Friday Five:Moving

Mother Laura at RevGalBlogPals presents the Friday Five: We are right in the middle of a move--only twenty minutes away, but we're still a mix of busy, excited, nervous and surprisingly full of grief about what we're leaving, for me at least. So this week's Friday Five asks about your experience of the marvels and madness of moving...

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time? Too many times. Lets see, as a child 6 times. As an adult 21 times. Two years ago. I am a Methodist Minister, remember. I am getting ready to move.

2. What do you love and hate about moving? Love: Dejunking, Newness, adventures, new friends, new home, new beginnings. Hate: packing, cleaning, loading, unpacking, cleaning, unloading, did I mention the cleaning? saying goodbye, and trying to acclimate to new systems, and ways of doing things. The stress. Helping the kids understand, and helping them pack and get ready for the move, and helping them with the transition. ( We are right in the middle of all this also, Mother Laura.)

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers? In my younger single days, when it was just my stuff, I moved it with a little help from my friends. Now, I use movers.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move? Get help as soon as possible for the packing and cleaning and fixing up. That way you are not having to sweat the small stuff and can focus on the big stuff. Make sure you are still taking care of yourself as much as possible; prayer time, sleeping, eating, your regular exercise routine. Make sure you take time to say good bye and get as much closure as possible so you can leave in a healthy manner and have a new start. If you got kids, see if you can have people to watch them or be with them so you can pack. Destress as much as possible. Pack a box of what is important to you and I am not just talking underwear, perhaps a transitional object, candle, something for your soul, your heart, your emotions, your mental well being. Go ahead and find and set up your sanctuary as soon as possible. Have a mantra or breath prayer you can use when things get really tense. Take deep breaths. And find time to play and be silly, let loose.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones? Yes, and yes. As I said we are in the middle of a move with a June 11th deadline, but I have been in an inner move for sometime now to a more graceful place within.

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what moving means to you. A cartoon about moving as seen above.


A theme song from the t.v. show "The Jeffersons". Ya got to be Optimistic.

or you could have the theme to the Beverly Hillbillies

And since we are house hunting to buy a house this time, I include an old Tom Hanks' movie
The Money Pit. Bob doesn't remember it. But it was the movie he made with Shelley Long, you remember her, don't you? She was in Cheers. The movie was made in 1986. There are several scenes at the You tube website to watch if you want a good laugh.