and sit down and sew again. It’s a wonderful feeling. I had a little stereo in my office at work and brought that home and it’s over in the corner of my sewing table, so I have music and can happily stitch away. I’m a happy camper. Hope you’re able to move into the rental soon and get all your stuff set up. Then you can relax a little. 😉
JudyL says
Linda, I know what you’re saying. Rooms are so much more inviting and more fun to work in when they’re clutter free. Any time I’ve cleaned up and purged, I’ve promised myself not to let it get to be a mess again but it always happens again. Maybe this time we’ll both do better.
Lynne in Hawaii says
Glad you made it! And no…I do not think you will get Vince to change and not collect! You know he has to have at least 3 of everything thing with a motor or a plug or batteries! Chad will have to just deal with it. But that is years, and years from now. Don’t envy you having to unpack in smaller quarters.
JudyL says
It will be fun figuring out where Vince can put all his stuff since there’s no shop or garage.
Gwen TX says
I see storage unit in his future!
Linda in TX says
Welcome to Texas! We’re glad you’re finally here!
Annie says
So glad you made it safely, I’m really enjoying your moving house adventures. Hope all goes smoothly from here and the settling in is uneventful. Enjoy your rental!
Liz E. says
Yea – you made it there safely. The I-35 bridge over the Red River isn’t that bad,right?
Oh, check to see if spiders (Brown Recluse) are a problem in Brownwood. If so, I would recommend getting good bug spray and putting down around the outside of the house at the foundation. If you are storing boxes in a couple rooms or the garage, spray inside.
I’m slowly switching to storing stuff in clear plastic boxes instead of moving or those banker’s boxes. And I am also in the group that’s slowly going through accumulated stuff. It does feel better to be less cluttered.
JudyL says
We were only on I-35 for about 4 miles and if we crossed a bridge, I didn’t even notice. Brown recluse spiders were terrible in Ky and Mo so no doubt, we brought a few with us.
Karen says
As Angie said (you first comment) i have a kindle too and need to start to empty off book shelves. I go to Good Will right now at 2 or 3 times a year and have the back of the honda full or close to full each time. How can two people accumulate so much stuff? I have never even tackled the workshop and the loft in there is packed to the gills. I need to get serious and go minimal and get rid of a ton of stuff – now like you say – can I get Mike to get rid of his stuff? – no
Karen
Toni in TN says
Glad you made it. I joined you on the “no buy year” and so far have done great. The only impulse buying has been a cat condo that was on a really good sale. Every thing else I have bought was a planned purchase. Our last pro move filled a United van 3/4 full. Now I know how much you have, heehee. Now after 13 years in the same house there is no way it would all fit in one moving van.
Cindy in NC says
Wow! I’ve heard people say they’d need a dumpster to clean out their house, but you and Vince really did. I sold my parents’ home last year, and cleaning it out nearly did me in. You’d have never guessed from the size and immaculate condition of the house how much stuff was stored in cabinets, closets, and cubby holes. I had to go through everything carefully because they had a habit of stashing important stuff in with junk. I found family marriage and birth certificates going back to the 1850s in a tote bag mixed in with print-outs of e-mails. Yikes! I still have boxes to sort through thanks to finding a “secret” storage spot we didn’t know existed. You have done Chad a huge favor by doing this purge yourself. Glad to hear you all arrived safely and looking forward to sharing your new adventures.
Karen says
Judy, I am SO glad you’re safely there! Hopefully, the next few weeks will go well for you after all you’ve been through. Take care!
Hugs, Karen
Peggy says
I am so glad you made it to Brownwood. I am trying to get rid of things now, before the move. I already regret selling some stuff, but I keep telling myself it was stuff that I have not used in years. It was much easier when I was selling and disposing of stuff that belonged to my parents, because much of it I didn’t know it’s function. Now we are doing our stuff and it is getting harder.
Bon says
Glad you made it to Brownwood. I’m sure it was hard leaving Chad and Nicole. Hopefully they will come to visit you soon. And I really hope you are able to find a house to buy that fits your needs. At least you have a place to live for the time being.
Big hugs to you.
Cindy Davis says
Welcome to Texas!! Where everything is bigger, better and hotter. j/k You will soon be settled in your rental and all of the move will be a distant memory.
julie says
I am so glad you are safely here, Judy…welcome to Texas!!
Linda in NE says
I’m so glad you’ve made it to Brownwood safe and sound.
I find that when I start clearing things out, lots of things go. “My” things that is. My DH can spend the whole weekend “cleaning” in the garage and on Monday morning there MIGHT be one small trash bag to set out. It seems that to him “cleaning” means “re-arranging the junk.” LOL
Mel Meister says
I’m SO with you on cleaning stuff out. Being disabled, it is a huge hindrance. I have more books and magazines than I can shake a stick at. There are tons of cookbooks, but I find all my recipes online now.
Maybe someday… LOL!
Gwen TX says
There is some cleaning out in my future! We are getting new windows in our bedroom and my sewing room. That will require some moving for workspace so it will be a great opportunity. DH has also been meausring for some new flooring in the part of the house that is carpet. Will see how that goes. I know you have a big job ahead to fit everything into the space you have. Good luck!
Terri says
yay! So glad you guys made it safely! Reading about all of Vince’s “stuff” makes me shudder lol. We have probably found a house and will have to move alllll of Mike’s “stuff” again. But this time he will have a huge barn/shop to fill up and 18.5 acres! Unfortunately I see chickens in my future lol. Hope Speck isn’t to stressed out from the trip.
Perry says
Glad you finally got to Texas. I think you will love it down there once things settle down a little. There is just something about living in Texas that you don’t find in other states I think. At least not in the ones I have lived in. Not sure what it is and I don’t mean it isn’t good living in other states, there is just a different feeling. I am hoping events will only go up on scale of living now! We are ready to share in your new adventures, 🙂
Angie in So CA says
So glad that’s over and you made it safe and sound! Google map says it’s 477 miles between the two cities and that it takes about 7 hours so you were right on schedule. I didn’t know where Brownwood is in TX, but from the map it looks like it’s near the middle of that great republic.
Take it easy. Oh and what refrig did you buy?
Dora, the quilter says
I really admire people who can give away lots of stuff they have that they don’t need or want. My problem is I only get stuff I need (or think I need) and I still have too much stuff for my small house. I’ve given away a lot of stuff (mostly clothes) this summer, and I still have too much I can’t give away because I’ve learned from experience that as soon as it’s gone I really need it! My Sweet Teen, on the other hand, can give away almost anything.
Hope the rest of your adventure goes smoothly. (If Speck can’t relax, Rhodiola works for both people and pets.)
carol c says
Glad you finally made it Judy & Speck. sorry , the route you took sure sounded like a long trip. From Missouri, I would have never went thru OK. seems easier just to come in from Missouri. oh well, you are here, that is what counts. Hope you find a roost soon. Glad to have you, hear some of your area got rain, we did not get any.