We’re up to our necks in packing boxes here in Ohio. Hubby has assembled a crew willing to help with the lifting and hauling. Since the temperatures have been soaring in the mid-nineties with a heat index of 104+ all week, the refrigerators at both the old and new apartments have been stocked with bottled water to keep us hydrated.

I’m forcing myself not to think about how hot it is at our farm in Tennessee. I used to envy my friends who had summer and winter homes, a time share here and there. Not anymore. It’s tough having more than one home. I now understand why one acquaintance insisted on using the same wallpaper in each of their homes.

I’ve spent several hours this past week with lists of contacts. Changing one’s address at the post office doesn’t suffice anymore. There are Internet routers and cable boxes to return so we can get new ones at the new address, bank accounts to manage, and prescription services to move from one pharmacy to another. As we age, it seems there are a multitude of doctors and other medical providers who must be notified. Emails have been sent to editors, other writers, organizations we belong to, and family and friends, notifying them of the change of address. Thankfully, we’ve kept the same cell phone numbers for the last ten years! Even our cat has a contact list to be managed!

We’re in good company, though. Our friend Ronii and her family made it safely from Oklahoma to Kentucky yesterday, with all of their worldly goods. And Lee, a long-term friend in Washington state has sold her big house and will be moving to smaller quarters on the 11th. I’m sure there will be plenty to commiserate!