A month from today, Frank and I will load up a U-Haul and make our way east on I-84 to Boise. The evergreens of the Pacific Northwest will become a blur in the rearview mirror as our mini-caravan crosses the Blue Mountains and rolls into the high desert of Idaho’s Treasure Valley. Upon arrival, we will take possession of a house that I have been in once. For about 15 minutes. Seven years ago. Seriously.
The house belongs to my parents, from whom we will rent what I vaguely recall as a well-designed, smallish place with an open floor plan. The positives of the house are many: single-story, master bathroom (with fan!), two smaller bedrooms (for office/guests), a second bathroom (with fan!), proximity to parents, and access to the (private) neighborhood pool. But for the life of me, I cannot bring to mind anything more than the vaguest recollection of the lay-out of the place. The kitchen has an open floor plan and the patio out back borders the green space…that’s all I’ve got.We’ve determined that we will move as few of our belongings as reasonably possible. With the exception of the oh-so-comfy Sleep Number bed, most of the furniture we’ve stuffed into the Charming Bungalow will be sold or given away. Wall hangings, collectibles, cookware – all negotiable; if you’ve had your eye on something, let me know soon. Most challenging will be handling the books. Our combined collection totals into the hundreds (I’m afraid to do an actual inventory) and spans a variety of interests – archaeology, business, chess, gerontology, health care, history… I’m sure the new-to-us house can accommodate our wealth of printed material, but I’d feel a lot less stressed-out if I could envision where the bookshelves will go.
The motivation behind the move is both personal and professional. Living in Boise puts us closer to my parents. I haven’t lived in the same location as my father since childhood, and I’m excited to have daily-life time with him. (The professional part is a bit more complicated, so more on that later.) The hardest part about leaving Oregon City is that I’ll be a long way from my children and grandchildren. I’m trying hard not to think in terms of missed birthdays and other family activities but that’s the reality.
So, we will pack up our comfy bed and continue on in the great adventure of LIFE. And, really, if you need furniture, give me a call – I think those books are going to take up a lot of space in the U-Haul!
