Just Write {83}

April 29, 2013

From snowing to seventy-something degrees in a just a few days, we jumped.

We’ve been soaking up sun like the pale and vitamin D depleted Minnesotans that we are. The sliding glass door bangs every few seconds, in and out and in and out. There’s dirt sticking to my bare feet from the muddy shoes. I don’t even care this time, this winter was just too long to begrudge a little dried spring mud.

We are going through all of our things and really considering each item, Do we need this? Are we taking this to Austin? Will we get there and open a box and say “Why in the world did I pack this? Now I have to find a place for it and we never use it.”

I’m a tosser, he’s a keeper. Our new garage is about a quarter of the size it would need to be to fit all of his tools and toys.

Let’s have a sale! I say. Because there’s so much extra time. Heh.

We rake and shovel, a winter’s worth of chicken poop straw, from cleaning out the coop. It has finally been uncovered, snow melting away and it’s like all the dog poop out in the yard, just everywhere. A minefield of yuck.

My ADD brain forces me to drop the shovel and walk to the lilac bushes that have gotten too tall. There are vine-y dead skinny sticks like a thread through the top. All connected, all sucking the life from the new growth. I reach up with my gloved hand, grab one part and start to back up and it all just keeps coming and coming, so long and so much. It yanks at the entire tree and it all bends as I back up and pull it free.

It feels so good.

I drag my reward across the yard and throw it on top the trailer and go back for more, again and again. It’s good hard work and I do it until it’s done.

Then my husband gets in the car with me and we take the trailer to the brush site to leave all of the straw and sticks, brittle vines and branches from all the pruning. We get to the gate and can’t go through, it doesn’t open until May 4th.

So we take ourselves and our work back home, unhitch the trailer and leave it for now.

Progress, not perfection, I think. We were going to load up more things to haul away but today is not that day.

We head inside and I started going through the kids’ clothes, item by item, sorting and piling up for the growing up. It hurts and feels good all at once, like all of the things we’re doing to prepare our lives for one ginormous shift that will land us in Texas. We are combing through and sifting and pruning and with each moment I’m remembering so many things from all these years.

From snowing to seventy degrees in just a few days. We jumped.

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This is the 83rd installment of Just Write, an exercise in free writing your ordinary and extraordinary moments. {Please see the details here.} I would love to read your freely written words so join me and link up below. You can add the url of your post at any time. Just be sure it’s a link to your Just Write post, not to your main page, and please don’t link to posts that are not freely written in the spirit of capturing moments–you know, don’t link to how-to lists or sponsored posts. Also, please link back to this post in your post so people know where to go if they’d like to join in.

Please take a moment to visit someone else who has linked up! It’s a really good way to meet new writers and get inspired by the meaning behind their moments. Word? Thank you!



{ 12 comments }

Lynda M O April 29, 2013 at 8:59 pm

Moving is a strange and wonderful experience. So is leaving Minnesota for Texas-there’s a switch for you to consider, huh? Your writing delights me, Heather.

(Hon, at the very bottom of this page is your “All rights reserved” note; I think the date 2017 might want to be 2007.)
Lynda M O recently posted..Wordless Wednesday

Heather April 29, 2013 at 9:04 pm

Oh that cracks me up. Thank you, Lynda. 2017…That’s probably what year I’ll get around to fixing that. :)

Ami April 30, 2013 at 6:47 am

This is just lovely. Lovely.
Ami recently posted..A house in chaos (and angsty French cats.)

Tiffany April 30, 2013 at 7:49 am

Progress not perfection. I love that.

And I wrote a really difficult post today…and I just wanted to thank you for Just Write b/c I kept thinking “that’s the only way I’ll get it out” is if I just write…
Tiffany recently posted..My Tattered Cape

Marta April 30, 2013 at 11:14 am

Yes. Yes. I know so much what you mean. And my backyard is the exact same minefield, so we take to the streets and the park instead.
Marta recently posted..Sunshine and Happiness.

Heather May 1, 2013 at 7:32 am

Seriously. We just ordered a stupid pooper scooper cause the old one just isn’t gonna cut it. EW. Why can’t dogs use toilets? ;)

Nita April 30, 2013 at 12:12 pm

We are doing the same. In 8 Saturdays we will be loading the U-haul and moving 3 days driving away.

Heather May 1, 2013 at 7:37 am

Oh Nita. I’ll be thinking of you! 3 days driving. wowza. The best of luck and peace to you….

Heather

alita April 30, 2013 at 2:24 pm

My arms have tiny scratches and minute pricks from the juniper that I trimmed and cleared out. At first it was so time consuming and being allergic to the pine needles I was actually angry about it, but I found that with every limb trimmed I felt better. It all clicked after a while. And it felt so good. Anyway what I’m saying is this resonates. These are our rewards. These tiny freedoms we find in our work, our life, and our world are our rewards.
alita recently posted..Thoughts

Heather May 1, 2013 at 7:33 am

Oh you. I love these thoughts of yours. These tiny freedoms. Yes. That.

Maggie April 30, 2013 at 10:25 pm

I found you through A Deeper Family and I already know I will love your blog and sad that you are leaving MN. I am moving my family back to MN in a month and so I know what it is like to prepare for this cross-country move. Daunting, exhausting, scary…I get it.
I absolutely love your idea of “Just Write”. I write in my head all day long and rarely get it down or think its not important enough for a blog post. I will be joining in because of love the idea of just writing freely. Perfect. I look forward to reading more of your blog and following your adventures!
Maggie recently posted..A Heart in Two Places

Heather May 1, 2013 at 7:36 am

Hi Maggie!

Thank you for comin’ on over.

SO crazy that you’re cross country moving here as we cross country move away. All the best and loads of peace to you.

YES, join in with Just Write any time! It feels good to say whatever is inside without so much over-thinking. :)

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