Three More Sleeps...........

I'm writing this sitting in an echo chamber of a family room. We gave the giant sectional/corner sofa to a young couple, the wife of which is a Brit I met in a Brit-in-Chicago Facebook group! They have two teeny children so my 12 year old worn-but-in-great-shape furniture was perfect. PLUS -  the seat covers come off and can be thrown in the wash. Score! 

Another young woman is taking some of my small appliances (different voltage) but she doesn't actually arrive in Chicago till after I've gone so a friend is coming over to pick them up. I have had more strangers in and out of my house in the last few weeks it's a miracle I haven't been abducted. 

And I've been stressed and not sleeping. The dog paperwork and health visits are something to reckon with until you do it, and then realise that most of the "panic" is caused by the plethora of rules and guidelines on various UK and US web sites. At the end of the day I took two documents out to the USDA office to be stamped. She has a tape worm test tomorrow (UK requirement) and then we take her to the Cargo place at O'Hare airport 3-4 hours before the flight. They have to check that she's fit to fly and not under the influence of medication or sedation. 

Twice in the past week she has been bitten by something in the garden and various sides of her face have swelled up. Last week it was the whole side of her face and muzzle. She had obviously snapped at one of the many bees on my catnip. Quick call to the emergency vet to get the anti-histamine dosage, checking her throat all the time, and she was fine. Today one of her eyelids is swollen but I've given her anti-histamine in the dog food and will keep an eye on her. Poor thing. I will just have to keep her indoors on Wednesday as they will surely question a dog with a swollen face. It's always something. 

So am I sad? No. At this point I'm still very stressed by all that there is to organise. I will miss my friends here but I know from experience that we will mostly all meet again, and in some cases, in the very near future. I'll be living a stone's throw from Heathrow so NO ONE has any excuse. Everyone must pop in for a cuppa when they fly to the UK. 

Will I miss my house? No. I'm not a house person I've discovered. I don't get emotionally attached to houses; in fact, living in the same house for decades makes me feel slightly claustrophobic. We've been in this one for 13 years, and our previous house for 10. We will be renting for the immediate future and then, who knows? 

What I will be sad about, as usual, is yet another milestone. This was the house where all my kids lived. This is the house they really call home, and I'm robbing them of it. Ok, I'm not really as the two big ones have flown and were unlikely ever to live here again. But still.....  the guilt. 

We are now three, as far as a living unit goes. We will have a smaller house, with guest rooms to make sure that when the big kids visit, they have a room and not a bed on the floor. That's important. It won't be their "home" but I want them to feel "at home" and not like a guest. And not sleeping on the floor. 

And breathe. Next time I post, I will be in England as they're cutting off the 'net tomorrow. Gulp.