Red...

I dashed out a little while ago, hoping to grab a quick shot for my blip today. Almost as if he knew, the resident alpha male cardinal flew up and struck a pose on one of the cherry trees. Enough for me to get several shots then he left to chase another male away.

I've been inside sorting through the stuff in my office today. I've filled a recycling bin with papers and part of a large trash bin with junk stuff that I've accumlated but don't really need. Nothing like an impending move to make you take a second look at everything.

When we moved into this house, we had lots of family and friends visiting us and the 3 guest bedrooms were always occupied. Over time, people have passed away or moved away and our guest rooms now sit empty for weeks at a time ... becoming a perfect spot for things we've accumulated. We're a bit like goldfish in that we've expanded to fit out environment ... and since we've no intention of moving into another house this big when we move to St. Pete, many of those "treasures" need to find a new home...not with us! Of course, every item has a story attached to it, so getting rid of things is never as simple as it sounds. And, strangely, it's much harder for Hubs to part with things than it is for me.

Thanks for all the encouraging words about our upcoming move. I confess that I vacillate between feeling excited and feeling scared. It's not like I haven't moved before, but I've become very settled here in our little corner of NJ and it's a bit daunting to be starting over someplace new. But, I remind myself that I've lived in California, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, New York, and Alaska .. so Florida isn't that much of a stretch!

Happy Good Friday, people.

Debbi