Closing Time

We're closing on our house in four days. I've lived here for 15 years. And while not having a house for 2 months is causing some headaches, I'm really not sad or anything. I dunno, maybe I'll get a little emotional when it's actually time to leave. I've had 5 different bedrooms in this house. Since I was 12 I've been shuttling back and forth between the two basement bedrooms; right now I'm in the bigger of the two, which is really an awesome room: my own bathroom, thermostat, and door to the house. The freedom that comes with that arrangement will be missed: I'll be rooming with my brother for the first time since 1995. Even when we lived in Holland, in a townhouse smaller than either this house or the Brookline condo, I had my own room. I'm not trying to be selfish, and I wouldn't mind having a college roommate, but sharing a room with a hyperactive 10-year-old could be difficult. Anyway, I don't really move in there until next March, and I may move on campus or into an apartment.

Today Mom packed up all the dishes and stuff like that, I packed up my room, vacuumed, Dad took metal trash to the transfer station, Barnabas sorted out all the remaining outdoor toys, selecting a few to keep out for the summer. The living room, front hall, and extra basement bedroom are all packed with boxes, each meticulously labeled for its content and destination in the new house. It's amazing how much stuff you can need.

My grandfather had a "major heart attack" today. Thank God my aunt and her family were up visiting him; he's still in denial, and thinks it might be the flu! Apparently he's healthy and strong enough that even though his heart was/is in serious danger of being damaged, he's not laid out by it. Odd, if you ask me, but it's really not cool, and my Mom is worried, and going to go to Portland tomorrow or Monday. He's still up in Calais right now, actually, along with the rest of his children, who drove up there from their (mostly) Portland homes today. The Calais hospital (40 minutes from my grandfather's place) really isn't much to speak of, and he's going to be ambulanced down to Portland tomorrow if he's still stable. My prayer is that he accepts the Lord - he's never shown any interest in the non-worldly, and the only One who could ever reach him Is.