It Is Over...We Are Exhausted

 Tonight, we drove back into town to clear out the old house. We moved Saturday, but as we founded the final bend on Main Street and descended toward the city center, it felt like we'd been gone a month. We had to return to do a little cleaning and pick up other things we forgot to take.

We're exhausted.

It's been such a surreal experience, waking up the first time in the new home and realizing this is the new normal. I know I've blogged many times about this change in our lives, and I apologize I haven't been more diverse in my blog post topics, but this move has enveloped us, surrounded us, consumed us and now, after driving away and saying, "Everyone say, 'By house,'" after which we said, "By house," we realized, it's over.

Thank you to all our neighbors. Thank you for those who assisted in the move. Thank you for making our lives and the lives of our children a blessed time. I have no idea what's ahead. Personally, I think that's for the best (it's not good to know too much about your future...). All I know is, I am the person I am because of that town, that street, that house. And that person is tired and ready for bed.

Adventure is out there! Time to go find it.

When You See A McLaren Parked On The Street...You Take A Picture

 As I drove from our street on my way to new adventures, I spotted something orange parked on the hill. Since there was no other cars coming or going, I slowed down to see if I could identify the make.

McLaren.

The fact that I had to slow down reinforced something I already knew...I don't know my supercars. Sure, Ferrari and Lamborghini have distinct looks. I suppose you could say so does McLaren. Back in the day, I used to check out the car magazines at the local drug store. That was about the only way to really catch up on the latest supercar news.

I was never so obsessed that I knew every line, every curve of every car. Sure, I had my favorites, but I never had a poster of a car on my wall growing up (truth be told, I didn't have many posters on my walls growing up...). Part of the reason I didn't go full fan-boy over cars like some of my friends was because I didn't see the point of it. I mean, more than likely, I was never going to be able to afford those cars, anyway. That turned out to be true.

I think part of the reason, or much of the reason in some cases, for buying a car like this is because people look at it. And when they look at it and you're in it, they look at you. It says something about the person in the car and the person looking.

Today, I slowed down, stopped, lowered my window and took a picture. I guess both the owner and the admirer were doing their part.

Good-Bye Street...It's Been An Adventure

 Today, as we grabbed every unboxed thing and shoved it into a box, I took a break and walked to the end of my street and snapped a single picture.

My street...

Soon, it won't be my street anymore.

My family moved to this street when I was four-years old. I remember some things. I remember the road was dirt and where homes and grass grow, there stood cherry and apricot trees. In fact, where I stood to take the picture was about twenty feet underground. There were no homes between the Warnocks to the west and the Kennards to the east. We built, then the Bargers, then the Seeleys, then others. Most have gone, some remain.

That was fifty years ago.

We're about to dismantle our bed so it will be easier for the movers to shove it into a big box on wheels and ship it sixty miles north, our lives, our memories of seventeen years and more in two trucks. We'll leave behind an empty house and a bit of our hearts.

It wasn't always great--both my parents died in the house my father began to build. I miss them. With us going, no Taylors will live on 325 East anymore. I'm sad, but excited. I'm nervous, but calmed in knowing it is time.

Good-bye, Farmington. We've loved you and you've treated us well. On to the next!