The Best Laid Plans . . . .

Is summer over?  How quickly it went from very hot to not so hot and cool evenings.  I know—you like autumn.  You like the leaves turning colors, the cool breezes, getting out your sweaters and boots, and having pumpkin spice latte.  Good for you!  I am not a fan of autumn.  For me it’s a huge reminder that winter is on its way, and the days will become shorter and shorter, and it will be dark before dinner time.  That is not as bad for me as it used to be when I was working.  I just hated going home at 4:30 or 5:00 and it’s dark outside.  In the midwest, not only does that happen, but the leaves start falling off the trees, and the temperature starts dropping.  To me Autumn says, “Hey look at me.  I am bringing you to the brink of dark and cold.”

Fortunately, we now go do Arizona in the winter.  Our plan has always been that we would buy the house in Arizona, and enjoy January to May in the sunshine.  We would put our Missouri house on the market, sell it, and rent something near Columbia, Missouri, to be near my Dennis’ mom until she passes.  Then we will make Arizona our permanent home.

Plans are easy to make.  Executing them is another thing since much of it is out of our hands.  Our home didn’t sell, so we were not renting.  Then Dennis’ mom passed away a couple weeks ago.  That threw a wrench in what I thought was well thought out plans.  It does relieve us of the rental thing, but we still have our home in Missouri.  We were going to go back to Arizona the first of December and stay through May since there are no graduations we need to be in Missouri for in 2020.  

Shortly after the funeral, Dennis said to me, “Let’s go to Arizona in October.”  At first it just threw me off of my game.  Why that was weeks before what we planned.  But then, what we planned isn’t what has happened.  Sure, we could go to Arizona in October.  Then we looked at our calendars.  We had several follow-up type doctor’s appointments in November and December.  We got on the phone and rearranged all the appointments.  One of the doctors didn’t have an opening until October 17.  Okay, we will go after that date.  We have rearranged our doctor appointments, and made new ones for ones we were going to have to make.  I even gave in to a 7:30 a.m. appointment in order to make a change.  If you know me well, you know I am forever grateful for being retired, and I don’t have to get out of bed until 8:00 a.m.  For this appointment, I have to leave the house at 6:45 a.m.  It is for a good cause though—our getting ready to be back in Arizona.  Everything is now set for leaving after October 17.

Our house, you ask?  It’s still on the market.  There are some really good prospects that may bring a contract very soon.  In the meantime, we will take 99.9% of our belongings with us to Arizona in October.  We are not taking furniture.  The house there is already furnished.  We will keep furniture, bedding, kitchen stuff at a minimum, and whatever small amount of items we need to live here in the summer.  So instead of having a winter home, we will live in Arizona, and our Missouri home will be our summer home.  If we get a contract on it before we plan to return, we already know how we will come back to town, and move everything out for the closing of the house.  One of the things Dennis and I are good at is logistics.  We have a Plan A, and then a Plan B.  If we need to, we can come up with a Plan C.  We will then become permanent residents of sunny Arizona!

Here I am talking about going back mid October, and I forgot to mention, other than doctor’s appointments, I am having surgery on September 4.  When this was planned, although I didn’t know our original plan was going to change so drastically, I asked the doctor about how long recovery would be.  He told me if I was not retired and was working a desk job, I would be able to go back to work in two weeks.  I couldn’t lift or do heavy stuff, but I would be mobile and well enough by then.  So, taking that in mind, it will be about six weeks until we leave for Arizona.  That works.  

We started packing boxes the other day.  With Dennis having a new shoulder, he cannot do heavy lifting, and after September 4, I won’t be able to do that either.  Our plan is to have the majority of the boxes packed by September 4.  Then we will ask for some help packing the last minute boxes and loading them into our car and trailer we plan to rent to move our belongings.

It’s a plan.  It’s the Plan A for the October move down.  There may have to be a Plan A (Revision A).  I am actually on call for jury duty this week.  That’s right, Callaway County Missouri, wants me to do my civic duty this week.  They wanted me to do it last spring, but I replied to their request that I was living in Arizona until May, so they happily moved my dates for sometime in August, September, or October.  I was really hoping the house would be sold, and I could tell them I no longer live in Callaway County.  We don’t plan to change residencies until we have officially sold our home.

Callaway County has a call-in number.  We have to call in everyday to see if there is jury duty the next day.  I called the number last night.  I am free as a bird today.  Great!  Dennis has a couple doctor’s appointments today, and he is not allowed to drive yet.  Hopefully, his orthopedic doctor will give him the okay this afternoon.  Yes, I know.  Had I been called into jury duty, with our 2nd car garaged in Arizona, he would have to drive me to the courthouse so he could drive himself to his doctor to get permission to drive!  

I miss the hot outdoors.  It’s not September yet.  I want another week to use the pool, but 60 degree temps at night really cool the water down too much for me.  I may be finished with this pool for this season.  There will be no swimming after September 4.  It makes me kind of sad.  We do have a community pool in Arizona.  Surely it is open in the autumn with their lovely weather.  I might get a bit of pool time in after all.  

I better get to work.  So far Plan A with no revisions is still on the table.  I know it will all work out.  I may have to make a Plan B, C, or D.  It’s okay, if I do.  I know that God’s timing is much better than mine.