WE SURVIVED!

Just because I haven’t blogged, don’t think I took a long winter’s nap these past few weeks. Mr. Wonderful and I chose Christmas week to relocate from Kennebunk Beach to our new home in Wells. That’s really all there is to say. Actually, I have a few more words.

I’M NEVER MOVING AGAIN! Ever. Eventually to a wooden box. That’s it.

The moving van that was supposed to appear early morning two days after Christmas pulled into our sleet-slicked driveway at 4 PM. (FYI, in Maine the winter sun sets early. It was getting dark in a hurry.) I was recovering from the flu, Mr. W’s back was going into spasms. 

To our rescue came daughter, son-in-law, grandkids and handyman who hauled cardboard cartons marked “Fragile!” or “Maybe the upstairs bathroom” or “Kitchen stuff, not overly vital.“ As a writer, I had obviously lost my descriptive touch. Marie Kondo would have been apoplectic. 

But we made it to Grist Stone Court and other fun began. Moving into a new house with different spaces presents one the opportunity to buy wonderful new things. Mr. W was lathered to get a 65-inch wall-mounted flat screen TV. I had seen a friend’s induction cooktop and thought, “That’s for me.”

Shortly after the TV got hung in the television room, I heard Mr. Wonderful say, “I’d like to go to the Golf Channel, please.” Then, “May I switch to Fox to watch ‘The Five, please.’” He was talking to the clicker, which apparently didn’t react to his politeness, and his words soon turned to phrases involving our Savior. When I suggested he simply state “Fox” or “Golf Central” into the clicker microphone, he gave me one of those looks. But when he tried it, and heard, “Welcome to the David Faherty,show,” the look became a smile.

I was itching to cook our first pasta dinner on the Touch-Activated Electronic Induction Cooktop. Not being someone who feels the need to read a 50-page instruction manual translated directly from Korean, I winged it. I put water in an induction-ready pan and hit the Power keypad. Uh, nothing but loud beeps and red dashes flashing all over the cooktop. We had Honey-Nut Cheerios for dinner, and the following, until our wonderful appliance man arrived to show me how to turn the burners on and off. 

We have other new accoutrements to master. Even though the Water Pik has been on the market for 60 years, we didn’t own one. Recently, our dentists suggested strongly we do. Standing at the upstairs bathroom vanity, I filled the reservoir with warm water, stuck the little prongie thing in my mouth and, like a four-year-old with a hose on the first day of summer, proceeded to squirt/splash/saturate the mirror, sink and floor. It’s a work in progress. (No photo necessary.)

It’s been a week since we moved in and our conversations have branched out from “Any idea where my screwdriver is?” or “Have you found my Vita-Mix yet?” to “Let’s have our morning coffee in the new chairs by the gas fireplace.” 

Today I’m sitting at my new desk, looking out at snow-covered turf. I see  neighbors walk by, bundled to the nines against the frigid winter air, walking dogs sporting cozy red plaid jackets. I wonder who they are. I hope they like us. 

We’ve arrived!