The Navage Patch is Dead, Long Live The Navage Patch!

There are times in life when you have to pour a stiff martini, plop your butt in a chair, look around, arch your eyebrows, sip the martini, shrug your shoulders and say, “Welp, I have no idea what just happened, but I think I like it. Yep, I certainly think I like it.”

If you had told me during the Christmas holiday, as Handan and I sat by our hearth warming our middle-aged bones by a crackling fire, that in six months we’d be Georgians, I’d have walked into the kitchen, retrieved eggs and cream from the refrigerator and bourbon from the liquor cabinet. I’d then have whipped the egg whites with sugar, vanilla and freshly ground nutmeg and then folded them into a mixture of cream, egg yolks, sugar and bourbon. Once satisfied that I had crafted the absolute perfect Christmas eggnog, I would have taken an obligatory sip and then poured the rest over your head.

It would have served you right for being a delusional crackpot spewing nonsensical stories in my living room!

Georgia!

As if!

Seriously, fictional madam! I really don’t know what’s gotten into you!

But.

BUT!

If then you told me that before we would become Georgians, the entire population of planet Earth would go bonkers and willingly lock themselves up for two months while world economies crashed and talking heads on TV injected every citizen with syringe after syringe of Industrial-Strength Verbal Terror, well then I would have gone back into the kitchen, prepared another Ultimate Eggnog and offered it to you with my thanks and gratitude for the hearty laugh!

But we are Georgians.

And the world has been turned on its wet and rocky ear.

Yet here I sit, martini in hand (well, on a small table, if you want to get technical), and as I look around this empty house – these floors and walls that now constitute our home – I marvel at the journey that brought us here and at the time in human history that it happened.

And it moves me to open the front door, inhale a lungful of warm Georgia air and proclaim to the neighborhood and whoever may be listening:

The Navage Patch is dead, long live The Navage Patch!

Yep, we finally did it!

A few months ago, I hinted at this upcoming move with a promise that after a short lull, The Navage Patch would be back and stronger than ever.

Well, sister, we’re back!

And do we have a whole slew of projects in the pipeline!

HoooWeeee! My back is aching just thinking about all the stuff I’ll be doing around here in the next few years as I slowly make my way through Handan’s “Babes-Do” list!

But it will all be worth my groaning back and throbbing knees. There’s a new Navage Patch now, and it’s going to be grand!

Let’s take one last peek at The-House-Formerly-Known-As-The-Navage-Patch before moving forward and southward.

Remember this place? Take a last look.

Back in February, after I deposited Handan into a small studio apartment in Atlanta, I flew back to Connecticut to begin the daunting task of packing up The Navage Patch, loading it into a bunch of POD containers and then shipping our live to more southerly climes.

It was a miserable job, and the only thing that kept me going day after grueling day was the thought of being back together with my babes in a place where snow is a rarity.

I’ll spare you the sob story of my months of misery as I toiled alone in the empty house, but I will say this: clearing out that basement was a job I’ll not soon forget!

I’m sure you remember my underground lair, but just in case, let me refresh your memory:

It was the model specimen of an unmitigated disaster.

I didn’t fear packing up the house alone. But the basement gave me night terrors.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi noted that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.

So too the journey to empty this overstuffed sausage of a basement.

As I took that first step down our recently-renovated basement stairs, I could not envision the time when the basement would be clear.

It seemed like too much. An overwhelming task for one person.

But fortune visited in the form of a virus.

It closed the schools and delivered an able-bodied teenage helper just as I needed one most.

With Baris’s help, the burden eased and little-by-little we packed and hauled our way through the basement.

The basement alone took a few weeks, but in the end we prevailed.

And we packed almost everything! Sure, there was some legitimate garbage that got tossed into a rented dumpster (oh, what a sweet day that was!), but most of the stuff came with us. What looks like a pile of crap to the untrained eye is really a pile of future projects! So in the name of furthering The Navage Patch, it was all loaded into PODs.

All the Christmas stuff. All the Halloween decor. All the machines and the wood and the random odds and ends that we’ve collected over the years.

Even this guy:

In the end, it took 5 PODs to fit all of our stuff, and I’d guess that half came from the basement.

I left the gas grill for the new owners, but I’d never give up my kamado!

I can’t wait for this POD to arrive (number 4), so we can start grilling again!

The boy earned a good sushi lunch on dumpster day – eaten in the traditional Japanese manner of sitting Indian style on asphalt with two body bags nearby.

Eventually and finally, I shut and locked the door on the last POD.

A few days later, I hopped in the car and headed south. We had closed on our Connecticut house, and now I needed to get my butt to Georgia so we could close on our new house in Suwanee.

This was it!

We’d been gearing up for this event since late January.

As we waited to sign the closing documents, Handan and her special counsel discussed some last-minute details of the deal.

Hey, we closed on May 4th, so it was only fitting! 😀

And with that, the torch officially passed. The Navage Patch is now in Suwanee, Georgia.

We stepped into this house, now our new home.

There is so much to do now, and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

Stay tuned for an empty-house tour!

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163 Comments

    1. Welcome back! ….so glad you survived the audacious task of moving ! 😉 ….and we are thrilled you are back on-line again!

  1. Welcome neighbor! I’m in Monroe and currently working on a humming bird swing from your page to give my mom for mother’s day.

    Good luck with the rest of your unpacking.

  2. When I read your comment I thought you were saying good bye.? As I read on I rejoiced to read that you were continuing the Navage Patch!! I am thrilled!! I have missed you guys so much, your humor and your great projects have carried me thru many a day. Now with the Corona Virus I needed that or than ever. I may not make all the projects you list I very much enjoy the commentary that goes with. Good Luck and may your family prosper in your new home!! Glad to see you guys are back!!!

    1. Thank you so much, Mona! And don’t worry, we’re not going ANYWHERE! I’ll be back to posting twice a week now, and our projects will be starting up real soon! 🙂

  3. Congratulations on your new home. It is beautiful and no doubt will be even better when you add all your project art. Stay safe. I look forward to your next post!

  4. Glad the Navage Patch isn’t really dead; what a relief! You did a wonderful job…it took me eight months to clear my parents’ basement. I finished just before the new owners were due to take possession. I dread the thought of ever moving from where I now live; the basement makes yours look empty. 🙁 Really!

    1. Oh wow! couldn’t imagine emptying a basement even more cluttered than ours! Good job, and I hope you don’t have to empty it again! 🙂

  5. What a journey !! Congratulations to you all (don’t make me (a native Cape Codder) say it…..ok y’all. Ugh. Congratulations to y’all. I am so delighted the Patch will keep creating. One of my very favorite blogs ever. So excited to see what comes next in your lives. ❤️ Stay safe and be well. ❤️

    1. LOLOLOL! Handan’s been practicing her “Ya’ll.” I’ll have more to say about that in my next post, LOL! 🙂

  6. Glad your back! and big Congrats on the new house!
    I envision you changing the stairs banisters already. . . hahahaha!!
    Can’t wait to see what projects are in store!

    1. LOL, you are correct, Diane! We already have a lot of changes underway, and the stairs are one of them. Stay tuned for details!

  7. Congratulations on the new house and WELCOME to the south!! During your travels getting to know the area, be sure you find a boiled peanut stand. I know you’ve eaten a lot of Susan”different” food, so this shouldn’t be toooo much of a shock. 😀

    1. Thank you, Susan! I will eat boiled peanuts the first chance I get! Handan says it sounds similar to the iced almonds in Turkey. They soak them in hot water and then pour them over a big block of ice and then serve them iced. 🙂

  8. Missed you guys – so good to see you back again. New house teasing glimpse looks good… that staircase!

  9. Aw we’ll never forget the old place but can’t wait to see what you will do with your new home. Glad to know Halloween and Christmas went with you and the treasures from the basement, which now it’s empty looks about twice the size of our tiny bungalow.

    1. Congratulations on your move! OMG, that basement looked HUGE when it was empty! My son and his wife (and teenage daughter are still expecting your call!) Give them a yell when you’re allowed out of the house in Georgia! Thankfully, Texas started to open up this week! (It’s been a bumpy start, thanks to some Freedom-loving rebels!) LOL!

    2. Onward and upward, Catherine! (Or in this case, Southward.) If you think that basement is big, wait till you see our new one!

  10. I ALSO thought you were closing your blog!! Glad to read that you aren’t!! Congrats on all the good things happening in you and your’s lives.

  11. Hi y’all!
    Cannot wait for the projects. Was almost afraid to open the email worried that y’all were shutting down The Navage Patch! Happy that your family and your blog have found a new home.
    Julie

  12. I love moving and also a great way to week through items. Now a completely different area for you all, such as weather. people and sights. Make new friends and course you have all of us on your blog! We care! Now go make your new house yours! I bet you will be painting…..lol

  13. I was also worried. You guys are a source of therapy for me. I enjoy everything you do and was always looking forward to the next post. Congratulations on you new home. Many years of happiness and projects. I will look forward to each and every one of them. God bless you.

  14. Welcome to Georgia!!! I’m just down the road in Decatur. We should have a Navage Patch meetup when the pandemic eases! Y’all are going to love it down here! Side note, I dream of having a large basement like that where I can set up my shop… Does the new house have something comparable?

    1. Glad you are settling in and back on the “patch.” Stay safe and blog away, we are all waiting!

    2. Thank you, Geoff! I’m all for a meetup when we’re allowed to socialize again! The new house also has a large, unfinished basement, though it has been framed out.

  15. I have been thinking of you so much! Too much time in between. Phew, you’re all in good shape, YEAH. I am glad you are all in the same (albeit empty) place. Moving is tough tough work! And moving in Isn’t a whole lot easier but oh, the relief when you are done 🙂 Please tell me the Navage Patch NOT altogether dead!!!! I was so looking to y’all NPS (Navage Patch South). All the best!

    1. Don’t worry, Karen – we’re still going strong! The Navage Patch will thrive wherever we plant our roots! We’re back now and we’ll be stronger than ever! 🙂

  16. Welcome to Georgia. Just a warning that even though snow is a rarity just the mention of snow in the forecast the schools will close. And if it snows more than 2” and sticks on the road, Just about everything will shut. A few years back it started snowing at rush hour and it came heavy and quick. I75 was at a stand still and people were stuck in there cars for hours. It made the national news and people made fun of us stupid Southerners but because A big snow is a rare occurrence our cities are not equipped to handle it. Oh yeah I don’t know about the humidity in Connecticut but It can be brutal in the Summer. Again Welcome to the South and I can’t wait for the blog to get started back. I’ve missed it

    1. Thank you, Stacye! I can’t wait to see the meltdown when it snows here. I’ve lived in CT, VT, CO and in the mountains of CA, so I’m well-adjusted to winter driving. I’m sure it will be a hoot to see how folks react down here. Just as long as I’m not stuck in the middle of it, lol! As for the summers, we lived in Qatar, Vietnam and India – all of which were ridiculously hot and humid, so I’m hoping I con cope with it. Heat and humidity are not my most favorite things. Handan on the other hand? It’s her native weather, so she’ll be in heaven in the summers!

  17. Congrats and welcome back. Looking forward to seeing the house and the new projects you will line up for it. Glad to see that big smile on Handan’s face too.
    And to learn, I have been eating sushi all wrong all this time. Geez. Time to find some body bags. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in these crazy times. Best stay away from the news so you stay sane.

    1. Thank you, Laurie! I learned long ago that the “news” was useless. More so now than ever, I’d imagine. Everyone here is healthy and good, and we’re going to stay that way 🙂

  18. Ok, what am I missing? Why is no one asking the important question! Explain the body bags!

    1. Just some former business associates, Martha, Nothing to concern yourself with. Just kidding, they were an old Halloween prop from our first year in the house 😀

  19. Well, how about that! Welcome to Georgia. And you’re right, not much snow here, so hope that’s not a thing you were into.
    Can’t wait to see what you do with the new house!

    1. Thank you, Kelley! I was into snow when I was a kid. As an adult with a driveway, I began to hate it, so good riddance! 🙂

  20. Welcome South! I live about 30 minutes north of you, up I-85 in Jefferson! In fact, I know exactly where your house is. It is lovely! You will like Suwanee. So glad you are going to have more posts! I like another reply, was afraid you were stopping your posts!
    Rest a while and then I will be looking for your emails. God Bless!

  21. Welcome to GA! We are about 10 minutes down the street in Peachtree Corners. I hope you like it here. It’s definitely different in the south, but hopefully you’ll find things to love about it, as we have.

  22. Oh thank goodness you’re not shutting down the blog!! Y’all were sorely missed. So very excited for you both and all your new adventures (and very excited to see we’ll all be soon crafting again with you)! You’re going to LOVE all the sweet hospitality the South has to offer.

  23. I’ve been wondering about y’all and missing your posts. Welcome back and welcome to the South!
    PS I have a barn that has similar content as that basement. It’s scary how much stuff is accumulated for “future projects”. I have been banned from going to the dump because I bring back more than I take.

    1. Thank you, Kelly! I know – the stuff builds up so fast! We’ll have a little more restraint this time around, lol! 🙂

  24. Wow, how timely. I was just recently thinking about you, well, er…The Navage Patch. (I wouldn’t want to cause any alarm there with the babes…lol) I have missed your entertaining blog posts. So happy you’re back in the saddle. Looking forward to the house tour and more projects. May the fourth was definitely with you!

  25. You’re not too far away from our friends in Coal Mountain :). So happy to hear you’re settling in! Can’t wait to see what you do with the new place buy I’m curious: is your new house bigger than the old one?

  26. Welcome back and welcome to the south! I’ve missed your blog big-time and eagerly await the new projects you post. Your empty basement photo boggles my mind. Hope you have a nice shop to work in at your new home.

    1. Thank you, Kay, we’re thrilled to be Southerners! I don’t have my workshop set up yet, but I have a great space for it!

  27. It made me happy to see TNP listed in my new emails this morning! I definitely noticed that you STILL weren’t back and how long it had been……….welcome back!

  28. I have missed you guys a lot. I was dealing with family stuff with my dad’s health but not from the virus. Dementia finally took him but I am at peace knowing he is now.
    Suddenly I noticed no emails from you.
    Glad you are going to be back soon.
    You two rock and I love your crafts and ideas.
    Congratulations on the move and new house.

    1. Thank you, Teresa, and I’m so sorry to hear about your dad. I’m glad you’ve found peace knowing that his suffering is over.

  29. OMG! I was thinking of you all just YESTERDAY!
    I’m do glad you’re all together, safe, and back with us! I totally missed you guys!
    Karen

    1. Congratulations on getting settled in. Can’t wait for the new posts. And welcome to the South. I live in South Carolina so not too far away. Invest in Citronella or any mosquito spray!!

  30. I am SO glad to see that the Navage Patch will be continuing, bigger and better than ever! I seldom comment, even on my favorite blogs, but it is worth it to see you are returning to your thousands of devoted fans! Can’t wait to see your new house and workshop set up! BTW, don’t feel bad about having 5 PODS filed; when l moved last December, l had three 26-foot trucks, 4 ten foot trucks, and a couple dozen Jeep loads full of my things, and that was AFTER donating 2000+ books to my local library and leaving my old house’s new owners with lots of goodies! They were thrilled! So, good luck with the unpacking and setting up of your new house, and remember that Rome was not built in a day!

    1. Hi Diane, thanks for commenting! Oh my god, I can’t imagine how much stuff it would take to fill all those trucks! Phew, I’m tired just thinking about it! Makes me feel better about our 5 PODS! 🙂

  31. Yay! Glad you are back and now just a stone’s throw from two of my girls! Both of whom, by the way, want ME to make a move to Georgia. For some reason I thought you were already IN your new house, but I’m glad you are finally there, now. Enjoy the warmer weather (but beware of Georgia gnats, humidity, and roaches! You may want to start investigating how to deal with them! LOL!)
    I look forward to your next post and project!

    1. Thank you, Jana! We’re loving our new home and the Georgia weather (so far, lol). I’ve seen a few roaches out and about, but thankfully non in our new home! 🙂

  32. I was wondering when we would hear from you again. I think I speak for everyone when I say “we’ve missed you”. Welcome back!

  33. You guys just recently came into my thoughts, wondering how all was going in your move. Sounds like mission accomplished & all is well? Or pretty close, anyway? So glad to hear you’re both alive & well. Now get back to doing what you do so well! Can’t wait to hear what’s next. Best of health & happiness to you both.

  34. I was excited to read whatever it was that you wrote. I just love the way you write. Congrats on the beautiful new house. Can’t wait for the new blog.

  35. That basement!! My entire house could fit four times in that basement alone! I’m officially going to be cleaning out The Shed tomorrow with Mom and over ten years of crap will be unearthed and judged and we might even be able to turn it into a workable space!

    I’m so happy to see y’all back! I missed you guys so much, not just the awesome crafts and DIYs but the stories and, of course, your humour, Greg. I just know it’s going to be moving into bigger and better things for you all. I can see it. Who knows…books, your own products, trade shows, guest appearances, TV interviews?… Life takes us to funny places.

    And I think this line perfectly summed up MY life, “a model specimen of an unmitigated disaster.”

    1. LOL, thanks, Jay! So, did you clean that shed with your mom? That would be a great Mother’s Day gift! We’re glad to be back sharing projects and stories, and we’ve missed your comments!

  36. Oh, my aching sides…I laughed till I honestly…felt kinda queasy…you did say eggs & martini… My sis is in CT…makes your basement look like ” a little girls”…yep, that bad…moving to half the size in TN. Well, less snow…right…EVER ONWARD!! franki

  37. So relieved the NP is really not dead!! My heart sank when I read the email title? Just popped on the blog yesterday and Voila! here you are today!! (The universe works in mysterious ways?) So glad you all are okay and enjoying your new home! Congratulations on all your synchronicitys!!!

    1. LOL, sorry about the mean little teaser in the email – it seemed to have gotten people’s attention though! We’re back and we’re better than ever (I hope!) 🙂

  38. Oh, my gosh!! At 73 years old, I’ve survived this virus; then I read The Navage Patch is Dead!! Oh, my gosh how can I survive THIS?!?!? Be still my heart! Then I read the entire email. I am thankful all is well with you and your family. Welcome to the south from your Tennessee neighbor. Looking forward to many more years of Navage Patch reading!

  39. A person really can accomplish miracles just by putting one foot in front of the other. For reasons too complicated to even discuss I was faced with emptying two large rental storage units by myself at age 71 back in northwest Missouri where the winters are brutal and the summers more so. The stuff had been stuffed in there, sitting on bare concrete, through five years of extreme temperatures, high humidity and one miserable roof leak and was a moldy mess. The rental units were 30 miles from the old homestead I was using as headquarters and I had to drive everything from the units back to the farm in my Mom’s old and small hatchback something or other for sorting and cleaning. It took me three months, which is exactly what I had calculated. I started in the still high heat of early fall and completed in the icy winds of winter. I had to launder and wash down everything with bleach and gave away so much stuff to the local small town thrift shop they thought Santa had come early. I got help loading the rental truck, but drove that 17-footer solo back across the plains of Nebraska to Colorado in one long day. I related to your packing and moving story. You can pat yourself on the back after something like this. Look forward to seeing what you guys do to your new and lovely house!

    1. Wow, that’s a big accomplishment, Teddee. There’s no worse feeling than staring at the front end of a job like that and no better feeling than closing the door on the back end. I could picture what you endured to empty those storage units, and wow, I wouldn’t want that job!

  40. Congratulations on the move, the house, and the settling into the Georgia culture. I’ve missed your “tongue in cheek“ blog dearly and am looking forward to hearing from you again soon. Good to see this post!

  41. Greg and Handon,Barish, Glad all of of you are well. Glad you’re back..I missed your. Blog.Just glad to see your gonna be up and running soon…If any thing unpacking theboxes..But you have an advantage..You at least know handans type of arrangement / style to put things in order.Hope to read you on the blog soon.

  42. Whew! I also thought I was reading about the demise of your blog. I am so relieved you are just relocating (to the South). I am so enjoying all of the humor & your projects. Looking forward to your soon return to posting. Congratulations on your new home!!!

    1. Thanks, Vonnie! We’re going to be sharing tons of new projects over the next couple of years, so this blog isn’t going anywhere! 😀

  43. YAY! Welcome to the South! You will soon be familiar with our “4 Seasons of the Year”, mosquito, hurricane, summer and monsoon! All kidding aside, I think you will love it as much as we do. People are hospitable, nature is enviable and it’s truly hard to beat! Looking forward to many more projects!

    1. LOL, so far the weather has been great, but I know it’s just an illusion and the real heat and humidity will be ’round soon to beat me into submission! 😀

  44. Yay!! Welcome to the South! I celebrated my 1 year anniversary of my move on the 4th from Ohio to Florida. Just one piece of advice: drink plenty of fluids! It makes the heat almost tolerable! ? I figured the packing and the moving would be tough, I’m glad Barish was able to pitch in. I’m so looking forward to seeing what you guys do with NPS!

  45. Congrats on the new house! I bet you’ll have many inspiring projects done here. Ironic but I was supposed to move to Atlanta before you did! My move got delayed due to job/covid crisis etc. But I’ll be your neighbor in Alpharetta soon (fingers crossed). I remember the day I read you guys were moving to ATL and I squealed in delight. Well, I’m still not in GA but soon… I’d love to meet you guys and I’d serve you a killer margarita and some killer Indian food! We are foodies?. I kept thinking all along how on earth you packed all that so quickly. We’ve been at it longer but my husband was already in GA and I was doing it alone while working full time in a stressful job. Covid brought him home, helping me pack up and getting the heck outta of snow area soon I hope lol. All the best to you guys! May the 4th always be with you?

  46. Wow! Tons of work to move a home, especially from one state to another – good job! It is a daunting task! Congratulations on your new digs! I’m sure you will enjoy the warm Georgia weather!

  47. You have an empty canvas! A blank slate! A new journal! Congratulations on your beautiful new house. May you fill it with love and your amazing projects.

  48. Congratulations on the new life experience. Having made the same kind of move 2 yrs ago, I can say now, after about a yrs of adjusting from the north to the south I love it down here and I hope you will too.

  49. My family moved March 9th to our new house. Still in Georgia but the week after we moved schools were closed and everyone was staying inside. My kids haven’t been able to meet the neighbors and make friends so it sucks. Welcome to Georgia.

    1. Thanks, S.C. – things will get better soon. Humans weren’t meant to be locked down. We’ll all be free again before you know it. 🙂

  50. I wondered what had happened to you guys! So glad you’re still with us. Congratulations on your new home. We’re southerners are a great bunch!
    Welcome to the South!
    Richmond, VA

  51. As the snow comes and goes on this Mother’s Day Weekend, it is wonderful to know there is sunshine I can count on! Welcome back in your new Patch! We just had a new standing seam roof put on our home (9 hour MRIs daily) so it ain’t just the virus keeping us home! Hugs to you both and a very Happy Mother’s Day, Handan!

    1. Awww, thanks, Derry! We’re so happy to be back! Oooh, a metal roof – that’s going to be great in the winter! 🙂

  52. Welcome to Georgia, the Peach State. But… South Carolina produces more peaches. And don’t force the southern accent. If you’re here long enough, it will come to you naturally.

  53. Missed your posts…glad you are sort of “settled” and love your out of this world addition to your family….the Child is adorable…just the extra inspiration you might need and he might be able to help with some of the heavy lifting…best of luck with all those new projects….keep us in the loop…

    1. Oh, Paula, he was worth his weight in gold during the pack-up and load-out phase! We will most certainly keep you in the loop! 🙂

  54. Welcome back. That teaser e-mail subject line came close to giving me heart failure; glad it is just a new Patch! Happy Mother’s Day to Handan! I’ve missed you (plural!).

  55. Welcome! I live in Tallahassee, so we’re practically neighbors! Good to see the blog is back. You were smart to use PODS. I think, the next time I move, that’s what I will do. I look forward to reading more of the family adventures and how you do you!

  56. Uh, where have you been all my life. I stumbled upon your webpage quite accidentally and now, well now I feel like I’m complete … like I know what I have been missing for so long. What an awesome site. I’ve spent the last three hours (don’t judge me) pouring over old posts, looking at pictures, downloading freebies. I can’t wait to see all the inspirational stuff you post now that you are back!

  57. I am so thankful that you, Handan and Baris are not gone, gone!! I found your website several years ago and well ‘one of these days’ I will attempt to try something from your website. Congratulations on your move to Georgia. Y’all are practically a neighbor of mine now. We live in the western part of North Carolina in Macon County. Watch out for those highway patrol, deputies and police especially in north Georgia, they love speeders. Welcome and again congratulations on your move. I can’t wait to see what y’all conjure up next.

    1. Hi Lori, we’re still here and plan on being so for a long time! I’ve seen those highway patrol cars – they’re everywhere! Certainly makes me watch my speed! 🙂

  58. Congratulations on making a big decision and then following through with the most daunting task of packing up your “valuables”. Since we don’t have a basement (which will never be a fact in any future home!), our 3-car garage looks like your former basement. I am a saver (some might say hoarder) of bits and scraps and worn-out furniture that I’m sure I will have use for someday. I love projects and fixing things, which may call for using some oddball thing from my stash. Anyway, my point is we have talked about moving to a warmer location for several years, but the older I get – 76 now – the less energy and determination I have to clean out and pack up to move. (Oh, my poor kids someday! – ha) But I envy you and Handan your excitement and experiences in your new home and locale. I love your blog!

    1. Thanks, Jean! Yeah I know how it goes. We’ve been trying to convince my parents to move south, but they seem to be firmly rooted up north. Oh well, we’ll keep trying! 🙂