Mountains

"My Mountains" Photo credit: KLB

June 6th marked a melancholy day for us. One year has passed since Jenn made her transition. In that year, which seems to have gone by so fast, new friendships were made and solidified. Kandi is one of those friends.

I met Kandi last year at the Relay for Life. We stayed in touch via Facebook and our friendship has blossomed. Thank you, Jenn.

On the 6th, I received an email from Kandi, who was in Hawaii, one of Jenn's favorite places. She wrote:

I needed to share this with you... I am not sure where it came from today... it's something I have not personally done (writing that is, at least of this kind)  for 25+ years... But today I was compelled to write this before I went down to the beach to pass a lei full of flowers into the ocean at sunset as a memorial...  That, in itself, was quite an 'experience'....

I asked Kandi if she wouldn't mind if I shared it with those we know on Project Elegance. She kindly agreed.

I opened myself today,

Staring at the shadows of the clouds as

They undulated across the Iao Mountains.

The Movements of Light and Darkness and Mass melting together,

Ever Changing the view of the landscape with each second.

I thought to myself, “I wonder if this is what all our lives look like to God?”

We move along so fast

Through the periods of darkness and light in our own lives;

Racing towards what?

All of these events change our shape as it is visible to others,

But how often do we actually really change deep within,

Not just as an undulation on the surface?

Large, Significant Moments in time formed those mountains.

Heat, Change, and great, upheaval events had to occur to

Form the beauty I was able to bear witness to:

The true strength of the ‘Aina,’ or Land.

Again I thought, “Is this what God sees happen when

Strength is created inside of us?”

When life changes us through moments of great difficulty and change?

Do we learn to stand so that no matter what blows over us; 

that no matter what storms race through our lives, we remain in our core,

Anchored in Love, Strength, and Standing tall?

I offered a prayer of thanks for the world, and those who

Bring strength to my ‘mana’, or spirit

To make my foundation of life one of these mountains...

Standing tall, anchored in Love,

Ready for whatever the winds blow...

KLB 06/06/13

Kandi said, "The rock was literally sitting next to me on
this root berm when I plopped myself down to watch sunset...
(and there was the rainbow, and a whole bunch of other stuff)." Love.
Photo credit: KLB

Thank you, Kandi. xo

We will be walking again in the Novato Relay for Life. Your support of the Sugartown team means a lot. Here's a link to the team. Any donation to any member is greatly appreciated. Thank you, friends. xo

The Upside of Downsizing, Part 5

I've passed the three-month mark in my new mint-tin of a home and, I must say, I am deeply in love with it. Is it perfect? No. Not even close. There are things I would still love to change and/or improve, and if I expected this to be a more long-term residence, perhaps I would. Instead, I simply accept what isn't exactly practical to change, and embrace this new way of living.

Life in the mint tin is exquisitely simple. I have everything I need (except a proper freezer), and everything has its places (even is some of that is displaced in my storage unit). There's not a morning that I wake without a sense of serenity. My routine remains the same. The alarm goes off at the same time, and I head off to the gym. Before I go, the "bed" is turned back into a "sofa". When I come back, I fix myself up for the day, then make make breakfast. It's a routine that I adore. It's "my time", and I slow down to enjoy it.

Every time I walk into my kitchen, I smile. The mini-fridge makes certain things a challenge, but I love the rest. Because breakfast is the only meal I'm consistent with (work schedule usually means lunch is on the run, and dinners tend to be somewhat social), I leave my breakfast makings out. I have my "coffee station" organized and ready to go on my little kitchen cart. Since I am sans freezer, I now walk a block west from my Whole Foods to Groundwork for coffee, where I grind organic beans perfectly for my French press. I take only two scoops of beans, less than a half-pound of Black Gold, which will last me about two weeks. That makes more sense than a can of organic French Roast sitting in my cupboard going stale for a month. These are the little changes I'm embracing. This one, I enjoy. On the other hand, I desperately miss my salad spinner and tearing up hearts of romaine. Bag lettuce lacks any semblance of romance, but it fits in my mini-fridge. I'm looking into other options. This is on my wish list. Buying a pint of rice milk "ice cream" means turning it into a meal because there's no saving it for later. My little "freezer" shelf doesn't even keep ice, let alone a froze dessert. But it does chill my vodka. Civilization still exists.

There is still an "office" in my tiny home. A laptop stand slides over to the futon for work, connecting or creating. I couldn't find a way to hide my printer, but it's not so bad to have it out. Friends comment on the coziness of the place and feel welcomed. And that's what matters most.

The office lives behind the chair and below my
Twin Peaks print, which makes me smile wide.

I quite enjoy not living directly on the boulevard. While I still hear some of the street sounds, it's so much more quiet here, much more peaceful. And, because it's so peaceful here, my home is always clean. Since I'm removed from the chaos outside, there's less chaos inside. Dishes are done before I walk out the door, mainly because the sink is right by the door. To clean everything, from top to bottom, takes all of 30 minutes. Everything is put away before bedtime or leaving for the day. This is a big difference from my old one-bedroom, where 15 years of living cluttered up the space, and cleaning the entire place in one go seemed like a monumental task. That's something I don't miss.

I do miss being near the ocean and canals, and walking distance to all of my favorite cafés and restaurants. However, being a resourceful girl, I am able to make it out to happy hour with my partner in crime, and do so responsibly. We used to walk. Now, she either picks me up and we stroll over to one of our favorite haunts, or I take the bus to her place, with a stop conveniently located at the end of her street. Yes, the bus. For only $1.50, and less than a 15-minute ride, it makes perfect sense. A cab might seem a more elegant form of transport, but at $10 a pop, I'll save that for a more special occasion.

There are plenty of fine places for me to stroll in my new neighborhood. A few blocks east is my post office and a fantastic coffee shop. A few blocks south is Pit Fire Pizza, where I can get a pie with vegan Daiya cheese as well as a Duvel. Civilized, indeed. And for the nights when I'm too tired to cook, there is a Mexican, a Thai and an Indian restaurant to choose from, each just steps away. They spoil me. And when I'm finally in for the evening, it does feel like home. Everything in here makes me smile. And while I wish this was my sofabed, my futon serves me fine for now.

More than one friend has said, "You are taking this very well." I'm sure downsizing can seem like a step back. And, yes, while I wish this was me getting a little mint tin in the West Village of Manhattan, I'm quite content with my tiny place in Mar Vista. This isn't a setback, but a step toward a simpler, happier, easy life. And that is worth giving up square footage for. If you don't think you could part with some of your possessions, let me tell you: You can. If you are considering trading less space for more money in your bank, do it. Less really is more. The upside of downsizing really happens on one's lips, as the corners of the mouth curve into a smile.

{The rest of the "home tour" is below and is dedicated to the friends who have repeatedly asked for photos. xo}

It's refreshing to have a nice welcome mat that isn't stolen.
Even my not nice ones got lifted at my old place.

You enter my abode into my kitchen.
This $29.99 cart from Ikea provides storage and my kitchen's only drawer.

Beloved red kettle and convection toaster oven.
Sad mini fridge (in the space above it is my flatware "drawer").
The painted-shut window serves as spice rack.

My "breakfast center".

The collapsable dish rack is genius.

It doesn't look so snazzy, but I have little storage in my kitchen.
This former closet organizer now serves as supply pantry/water crock holder.

Baskets serve as makeshift drawers for towels and aprons.

Tupperware fits on the cart's second shelf.

And I really do make my toast a few inches off the floor.

My tea collection resides in a Tupperware container.
The boxes were much too bulky.

Glasses have to be staggered in order to fit.
Please note, champagne flutes, martini glasses and wine goblets made it in.

Everything has to be stacked. Everything.

Much needed "blackboard" to make notes.
Easy to check because it's next to the door.

The shelves hold the necessities. Two Ikea chairs stacked for extra seating.
And the ironically large heater for my teeny-tiny duplex.

Butsudan for chanting. Stool to the left of it for sitting/extra seating.
A few frames yet to be hung.

Official office space.

What's behind the curtain. I had to fake a storage closet.
Drying racks, Swiffer (in place of a broom or mop), compact Shark vac and files.

My "sofa". Because of the termostat placement,
choosing the right art became a challenge.

So I chose an Audrey quote decal from WallsNeedLove.
It's written in "stone".

I made sure the Four Seasons robe fit.

Just the basics.

And a vanity I wish I could replace.

The "bedroom".

The closet. The door is only two feet wide.

My dresser/entertainment center.

And what it looks like to be home. xo

The Upside of Downsizing, Part 4

Never did I think this move would take me so long. Never had a move taken me so long! But this was different. This involved downsizing. And, while one would think that would be a simple thing, making everything "less" takes so much more work.

It took me two weeks, and second yard sale, to complete the move. Every morning, I would return the empty boxes and those filled with things to sell or go into storage, and bring over six more on my way home from work. My place is so tiny, there wasn't much room to bring over any more, and expect the futon to lie flat. So, everything needed to be unpacked and/or reboxed before bed so it would be ready to go in the morning. There was still a lot to bring over. It was hard to decide where to begin.

But, let's start with the closet, shall we? I did. It was what I was most concerned about. What if everything didn't fit? Even with all that I set aside to sell and/or donate, I still had one coat closet and one full double closet to shrink into that itty-bitty space. The rod is only 25 inches long. Feel free to take out your measuring tape to put that into perspective. I know, right? Thankfully, I found the Real Simple Slimline Hangers, which live up to their name and have a hook with which you can "cascade" other hangers to pack more into the space. While I see they have disappointing reviews, I love them. I purchased the shirt, pants and skirt hangers, and they work beautifully. Not only did everything fit (including 3 coats and 4 jackets), I still have room.

My next worry was shoes. There was no way a floor rack would work, so I got a 24-pair over-the-door shoe rack. I did a lot of downsizing on my shoe collection and, even with having to take the rods to the hardware store to get two inches taken off so the rack would fit and let my 22-inch door close, all my shoes fit! Three pairs of boots and two sets of platform sandals sit on the floor, but my flats, heels and sneakers all fit on the rack wonderfully. I followed some of the comments (which gave me the tip of cutting the rods), so I could understand better the pros and cons of these systems. I let the adhesive tape sit all afternoon, secured with blue tape (which became my best friend during this move), and kept the tape on for two more days, even after the shoes were in place. So far, so good. The only problem is, with the shoes on the door, I have to step into my closet sideways. It's pretty comical.

In the back of the closet, I was able to fit my carry-on rollie, so I can leave for an adventure at a moment's notice. Inside the carry-on is all of my travel bags and TSA-approved containers. What they say is true: In a small space, everything needs to have more than one function.

I was also able to fit a pop-up "hamper" inside the closet, too. There was still room on the floor for my gym bag, and my gym shoes, since those go on every day.

On the outside of the closet door, I put an over-the-door mirror, so I'm able to avoid any fashion mishaps. I was pleased my little "dressing center" was complete and fully functional. Not quite the dreamy walk-in closet most would fantasize about but, for right now, it's perfect.

My next concern was "the office". I still needed to have one, but I also needed it not to take over the aesthetic of the entire room. Well, for a bit, it did.

The utter chaos that was unpacking.

At the end of the day, I was able to downsize even that. All of those labels and sleeves, extra paper and extra supplies were set for the second yard sale. What I really needed was my printer/scanner/fax machine, current files and functional daily supplies (envelopes, paper, stapler, tape dispense, etc.) Ages ago, I found a wood hanging file rack at Ikea that I used to set my turntable on. I had set it out for the first yard sale, but it had no takers. I even left it out on the curb as a freebie. No takers. Then, I realized I would need a file system and rescued it. Thank goodness. It fits perfectly in the corner. What I still needed was drawers to contain those daily supplies. I found a great deal at Ikea that would be functional and blend in, so I got two. Of course, one was defective, so that meant another trip to Ikea.

And when I wasn't unpacking, organizing for the second yard sale, setting aside what would be going into storage, I was driving to Ikea, Home Depot or Bed, Bath and Beyond, which became a home away from both homes. Their coupons helped keep my growing budget less scary. One of the returns was the laptop table I got from Ikea. I traded that in for a snack table from BBB -- much like the one I used before and sold for $5 at my yard sale. I thought I could fold the table and put it behind my "armoire". There wasn't enough space for that and my ironing board. Once I came to terms with the fact the laptop's table would need to be a more permanent piece of furniture, I took back the snack table and splurged on this from Cost Plus World Market with a 10% off coupon and money brought in from some of my returns.

The kitchen almost took care of itself. I worried that I would not be able to fit in my Tupperware, but the middle shelf on my kitchen cart came to the rescue. Yes, I make my toast about 5 inches off the ground (the toaster goes on the bottom shelf), but it's working out well. The kitchen itself has no drawers. The cart has one, which is used for all of those "utility" utensils (microplane grater, collapsible funnel, clips, church keys, etc.). Forks, spoons and dinner knives are in my old drawer organizer and sits in the space between the mini-fridge and the counter, fitting perfectly. It's coating makes it slide easily without scuffing the top of the refrigerator.

A former closet organizer now serves as the stand for the water dispenser. It's three cubbies house my dishtowels and cloth napkins, aluminum foil and cling wrap, and a square basket at the bottom serves as a "drawer" for my aprons. At least the ones I have left.

The bathroom needed the most work. I'll spare you the photos of the faucet. That, I replaced on my own. The shower is aluminum, as are the towel racks. So why the landlord decided to get a vanity with brass hardware is a little confusing. Instead of going with brass for the faucet, I went with nickel. I added crystal nobs to the cupboards high over the commode. Eventually, I will sort out what to do with the gold. What I have to keep in mind is that I only have a year lease. I want to make my home beautiful, but not break the bank or my back doing it.

I took some of the silver spray paint to a two-tier corner shelf that I've had for nearly twenty years. It breathed new life into the fading piece. A visit to the "as is" shelf at BBB saved me $10 on a shower caddy. I don't like them hanging under my shower head, so a $5 over-the-door hook solved that problem. Then, I treated myself to an Aquis microfiber hair towel, which takes up less space to do its job.

The last issue to tackle was cabinet organization, and those cute little shelves and drawers cost a pretty penny. So, I re-purposed my pantry shelves for this. Under the bathroom sink, I added my former office organizer on top of a pantry shelf, and underneath it, created a "drawer" with a wooden box. The clear office organizer is perfect. It houses my hairdryer, brushes, contacts, makeup, and some first aid supplies on its three tiers. A wood set of drawers went under my kitchen sink to hold additional kitchen supplies. All of that cost me zero dollars. And thank goodness for that. I still needed more organizing for the bathroom, and something that could fit in a narrow space. For BBB to the rescue again with this.

Fourteen days after I moved in, I was completely moved out of the old place. The Vietnam Veterans of America came over to pick up my very large donation. The old place was cleaned, and the last trip to the storage unit was made. There only remains one box unpacked in my new home, and that holds all my tax prep. Yes, that still needs to be done. But the move was complete and my new home really was becoming one, especially after I hung the print my Irish faerie godmother gave me.

I smile every time I look at this.

There was only one thing left to do: Entertain. And that would come in the form of a Thank You party (called The World's Smallest Cocktail Party) for those who helped with the two yard sales. Once my taxes were done.

The Upside of Downsizing, Part 3

There comes a point in your move when you end up "camping" in your home. Everything but the bare essentials packed. There comes a point when you have nothing else to do but actually move. I reached that point on Monday. I wasn't set to move until Wednesday. Sometimes, being super prepared isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I signed the lease on Tuesday morning (19 February), paid the deposit, the prorated February rent and March's rent, too. Then, they handed me the keys and went right over to my new home before going to work. I walked in, and I swear the place had shrunk since the last time I was there, just the week before, to measure and discovered the living area (which truly describes it, as that is where I will be living, sleeping, working, entertaining and dining) is a mere 11x13.

After putting in my day of work, I went to Home Depot, got the primer and paint, and went back to my little mint tin to paint the kitchen cabinets and living area. The kitchen had an unfortunate (and slightly unlivable) scheme: wood cabinetry that was neither pine nor oak paired with an industrial grey counter top, stainless steel sink, black "dorm" sized refrigerator, white stove and brass cabinet pulls. It was a lot for the eyes to take in, and I'm failing to mention the beige hood that resides over the range because I try to keep that out of my mind (it was the one thing I couldn't easily remedy). White paint was going over that unidentifiable wood. The pulls would be spray painted silver (because I'm on a budget; new pulls would have cost nearly $30, while a can of paint was under $4). I would have to live with the black refrigerator next to the white stove.


The plan was to paint the living room and kitchen the night before so everything would be dry before the move on Wednesday morning. Once I got the doors off the cabinets and a coat of primer on them, I realized I would not have the time, energy or lingering desire to put that beautiful shade of "Prelude" on the living room walls.

[Editor's Note: Don't bother buying a gallon of wall color until you are absolutely sure you are going to paint, because you can't return it once it's mixed. The best way to be absolutely certain you are going to paint is to have the mouldings taped and the floor covered. If, after you've done that, you are still excited to wet your roller brush, head over to the paint department. Otherwise, save yourself that $40.]

A sort of "before" pic. I was moving so fast, I forgot to document the process/progress.

 

After the second coat of semi-gloss was applied, I went home and tried to sleep. Of course, there was always one more thing to do. I didn't get to bed until after 2:00. Up before 6:00, I showered and went back to the new abode to finish the cabinets. Instead of the scent of paint, I was slapped in the face by the smell of gas. Perfect. Nothing like a gas leak to start the day. I called The Gas Company and reported the incident, opened the windows and went about putting the hinges back on the doors and spray painting the pulls. Within 20 minutes, the gas man appeared. He fixed not one but three leaks in my heater, and finished it all in time for me to meet my friend, Gerard, back at my old place at 9:30 AM to begin the move.

I truly thought this was going to be the easiest move in the history of my moving. There would be one run from my old place with a few of the pieces I was taking with me (a chair, lamp and armoire), then a run to Ikea (dresser, kitchen cart and laptop table), and a run to pick up my futon. We had to be back by 1:00 to meet the cable guy, then all that would be left was to take out the old ceiling fan, put in the new, install the wall shelves and build the dresser. Oh, and put back on the cabinet doors. Pretty simple, right?

The initial run went fine. Everything in in about 5 minutes. After a stop at Starbucks, we were on our way to Ikea. As we got on the freeway, I realized that I had left my cash from the yard sale in the bank bag in my bedroom. We'd have to turn around. "Forget that," Gerard said. "I'll put it on my credit card and you can pay me back." What a guy. We made it to the Carson Ikea in no time, walked right into the self-service section and found that they did not have my dresser in stock (in spite of my obsessively checking its availabitliy online). That meant, we had to travel another 35 minutes south to Costa Mesa. Gerard was a sport about it. I, however, let out a litany of expletives that would make a sailor blush. Clearly, my lack of sleep was catching up with me.

On our way back, we made a quick stop at Home Depot to get new batteries for Gerard's drill, since it wasn't charging properly. When we discovered they didn't carry that battery, Gerard talked me into getting an electric screwdriver/mini drill to speed up the assembly process. After taking down the cabinets and reattaching the hinges by hand, he didn't have to twist my arm too hard. I believe it was the best $30 I spent during the move.

The greatest thing ever.

Once we got back, we started with installing the ceiling fan. That's not as easy as one would think, especially with original wiring. The wall shelves were next. Goodness. Whatever you do, if you forget your level, don't trust an iPhone app. But this was no longer about doing it right; it was about getting it done. Last, but not least, we put on the cabinet doors. By this point, it was 3:30, the cable guys had come and gone, and time to pick up the futon before traffic got in the way.


At a certain point, Ikea assembly is a one-person job. Gerard went to work on the dresser, as I made my way over to my old place to meet the woman who bought my bike for her to pick it up, and my dear friend, Stef, for her to get the garment rack. I then stuffed my car with clothes, bedding, and enough kitchen supplies to make it through the morning. I ran by Rainbow Acres to get myself some dinner, and, um, Taco Bell for Gerard's feast (God bless a guy who, when asked, "Whatever you want for dinner, I will be happy to get," asks for something from a drive-thru). I was back by 7:45. The dresser was taking form, but still far from being done. We took our dinner break and then worked together to finish my epic dresser. Gerard joked, "Did you really have to get the one with eight drawers?" Sadly, I did.



It was 10:00 PM by the time the last drawer slid in. Gerard had to be exhausted, but he didn't let it show. I am unbelievably grateful for all that he did on that very long day. My simple little move would have been impossible without him.


After Gerard left, I started to unpack what I had brought over. Feathered the nest, if you will. Then, I pulled out the futon and went to bed happy. I was home. But the move was still far from done.

The Upside of Downsizing, Part 2

They say that moving is one of the most stressful life events, outside of death, divorce or illness. But I've never seen it that way. Moving was always easy for me. Nothing to dread; just do it. My process was simple. I would buy file boxes so they would stack neatly and not require tape, move my most precious items myself (computer, TV, clothes and dishes), then hire movers to do the rest. Because I was all packed and ready to go, the move with the movers would usually come under the two-hour minimum, so it would be cost- and time-efficient. This move, however, was different for two reasons: 1) For the first time, I was moving into a smaller place; and 2) I was having a huge moving sale.

Moving is easy. You just pack everything up and go. Moving sales? Oh my. That just means that, not only are you navigating around your packed boxes, you must also deal with the mounds of merchandise you are planning to sell.

I had put up an ad on Craigslist for an "Epically Awesome Moving Sale -- Everything MUST Go! Saturday 9-3", which seemed to be the key. In the ad, I listed the larger items (furniture, bike, Fluidity Bar, etc.), with their prices and let people know that, if they were interested in a big ticket item, email me and I would hold it until 9:30 AM. Right away, I had one gentleman, who recently moved to L.A., email me and asked for most of my furniture. Another email came in from a woman who truly wanted my bike. The Fluidity Bar, however, was the first to go -- happily to a dear friend. The sale was already off to a successful start, and it was only Thursday night!

[Editor's Note: If you are at all interested in a Fluidity Bar, get it. Not only did I love it, but you will have no problem selling it. I'm still getting inquiries.]

The budget I needed for the futon, dresser and other necessities for the new home was $800. And, if I sold all my big ticket items at the asking price (which were indeed priced to sell), I would just make that. But, as I packed and sorted, I started pulling everything else that I realized wouldn't fit in my new home and didn't make sense to store (even though I might really, really love it). Soon, even more was going up on the selling block: my second set of pots and pans, serving platters, glasses, VHS tapes and VCR (technological antiques), coats, purses, shoes, aprons (so many of my beloved aprons!), vases, knick-knacks...you name it, it was going up for sale.

Not my yard sale...but sort of what it looked/felt like.

I had rustled up some wonderful friends to help me set up the sale and keep and eye on things, because it was going to be so big. The gents were coming over at 8:00 AM to move the bigger furnishings, my big buyer for the furniture was coming over at 8:30 -- I was going to have to hustle. I got up that Saturday morning at 6:00 AM, put up my signage, ran to the store to pick up doughnuts and bagels, then over to Starbucks for a "traveller" of much-needed coffee that was to be ready for me at 7:30.

When I got to Starbucks, there was a homeless gentleman sitting at the outside table in front of the store. I saw him as I parked and noticed how his hands were shaking. He was not in good shape. He was only about my age. As I walked up to the door, he politely asked for money. I told him, "Let me see what I can do." I got the man some food and drink to carry him through the day and walked it out to him while the Starbucks team finished my order. "I hope this helps," I told him. He thanked me as he looked in the bag. When I came back out just a moment later (truly, only a few seconds later), he was gone. Nowhere in sight. Vanished. Not a trace. I hoped what I did would be enough for him that day. I was lucky to be moving into a new home. And everyone deserves a home.

*********

I made it back to my place just before Lawrence arrived, and we went right to work. Serge showed up a few minutes later and, of course, Sheila showed up early. Now, there were four of us in motion. The big buyer came right on time, put down a deposit, and would be back the next day with a friend and a moving truck to pick up all the furniture. Things were off to a good start.

Unfortunately, I still hadn't priced everything and it was going out faster than I could keep up. In spite of the 9:00 start time, people were ready to buy as soon as the stuff went out. Thank God for my friends. Lawrence, Serge and Sheila did an incredible job setting up and managing the crowd. I was out of breath running back and forth, answering questions from the guys still hauling stuff out, and Sheila fielding inquiries from the buyers. I don't know what I would have done without them. They are pure gold.

My plan for the sale was to keep things as simple as possible. Because of all the change I was going through, the last thing I wanted to do was make change. I priced everything at $1 or more. If someone wanted a discount, I asked them to purchase something else and we would negotiate. This wasn't about greed; it was about volume. I needed everything to go, because it couldn't go with me. No one seemed to mind, and I believe that's because I really did under-price most of the items. There wasn't much haggling, and thank goodness for that.

Finally, the sun broke out, the day heated up, and the rush died down. It had been a while since anyone had stopped by or purchased anything. Lawrence had left to go rollerblading by the beach, Sheila left to meet up with friends for lunch, and Daniele had stopped by to keep me company along with steadfast Serge. I grew a little worried that was all the business I would do, concerned there was only a short time left to sell, and so much merchandise to move. I snuck into the house to count my takings to see if I had at least made enough for the futon and the dresser (the true necessities for the new home)...and then I looked up at the clock. I was convinced it was at least 1:30 PM. Nope. It wasn't even 11:30 AM. I was already exhausted, and there was still hours to go.

Things continued to be slow for another hour. Daniele and I just chatted and greeted the looky-loos. Then, this wonderful young woman came up. Her name was Butterfly and, as luck would have it, I have an affinity for butterflies and have received many gifts in that theme. She scooped them all up. When she told me her name, I excused myself and dashed into my house. I took down my treasured butterfly mobile that hung in the corner of my dining nook and danced in the spring and summer breezes. It was given to me by a dear friend, and I wanted Butterfly to have it. She was very touched when I brought it out to her. I told her it was meant to be. I tallied up her purchases...and then she added more things, and more things. We have the same shoe size; she purchased my beloved British, black leather boots. She bought clothes and books and soon there was a huge heap that was hers. I tallied it up, discounting and gifting her as I went. Still, it came to $471 (her purchases filled three boxes). I brought that down to $450. She gave me a deposit and said she would be back in an hour with the rest of the cash.

I couldn't believe what had just happened. Daniele and I looked at each other. "That was an angel," Daniele declared. "Yes, she is," I agreed.

As the day wore on, the deals got better. "Take it," I would say. "I just want it to have a good home." Which was true. This was stuff (and, yes, it's just stuff), that I had chosen, loved, that had in some way enriched my life. I couldn't take it with me, so if it made it into the hands of someone who wanted it or -- more importantly -- needed it, I was grateful.

At the end of the day, there were some big ticket items that didn't sell. My bed frame, my desk and my sofa were the biggest. I left my desk and sofa out on the corner with "free" signs on them. I was too tired to even consider carrying them back in. As I was gathering items to bring inside, a new neighbor came by. I told her if there was anything she wanted, grab it. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Absolutely," I answered. She took my table lamp. "I really need a lamp," she said. See? Happy. I took in the rest of the items in, placed them in my empty kitchen, ordered Thai food, then passed out on the floor -- literally, since my sofa was still outside. I believe I fell asleep about 6:30 PM, after I emailed friends that I would miss their fundraiser (and Dave Navarro!) because I was dangerously tired. The subject of that email was: "I Just Picked Up My Remote to Make a Phone Call". Yes. I was that out of it.

The next day, the big buyer came to pick up the rest of the furniture. I noticed my desk had gone, but the sofa was still out there. Oh golly. I waved goodbye to my big buyer, and did a final count. After all was said and done, I brought in over $1,200 from my Epically Awesome Moving Sale. And I was both relieved and grateful. I started to well up over my good fortune, then composed myself, grabbed my stack of Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons and headed over with my list. There were only three more days until the move. I needed a compact dish rack, over-the-door shoe rack, over-the-door mirror, drying rack and a smaller lampshade for my floor lamp (because every inch in my new place counts). On my way to B3, I stopped at Starbucks. There is never enough caffeine when you are moving. On my way back, Daniele texted: "I just saw a guy taking a nap on your sofa." Oh my. He was still there when I got home. I was hoping he was waiting as a friend went to get a bigger car to haul it away. Unfortunately, no. But the next day, it was gone. Off to a good home, I hope.