Argh! Wouldn't you know that the ONE thing I depended on to give me a sense of belonging here (the phone/internet) wouldn't be available due to a connection problem? However, obviously all is well now...since I'm posting this entry.

The phone company was due to start our phone service Saturday morning, but it turns out there was a problem at the connection box outside. Sooo, to make a long story short, we didn't get that repaired until this morning. Two days without a phone or internet...would have been a lot worse if we hadn't both been so busy!

Yep, we're all finished moving. By 3:00 Friday afternoon, all the major furniture was moved; then we started placing stuff, etc. I had to make two trips back to the house to get my cats, and DH had to get odds and ends.

The cats, by the way, are doing fine. Three of them are Nervous Nellie's....but the other two seem to have taken to the new "cat house" like ducks to water! And oddly, the youngest cat, Buddy, who was born at the place in town and has never been outside or anywhere else except the vet, was the happiest of all. He endlessly explored every inch of the new porch, then proceeded to do the same inside the house that night. All of them, of course, had a sniff fest, exploring, etc. Although they were a bit scared, curiosity got the best of them and they all ventured into the house via the new see-through cat door and nervously looked at everything. At any rate, they have settled in fairly well.

{I started this post yesterday, got interrupted by phone calls -- from my sister and mother -- had more work to do, scrubbed the bathroom tile on my hands-and-knees --and didn't get this entry finished. It's now 8:00 Tuesday morning.}

Saturday DH and I spent arranging furniture, putting up some curtains, sorting stuff out and unpacking. The most frustrating aspect is that even though I thought I knew where I put things, when I need certain items, I have to go on a search mission! :-) My sister, who recently went through a move, said the same thing happened to her. I don't think it's old age either; just that when you've lived in a place for 22 years, you know exactly where everything is located. Now that we're here, I constantly have to re-evaluate whether I've placed things in convenient locations, and where I put them when unpacking!

Both of us are VERY pleased at how well the interior of this old house looks now. I do have some pictures, inside and outside, but just haven't had time to download those and post them. I will try to do that either later today or tomorrow.

It has taken some getting used to the "quiet" when there's no traffic on the road, or when I'm in the back of the house. At night, and other than peak times of work-related timing, the traffic is much less. I did take a sleeping pill the first night, but have slept fine the other nights. And I confess to a bit of homesickness, but not as much as I'd feared.

Sunday we went back to the house in town, and I swept it out, did some vacuuming, but have not done the extensive cleaning I'll do maybe next week. We did put a "For Rent" sign in the yard, and had a call last night from a lady who seemed interested. Being there again made me a little sad -- mostly because it's a real shame how the neighborhood is going downhill, one of the reasons we decided to move. The two strays showed up while I was there, but they have almost a full automatic feeder/waterer. Still, I gave them two cans of cat food, but I am sure they will survive. I will keep the feeder there for them, and any others who eat there; DH checks on the house every day, and if I don't go as often, he'll check the feeder. I don't feel it would be fair to bring those cats here; they are city cats, and were thriving and surviving long before I began feeding them.

Besides, I already have a stray cat here! Yes, DH told me he'd seen a stray cat sleeping in the hay in the barn. Sure enough, I put out a bowl of food Sunday afternoon and the cat came out to the doorsteps to eat some! It's a gorgeous cat, but oddly colored -- part tortoiseshell and part gray striped, with white paws. I'm not sure yet if it's male or female, but I'll find out eventually. Naturally, it is feral and frightened of people. Anyhow, DH put the bowl of dry food and some water in the barn for it.

I have much, much more to write about -- but I must end this post now and get busy. I need to take care of my cats, do a bit of housework and then go to the grocery store, which should be an adventure since this is my first trip to the stores in the nearby mall! Brrr, it's been cold here...near 30 last night. But today it is predicted to be around 65, and maybe....if I have time, I can go on my first bike ride here!

Till later...