A Long Time Coming

It's been five months since we moved from our home in Kentucky to our new condo near Philadelphia. It has taken me this long to put my thoughts together and to sort out my emotions.

I really loved this house, where we lived for ten years.  I found so much beauty there.

Cats in every window:

In April we moved to our new condo, returning to the Philadelphia area after ten years in our Kentucky home.  We decided to live closer to our friends, with whom we have enjoyed many trips and celebrations over the years.  Here we are on a Viking cruise in Eastern Europe.  We have also traveled with them to France, Italy, Mexico and Israel.  

Here they are, welcoming us in our new condo:

At that time the condo was empty, except for that little table and four plastic chairs!  Here it is before we moved in:

Gradually, we moved in… very gradually.  It took us three months!

First we got a bed.  You can see it here in the master bedroom.

Then we got a rug, as you can see above.

Then we got a loveseat to go with the rug…

This is Mike, sitting on the loveseat.  It's the only furniture in the room at this point.

Finally, we began moving our furniture from the house to the condo.

This was our dining room with only a few pieces in it.

Then we brought our china hutch and bought a new rug.  It's still a work in progress; it has just been painted and we have mirrors to put on the wall.

The living room has been painted and more furniture added.  It's a work in progress too.

The kitchen is a livelier place now, with more color and some bar stools.

The bar has been prettified with some of the things I brought.

My sitting room with some of my books.

My favorite old clock is here too.

We even have a TV now!

These few months, I must admit I've had moments of grieving for the house in Kentucky.  It was difficult giving it up and thinking of someone else living in it.  I loved many things about it.  At first I had a difficult time adjusting to condo life, too.  When I open my front door I am in a hallway instead of outdoors.  I have no yard.  There are other people in the building so it's not completely private as I was used to.  Instead of a large deck, I have a small balcony.

There are good things though.  Everything we need is within walking distance.  The best grocery store in the country, the bank, many stores and restaurants; and friends are here, too.  With winter coming up we know we won't have to worry about shoveling snow and dealing with ice.  I am determined to make this place feel at home, too.  Even the cats are getting used to it.

Here are some things I have come to appreciate here: