Downed Tree

We have been having violent thunderstorms, not too surprising given the high temps and humidity.  Last night we had a tree come down in the storm and it ended up partly across the driveway.  It was a large beech and they are all sick by the time they get that large so it is not too surprising that it fell.  But the wood seems to be good, so we'll get lots of firewood.

Here is my trusty lumberman starting the long process of cutting it up.  Then I get to split the wood.

Spring Flowers

It is so great to be here in May for the flowers.  There are trillium still in bloom and today I saw jack-in-the-pulpit for the first time.  They are right along the driveway and must have been here in the past, but I never noticed them.

Home At Last

We arrived at camp yesterday and took our first paddle with the group today to Stony Ponds.  There were few bugs and though it started out rainy the temperature was quite mild.  The water has receded quite a bit but we only had to go around one really big beaver dam as we headed up Ampersand Creek.  It is so great to be here, which will be our home until sometime in December.  We should finally get time to relax and maybe I'll even start posting regularly again.

Closed on the Condo Today

Well at least one aspect of our crazy life is complete.  We closed on the sale of the condo today.  So one less set of things to worry about.  We have our final meeting at the Toll Brothers Design Center Friday afternoon, to complete the selection of items for our new house.  Then off for some much needed R&R in St John, Virgin Islands on Saturday.  We are there for a week, then visiting my Dad in Oregon for a week, then back to camp to stay for a long while.  It will be great to stay in one place for a while.

At Camp, Briefly

Another month has gone by in a blur.  The condo sale is nearly complete, except for the buyer getting his mortgage.  Closing is scheduled for May 1st.  We signed the contract to build the new house last Monday.  Then we began filling boxes.  We are taking them to a storage unit in Jamesburg, NJ, a bit west of our new neighborhood.  We've taken a couple of loads, with many more to go.  Thursday we brought a load up to camp and are staying a few days.  We had a wonderful get-together with friends last evening.  It was so great to see everyone.  Tuesday we head back to NJ for more packing.

On the family front, Dad has been back in the hospital for a couple of weeks now.  He had all sorts of complications and was finally diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome.  He is receiving treatment and seems to be responding, but it will be a long road back.  The doctors say he may yet walk again, but he is in for many months of physical therapy.

I'm Still Here

Those of you who follow my blog must wonder what has become of me.  The last few weeks are a blur.  When we returned from the Adirondacks last month we started the process of selling our condo and finding a new place to live.  After much searching we have selected a 55+ community west of here - away from all flooding.  We have a contract on the condo but won't feel secure until after lawyer review, inspection, and the buyer getting a mortgage.  At that point we can sign the contract to build our new home.  While it is being built, we will put our furniture in storage and move to the Adirondacks.  Depending on when we start the building process, we may be at camp into the winter.

Then in the middle of all this my father ended up in the hospital out in Oregon.  I just returned from there after visiting him in the nursing home and serving as patient advocate.  All us siblings have taken turns and starting next week he will be on his own for a while.  Then sometime in early April we assume we will be moving him to assisted living.  He is responding very well to physical therapy so he may eventually be able to move to an independent-living apartment.  Whether or not I am able to help with his next move depends a lot on where we are in the moving process.

Adirondacks Snow

We drove to camp on Thursday and eagerly awaited the snowstorm forecast to hit the northeast.  Unlike the major cities like Boston that really got hit, we just got about a foot yesterday and overnight, which was desperately needed for winter sports like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.  It is beautiful on the trees.

We drive back to NJ on Tuesday.

DONE!!!!

The last coat of paint went on the hallway trim today.  Reconstruction is now complete.  Almost exactly 3 months after the storm hit on October 29, 2012, a date that will be remembered for many years to come.  And in the meantime I finished moving into the quilting room cabinets, the area rug is down in the entertainment room, so we are completely moved in.

Now my latest challenge is completing the transition to my new MacBook Pro from my old PC.  I won't relax until I have a new Family Tree Maker installed and all my genealogy data loaded.  Then it should be back to life as usual - until the next crisis hits.

Baby Quilt

My latest quilt is for the newest addition to my extended family - my niece's baby son.

Brrrrr

Woke up to an outside temperature of 14 degrees this morning.  You'd think we were in the Adirondacks.  I can't remember the last time it got that cold in New Jersey.

In other news, I'm writing this post on my new MacBook Pro.  No more frustrating Windows for me.  I thought I was going to stay with Microsoft and get a Windows 7 laptop.  But while there are a few to be had, they are really pushing Windows 8, which I have no interest in.  So I'll be holding my breath until I get all my genealogy data transferred.  Family Tree Maker is now available on the Mac, and I sure hope I can import all my data to it.