Arrival of 93 Boxes

On January 26, 2015, (click on the date for that blogpost), our house was painstakingly dismantled and put into boxes, loaded on a truck, and driven away. After spending some weeks on a ship, it arrived in the port of LA and finally arrived at our new house on April 13, 2015. I must admit, yesterday was a fun, overwhelming and surreal day. 
When the movers arrived and opened up the truck, it was a serious déjà vu moment. The alfa moving boxes were neatly stacked, looking just like they had when the truck drove away with them 10 weeks ago. As the guys started bringing it all, we were a bit taken aback by how much stuff we had! We have been living in a minimalist fashion since we arrived and in some ways have gotten quite used to that. Even so, as we unpacked and we found the stuff that makes our house a home, it definitely created that sense that now we really have moved here. 

It was pretty fun figuring out where to put things in the kitchen and seeing our lovely china and glassware was a real treat. Filling the hutch was a favorite part of my day. There's a store in Chicago called the Sweden Shop and I had to laugh because our house looks like a bit like that! I guess after 17 years of living in Stockholm, it's no big surprise that our house has some Scandinavian flair!
Tanner was super excited when the rest of his toys appeared! He was especially delighted to find the pig that I won at my book club white elephant party last year. It brought tremendous joy to my heart to hear that oinking again!

The crew was great! They were a wonderful bunch of guys who worked quickly and efficiently. The container, now filled with trash, and our great crew, as they prepared to leave.  They arrived at 9.30 and left us surrounded by stuff and boxes at 12.00 noon! They helped us unpack a ton of stuff, but the books and the clothes and the decorative items...they just seem to go on and on. Our house is quite a bit smaller than the one in Stockholm and we don't have nearly the spaces for odds and ends so we're going to have to figure out how to best display the things we love. 

The rug that we had in our dining room looks different than we remembered!  But it still looks nice in our great room. It's bigger than we recalled and has more red it in that we both remembered!

I'm not complaining that the boots, heavy coats, and sweaters can be safely stored away now. And I will do more thinning of my wardrobe. I need to do some thinning of myself too so some of that wardrobe will fit better! It was funny for me to find dress shoes. I have not had to dress up since we arrived. Doug was laughing because he never wears long pants anymore. I suppose there might come a day when these things will be necessary again but for now, our shorts and t-shirts are working quite well. I am pretty happy to have a few more things to choose from in my closet! But I have experienced a pared back lifestyle and I do like it.

Admittedly, candle holders and candlelight are not nearly as important as they were in Sweden. The mercury hit 95°F yesterday so cozying up to some warm candlelight wasn't exactly what we were thinking! Plus, there's the threat that the candles might actually melt in the dead heat of summer.

We were totally exhausted at the end of the day yesterday. We treated our sore muscles to an evening dip in the pool and a soak in the jacuzzi. Coming home to our big, queen size bed was a real treat. Who knew that a 21-year-old bed would be seen as such a luxury?

Even Tanner was exhausted by the process!

A new day has dawned and we are ready to keep tackling the boxes that are strewn about the house.
Nothing broke in the move but we had one casualty during the unpacking process. This lovely little porcelain basket bowl from Hungary was tucked inside something else and flew out and broke. Sniff. It was a gift and a valuable little piece. But the truth of the matter is at least now I don't have to find a place for it. 

Big Day Yesterday

After tolerating the residual from the texture spraying in the bedroom and bathroom, we awoke to painters and plumber ready to work their magic! I was pretty excited about the day. Appliances were coming in the afternoon and the countertop guy was coming in to measure! I left for my water aerobics class and when I returned home, I discovered Doug working away! He had removed all the stuff from the extra bedroom and was busy pulling the wooden slats off the walls of the closet. The house was in full chaos mode again but with paint going on the walls of the master bed and bathroom and carpet being installed next Wednesday, we'll soon be settling into our new bedroom! Carpet is going into the extra bedroom as well so we had to get the work in that room done by Wednesday.
The next step was to remove the lovely popcorn ceiling. It's a wonder that this horrible design feature was so popular throughout the 60's and 70's. I give Doug all the credit. He removed the entire ceiling! What a messy, horrible job that it. You wet it down and then scrape, scrape, scrape. This is what a popcorn ceiling looks like on the floor! The next step was to remove all that junk and pull the carpet. The carpet came up easily and now the room is almost ready for paint and carpet! We are replacing the window and had to move a water pipe that was fitted in a really strange way. But that's done now and will look so much better hidden in the wall. We won't replace the long closet but instead buy an Ikea closet to put against the wall. The room is a good size and will be a great spot for guests!
Unfortunately we discovered a gas leak in the gas line so that needs to be fixed. The worker said it would be easy to fix. He had to turn the gas off that supplies the heater and the range but we're not using either of those right now!
Mr. Countertop measurer arrived midday and after taking photos and using his fancy laser machine, our order was done. They say 2 weeks. I hope it will be faster as the kitchen sink is installed at the same time. Tanner, of course, had to be in the middle of it all!
The paint in the master looks great. These photographs don't show the true color. The blue is the same blue throughout the bed and bathroom but the lighting really causes a variance in appearance. We both love the combo of toasted white and sanctuary blue. It's soft and soothing. The blue in the bathroom will offset the gray floor, white shower and dark vanity with a white counter and sinks beautifully. The painters are great guys and they do a wonderful job! 

I have begun to think about our stuff as it floats across the pond. Delivery is delayed until late March due to port strikes in CA. The strike is over but the backlog is incredible. It's fine with us as we don't want the stuff to arrive until we're ready to move it into place! But in my mind's eye I'm beginning to think about where to put things and how lovely our stuff will look in this new home. We are both looking forward to having our queen size bed back!                                                                                                  
At 5.00 p.m. the doorbell rang and it was the appliance delivery! The range and the dishwasher could not be hooked up yet due to gas and plumbing issues but soon that will be taken care of as well. But the refrigerator is beautiful and fits perfectly and I'm super excited to not have to deal with the mini-fridge anymore! But I will say it did its job well and I am thankful for that.And that range is gorgeous. The interior is huge especially compared to my Swedish oven that didn't allow me to put more than one thing in the oven at a time! I am super excited about having a gas range! I have cooked with electric for years and have never really liked it that much. We have a few more steps to take with the gas line before we can use it but soon enough we'll be baking and cooking up a storm!  We are also excited about having an ice maker! No more filling ice cube trays!
The appliances went into place perfectly and it all looks fabulous. Again, kudos to Doug for measuring accurately and getting the entire kitchen scheme right! 
So things are definitely taking shape! Seems like within 2 weeks now we'll be more fully functional. Our current set-up is like a hotel room! It works. Poor Tanner. He's a bit confused about all the moving. He wanted to go into the extra bedroom last night to sleep even though he had snuggled into the bed before we had!

The wind was howling last night and the noises were scaring him so he went and hid in the laundry room for awhile. Eventually he found his way to his little bed and slept all night long. We've all avoided crashing into the sliding glass doors!
There is still plenty to do in the house. The electric is still not fully hooked up and there are many small jobs that still need to get done. But in due time, I think we will have a beautiful home to settle into. I'm thankful. 

The Other Side of New

For 16.5 years Doug and I have hosted newcomer events in our home. When we first started doing newcomer events for church, we too were newcomers so we were journeying alongside of other newbies to Stockholm and Immanuel. But as the years went by, our local knowledge increased and we began to have our own story to tell about living in Stockholm. In addition to church newcomer events, I often hosted American Women's Club newcomer events and really enjoyed that as well. I always felt that the gift of our beautiful home was to be shared so I loved opening our home for the purpose of welcoming new people to Stockholm. And the Club let me talk about the church so it was a win-win!

Yesterday the shoe was on the other foot as Doug and I attended a newcomer gathering for people who have moved into our community during the past few months. As I walked up to the clubhouse by myself, (Doug was attending to a golf cart breakdown), I was reflecting on how strange it was to attend a newcomer event as a newcomer and not the host! It gave me perspective on how hard it can be step out and make yourself vulnerable to meeting new people. It is never easy to walk into a room full of strangers, by yourself, and begin to make small talk. Fortunately someone I had already met was there and Doug did arrive soon after the event began.

People were great as committee chairs and board members made an effort to work the room and greet people. They, of course, were interested in sharing about their areas of responsibility with the hopes that one of the newcomers would eventually want to serve. I had to chuckle inside a little...we did the same thing for years! I did thank people for volunteering their time to serve the club in this way. I know how much work it is to serve on a board or committee and I also know the headaches that come with it sometimes.

The highlight was meeting the folks who are renovating a house on our street. We easily began to share reno stories and said we look forward to showing the final products with one another! They are not living in their reno zone however so I hope the smell of drywall and paint wasn't oozing from our pores!

Overall, people have been very, very nice and welcoming. After we get settled we will likely volunteer for something. I'm one of those weirdos who likes board meetings and Doug would be a pro on the green committee...they look after the golf course! So we'll see.

I left feeling like I'd met some folks that I hope to bump into again. And I was really glad I went even though it was a little daunting in the beginning. It reaffirms in my mind how important it is for organizations to host newcomer gatherings and also how important it is for newcomers to attend these types of events! Connections get made, doors begin to open and these types of gatherings certainly do help take away the sense of the being a newcomer. 

Just Over A Month

We're into March. February came and went and we've been in the United States for over a month now. Time is weird for me as we don't have a super structured existence right now. It's a blessing and a challenge. There is tons to do regarding the house and the amount of paper work I've been dealing with in getting utilities, house, insurance, car, etc. all set up is a bit daunting. But we're making progress on every front and soon I suppose one way or another, we will feel in our souls that this is where we live now. We miss our friends a lot and wonder how and when we will begin to create abiding friendships in this area.

In so many ways it still feels like vacation. The luxury and gift of having sabbatical time contributes to that as we aren't caught up in the rat race of new jobs and all that goes along with that. But one also wonders about one's worth and relevance when there's no job to complete, no congregation to lead. We're both seeing the value in taking a break from ministry but we do miss leading a group of God's people in a shared direction that yielded good outcomes and growth for most involved. It's quite strange to think that a community that we were a part of for almost 17 years is now outside of the reach of our influence and participation. We think of those dear people daily. Sundays remain a challenging day at times filled with a deep longing to worship with Immanuel International.

But we are loving living in the California desert, especially Tanner who loves to lounge in the sunshine even more than I do!He is so cute!

Often, while out driving around, Doug has announced that he loves it here as we ponder the vast and beautiful landscape that surrounds us. The mountains got a lot of snow this week, even in lower elevations, and the scene is just breath-taking in every direction. The beauty and the warmth of our new geographical position is a big encouragement in our transition.

And creating a home for ourselves has been a wonderful journey in spite of certain headaches!

So, that said, here are some impressions from my first month back across the pond.

1. I love the plethora of goods on offer at the grocery store and the produce of California is a marvel to take in. I have been feeding my inner carnivore when beautiful rib eye steaks go on sale. But I miss walking to the neighborhood store near our apartment in Stockholm.

2. I miss some of the uniquely Swedish foods that we really enjoyed like the cheeses and flatbreads but I eat Pepper Jack cheese every day and have discovered many yummy cracker like snacks that satisfy. Markets like Trader Joe's give me enough European flair to sate and I am enjoying being able to grill our meat every single day on a gas barbecue that is easy peasy to use. No more hauling the grill out of the basement, firing up the charcoal, and only being able to do this outside for a few months each year.

3. America has great snacks and fast food is readily available in every imaginable food group. Great for ease when you have no kitchen. Bad for the waistline. In general, Californians don't seem to have the weight problem that plagues other cities in the US. Perhaps it's because it's more of an outdoor culture. I do really miss the steps I would take just in the course of doing life each day in Stockholm. I have to be more conscious about exercise which goes up and down. I do love my water aerobics class three times a week.

4. The most shallow of all things I am enjoying is TV. I like having a zillion channels to choose from. Granted, there is often not much on but there's always HGTV and the Game Show channel! And March Madness, the college basketball tournament that we love, is on soon and that will be a blast to watch in the right time zone.

5. But I hate the TV advertisements, especially the prescription drug ads, so we hate watching any shows live.

6. I have written the date with the day first a few times and still have to think about it every time I sign something. I'm readjusting to temperatures being stated in Fahrenheit but still make a mental note that 30° is freezing cold not roasting hot!

7. While Doug and Tanner have both crashed into the sliding glass doors, I have only ALMOST done the same.

8. I miss the ease with which we pursued medical care in Stockholm. We had great doctors and medical care in Sweden and it was not costly at all. I feel nervous about getting sick as I have no idea how to begin to navigate the new system and am wary about how much it will cost.

9. People who hate President Obama and illegal immigrants, feel free to speak their derogatory thoughts, somehow assuming that all share their point of view. At the church we attended last Sunday, the pastor, from the pulpit, made a subtle dig at President Obama. It was real turn-off for us.

10. The gun culture in the US is CRAZY. Security signs abound in our neighborhood that an armed response will respond to any break-in. Most days the news is filled with some kind of shooting. I find myself consciously aware of the presence of guns and it is not a good feeling. I feel like one inadvertent action could result in my being shot at. Clearly, this is a big adjustment.

We are still trying to figure out the cost of living. Is this a good deal or not? How does this compare to the prices in Stockholm? I did like that tax was included in the shelf price in Stockholm. Sales tax is 9% here so I'd rather just have it embedded than added on at the end! Granted, 9% is much different from 25% but still, I'd rather the shelf price reflect that. Of course, fuel prices are silly cheap but we are driving 100% more than we did in Sweden. I do miss a good public transportation option.

Generally, the sense of reverse culture shock has not been too profound. Finding a church, being in the car all the time, and the culture of violence are clearly the big challenges. But as mentioned, we still feel like we're on a long holiday. I wonder when it will sink in that this is our only home and we are now living here. I suppose like all things, I'm thankful for many things and long for other things. I guess that was the same when we lived across the pond. And while I miss the water that surrounds Stockholm, admittedly, I do love this view.

The view from our front yard

Paint

We came home Saturday after being gone for several hours to discover that there was paint on the walls! My excitement was curbed upon impact when we saw that they had put the wrong color on the wrong walls.                                                                                                                                                  

WRONG

 They had chosen the lighter shade of blue for the great room area but that was intended for the master bath and bedroom.                                                                                                                                         

WRONG

Additionally, they had painted the wall blue but that wall was to be done in the stone color so it was pretty much ALL WRONG.                                                                                                                                   

And we walked back into a huge mess because they had also done the ceilings which, fortunately for them, look great.  Even so, major grrrr.                                                                                                  

So, after meltdown number 2, and a dry gin martini shared with a couple of Chicago friends who were in town and popped over to see the mess on their way home from Joshua tree, I re-gained the mettle needed to carry on. First, I realized it's only paint, not tile or permanent flooring. Easy Fix. Second, I liked the color so on the right walls, I think it will look really nice! Third, I realized that I had high hopes for how much progress would've been made whilst we were out on Saturday. Renovating builds your patience. 'Nuff said. 

The next day we headed out for church, leaving behind a crew of 5 guys who were ready to make my painting dreams come true. When we got home, life was good. The colors were all on the right walls and it looks dreamy. 

RIGHT

The right blue for the living room is perfect and the smooth stone color was exactly what I had envisioned. 

RIGHT and PRETTY!

The smooth stone color is so lovely against the white shutters. 

I was so happy. Except of course for the paint fumes and huge mess that again dominates my living room. 

The kitchen is shaping up and it will look even better once those white cabinets are installed!

The adjacent dining area looks wonderful with the blue feature wall on the back wall and the stone color surrounding the patio doors. 

My allergies have kicked in something fierce. I suppose between the voluminous amounts of dust, paint fumes, high desert winds, and the citrus blossoms coming out, my poor nasal passages were bound to feel a bit of sensitivity. The weather has gotten wintry for us, with lots of rain, temperatures in the 40's (ok, for like an hour), but in the 50's and 60's and just plain chilly. It would be good if we could use our fireplace right now but I'd be afraid to light it with all the paint hanging around.

The cabinets did finally arrive and they seem to be right. They look good from their boxes. Once those go in, I feel like I might manage to hang in there. It'll likely be 2 weeks from the day the counters are in for the countertop and kitchen sink to be all hooked up. Appliances are delayed until Friday. Carpet install is Friday. Furniture is ready but we are waiting.

So this week the goal is to remove the paper off the floor and all of the dirt, paint residual, mess that goes along with that. Install the cabinets. Make the final measurement for the countertops. Finish the master bath, paint master bedroom and bath. Move all the stuff out of the extra bedroom. Remove existing carpet. Scrape popcorn ceiling off extra bedroom. Pull bizarre and not attractive wood pieces from inside the closet. Paint. New carpet in both bedrooms. 

Everyone keeps saying that now it'll go fast. We'll see. At least I do like the paint we picked for each wall!