Hi friends, and happy Wednesday!
I’m writing this from my new office in our new home in Florida.
Yep! We just made a big move from Maryland, where we’d lived for thirty-one years, to Florida. Let me tell you, you can accumulate A LOT of stuff being in the same house for thirty years. Yikes!
We had a purging party, decluttered, and sent a ton to Goodwill and the Veterans Pick Up Service. Yet, we got here and realized we still brought too much, so we’re giving away another huge purge of items—books (so hard to part with), furniture, and décor.
In some ways, it’s hard to part with certain items like the books I mentioned, but in other ways, it feels liberating to let go of things we don’t need, especially knowing they are going to people who need and can use them.
I’m even thinning out my office and some research books. As an author, this is akin to giving away prize possessions. I’m sure you can relate to those books you haven’t read in years, but you know “one day” they’ll come in handy. So hard.
But my office is coming together…slowly. I still have boxes everywhere and can’t tell you where my Sharpies, staples, or sticky notes are, but the main furniture pieces are in place, and my writing nook is set up, so I’m very happy.
I’ve chosen the Florida room to set up my office in. It’s surrounded by glass, and outside is a wonderful row of foliage—palm trees and mature trees. I really feel like I’m sitting outside even when I’m in the nice cool of the room. I pray I’ll be able to write lots of new books from this office and, most likely, the chair in the above picture.
It’ll take time to settle in, but the major pieces are in place—writing nook, bed, and, of course, coffee pot and espresso machine. A girl has got to have her necessities. LOL!
Question for you:
When was the last time you moved, and what did you set up first?
If you haven’t moved, have you ever had to part with books? So hard, right?
As always, thanks for joining me this week from the chaos of my new place. I’ll share more pics as the place comes together. I wish you a wonderful week filled with peace and the joy of the Lord.
Best,
Dani
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First the kitchen. Then the Wi-Fi and electronics. Then my bathroom.
Finally sewing and crafts!
That’s a great order 🙂
So glad you’re all moved in. I’m sure that was a whirlwind.
My husband was in the Navy for 20 years and we moved often, four times in one year! But we settled in Virginia, his last duty station and have been here 30 years. I can’t even believe that. We need to purge some things after being here so long. It’s definitely hard to get rid of books!
Enjoy your new home.
Thanks so much, Deena. That’s a lot of moves! My hubby was Navy before we got married and I know families moved so much. Glad you’ve got to stay in VA for so long 🙂
So grateful you guys got there safely. Moving is tough (we just did it and are still with boxes). But I pray this next stage of life is your best yet this side of eternity. Enjoy that new office!
Are you still in the Franklin area or do we look forward to books placed in your new location?
Thank you so much, Tammy! I so appreciate your prayers. I hope you had a smooth move and that you love your new home.
Your new home is lovely and with such a stunning view! Enjoy!
Less than a year ago, my husband and I sold our house of 45 years and moved into an over-55 apartment community. We love it here–super nice people, lots of activities, no upkeep of yard or house, close to places we love to frequent, lots of new friends, etc. I had hundreds of books that I needed to rehouse. I kept about 100, donated many to libraries, and gave many away. We hired a company to pack us, move us, and set things up. In advance we had agreed on a floor plan, which they used to set up our new home. They even cleared out the boxes. What a blessing!
Aww. Thank you.
So glad you’re loving your new home. Wow. That a is a tremendous blessing. If we ever moved again that’s the way to go, but after this move my hubby said he’s never moving again. LOL!
Your new home looks wonderful, Dani! Love all the windows. We’ve been in this same house for nearly 35 years, and I can’t imagine how hard it would be to prep, purge, and move it all. Glad set up is going well!
Aww. Thanks, friend. It’s crazy the amount of stuff we’d collect and we brought too much and are still purging.
How exciting, Dani! I love the view out your Florida room/office windows. That will be so inspiring!
We moved from Kansas to Missouri 5 years ago. In our 50-year marriage, we’ve lived in 9 different places and I’ve concluded I HATE moving out of a house but I LOVE moving into a new house and making it a home.
I can’t wait to see more photos as you get settled in. Welcome to your new home!
Thank you so much. Yep. I hate moving for sure. But it is wonderful putting together our new home.
Thanks so much!
So glad you’ve got the biggest part of the moving job over, Dani. Whew! Your writing space looks so cozy and inviting with those big windows. I know many great books will come from there. We haven’t moved in over 24 years, and I’m really hoping to avoid moving for the rest of my life. Ha! My youngest son will be finishing his air traffic control training in the next week or so and will need to move to wherever his placement is, so we have a smaller move coming up very soon. I won’t mind getting some of his things that we’ve been storing out of my house, but I’m going to miss HIM like crazy.
Aww Thank you! I don’t blame you. Avoid the work if you can. LOL!
I bet. It’s so hard when they officially leave home for adulthood. Praying for you, friend.
What a lovely room for your office! We last moved in 2020, however due to our horrific house issues in 2023, we had to essentially move out of and into our same house again! Ugh! I don’t know that I consistently set up one thing first (except the bed to fall into, exhausted!), but I always do the books last so I can take my time and arrange them how I want. 🙂
Praying you feel settled very quickly!
I’ve moved into new homes three times. Once when I got married, the second time when my husband’s grandmother moved in with his parents (we moved to her trailer) and third when we switched from the trailer to the house with his parents. I regret that I sold my Nancy Drew series that my mom got me each year for Christmas when we moved to the trailer. I’m now buying copies to replace what I got rid of and hoping to find my name in one of them. I am currently purging stuff that we don’t use anymore, school supplies went to a local school. I have coats to give them too. I have a Serger and thread I’m giving to the local high school. I’ve given some books to my counselor for others to benefit from. On your research books, is there a possibility that you can email me the titles and if there are some I would like, I could purchase them from you?
Love the new digs. Purging is the hardest. Letting go of books is hard. Love the new office space. Enjoy being closer to family.
Will miss you here in Maryland.
Glad it all went well. Best wishes!
I haven’t moved since 2002. But I did pack up my late MIL’s apartment a few months ago, and she had downsized substantially and still had a lot. Still unpacking what I brought home and purging my stuff to accommodate it.
Everything looks beautiful, especially your new office! The last time I moved was 28 years ago and I’m afraid I’ll be facing many of the same challenges. With a large unfinished basement, we haven’t been forced to make too many decisions about what to keep. Perhaps we should begin purging now!
A tornado tore through our town & took mine & my daughter’s home. So tornado did a lot of purging. I moved into a bedroom of my other daughter’s home for 2 yrs. Then 2,years ago we found a house with a MIL’s quarters and moved there. Didn’t have to purge much. It was nice for me to spread out. My living room area & bedroom was the first big set up. My couch is by big picture window. It is my “spot”.
My wife and I have lived at the same address for 51 years as of the 22nd of this month. We moved from a four-room duplex in Kentucky to a three-bedroom ranch-style house with a carport and full basement in Virginia. I don’t remember for sure, but I think we set up our bedroom first followed by our daughter’s bedroom. Twenty years later, we enclosed the carport, making a large family room, laundry room, and full bath, with an additional room in the basement. If we were downsizing today, my books would be the most difficult thing to let go. I think my wife would struggle to part with her kitchen cookware, etc.
Last time we moved (here) was almost 30 years ago, so I feel your clutter and book pain. We have to do a purge so this house works for US, and not the kids, who moved on quite a while ago. If only our daughter would stop moving every year. We could get rid of her stuff instead of storing it!
Congratulations on your move!
We moved into our current house almost 28 years ago—-on Christmas Eve (not by choice—the people who bought our previous home needed us to be out by then). So, after assuring my then-young kiddos that Santa would find our new house, we took down the tree at our old house, tied it onto my van, and put it up in our brand-new living room! When I look back at that Christmas Eve and Christmas, I know the Lord was with us as not a single present was lost and no ornaments broken! Whew! A Christmas miracle!! 🙂
Now I really need to purge in this house because I’ve accumulated waaay too much over the years!
Enjoy your wonderful new office space – – it sounds ideal!
Hi Dani,
Welcome to Florida! Your new home looks lovely!
I can’t believe we’ve been in this house 16 years already! Recently, I got the urge to purge and spent one hour cleaning out a drawer in my kitchen sideboard. The drawer had gotten so heavy, it was ridiculous. There were various programs and other paper items we just threw in because we didn’t know what else to do with them, 16 years worth! I put a stack of papers a foot high into recycling. Now that is crazy. I’m beginning to work on reducing my book inventory, but it is SO HARD!
So excited for you, Dani! Moving is a big deal. We did it last year, but only a mile away. I always like to have at least one bathroom and the kitchen set up first. I’m still trying to get a writing space defined but will have it done at some point. Happy writing in your new home!
Our last move was also to Florida – central Florida. First was the kitchen, we still have stuff in boxes – 7 years ugh. Some is the “memories” from when the kids were little and i am slowly shipping them off to the respective kid.
Give yourself grace to take your time and keep the “important” stuff even if it doesn’t seem like it is important.
Praying the weather helps with your health issues — but i have learned when the storms change the atmospheric pressure there can be mild new symptoms or flares.
If you are nearby, and in need ideas of ideas for places to visit or just a helping hand i would be happy to give you some.
Congratulations on your move & setting up a great office space! (Love the view!) We set up our bed(s), bathroom necessities, and kitchen items first when we move. It takes me forever to figure out where to hang decor, so that is usually the last thing to go up. (Sorry, Deb Raney!)
Parting with books is like giving away your friends. I used to teach elementary school, so had built up a large children’s library. But, when I left the teaching field (and we moved a dozen or so times) then I slowly started parting with the majority of those books. I have kept a few series or books that are from my childhood, but am happy to give/gift them to friends or family when they visit.
Welcome to Fl. I also live in Fl east space coast area. I have moved as an adult exactly 2 and 1/2 times. Once when I got married, and then once a year ago from that home I lived in for 34 years. I’m a teacher so I had a whole room of teaching things. I also moved half of those things for 3 months while searching for the house I purchased a year ado. I set up kitchen my bedroom and school room right away since I was also crazy to move as school was just starting.