The Prep Work

Packing, packing, packing - where will it end? For the past few days I have been slowing filling box after box with the contents of our kitchen, only to realize I need many more boxes to complete the task. Looking at the open cabinets, it doesn't look like that much, but as the boxes pile up, I realize what seemed like a minor task is turning into something more. Having moved in just about a year ago, there aren't so many "why do I still have this?"s - more like "oh, that's where this is".

Yesterday I took all of Ariana's artwork down - we had put them up all over the walls and the cabinets to hide the hideousness of the kitchen. She got into it and what started in the kitchen crept out into the hall down to the family room. And the living room. Everything from school work to pages ripped out of coloring books to candy wrappers made it up for all to see. The bathroom has a collection of greeting cards going back to her 3rd birthday - a mini trip down memory lane. It will all come down once we paint the downstairs, but for now the creative musings of our daughter are displayed among my mother's realistic oil paintings and the abstract work of Noi Na, the elephant from Thailand.

While we make a short visit to see Nana, the cabinets, some walls, and the mysterious stuff between the walls will be made to disappear. Our appliances will be relocated to the garage, all except the fridge, which will be relocated to the front hall. How convenient - walk in the house - grab a brewsky!! For the duration of the work, we will be trying the restaurants here in town. Even with our old electric stove that took forever to heat and never got quite hot enough, we still preferred to cook at home, so the list of places waiting for us is long. And of course, we will accept any dinner invitations issued - takers anyone??