Gosh, You Guys Are Wonderful!

I've worried my friends. All of you --my readers and real-life friends and friends whom I only know via cyberspace conversations.

I am sorry. Just... you know... It always comes as such a shock to me to find out that I'm NOT superhuman after all. I mean, I KNOW that, but I usually think that if I am just dogged enough, I can get through anything without losing my mind. Joke's on me, I guess, because I was wrong about that.

I'm sorry. I really am okay. I just succumbed to the stress of life--our impending move to New York, my daughter breaking her collar bone, my husband's commute to NY each week, getting the house ready to sell and the fact that I am really, REALLY sucking at Weight Watchers during my first two weeks (I've lost 1.6 pounds. Woo-freaking-hoo.) by having a little Blog Breakdown.

I didn't really realize how bad I was sounding until people started expressing their deep concern.

One of my very best friends, the Bloghore, posted a whole blog posted about me, called The Mermaid's Purse. It is just the nicest post, not only because of her very evident concern for my (mental) health and her frustration at being so far away, but also, because she had this great idea for something to do with my book. You just have to read it to really appreciate how completely she understands my work. But don't click anywhere to buy one of my books because we've taken them all to off-site storage. (I might have a few around here somewhere but the way things are looking, I won't find them until we move.)

I'm really doing okay. But your support...

You guys are...

I am so grateful. Thank you.

Anyway, things are moving right along. I'm trying to find all the old pictures of my house so I can show them to you and then take some new pictures so you can see how things are different now. Because it will make you laugh. I've been doing the part of what everyone on HGTV calls "staging" now that we've decluttered so that you can actually see the floor in almost all of my rooms. I am NOT a natural at this but I took some advice from a good friend and set up these little conversation areas all over the decks around my house. When the painter got here today to do the last touching up (after which he gave me a big hug --clearly y'all were not the only ones worried about my stability) he BURST out laughing when he saw what I'd done.

Like this little arrangement on our upstairs deck:

In the seven and a half years we've lived in this house, we've NEVER sat outside on this deck. Because in the summer, we have mosquitoes the size of meteors and there is no way to sit outside without haz-mat suits unless you're up to your neck in the hot tub. So, that's what we always did, even in the winter. But on Saturday night, after I'd put this little number together, my husband and I sat outside on the upstairs deck and had a glass of wine. It was awesome and I wish we'd been doing this all along.

That's the thing --the sheer waste of time living with things that are hideous and don't bring any joy because you ... just forget to change them. You know what makes me the maddest? Look at this:
See that light fixture? It cost... are you ready?... ELEVEN DOLLARS. And we'd lived with this disgusting brass and flowery ornate thing that didn't even shed a good LIGHT for seven plus years!

Here's Ana's room:

Not too long ago, it looked like this.

Okay, okay, more in a little while. The Realtor just called and wants to show the house in ten minutes! Ack!