Moving Day!

Today was the day that Grandma and Grandpa moved from their home of almost 60 years to a senior living apartment. Their house was sold in record time.

Things were packed up until the cupboard was bare!

The "Welcome' sign was hanging on their new front door.

Here are a few photos from inside their new apartment.To take this photo I am standing in the corner of the living room. Jim is opening the door to the screened-in porch and the den area is straight-away in the photo.

I am now standing in the corner of the den looking back across the living room where I was standing for the previous picture. Jim is looking through the cut out from the kitchen.

And here is a picture of the kitchen. The bathroom and bedroom are behind me.

Grandpa got settled on the porch and he and Milo kept watch for the arrival of the moving truck. 

And as they unloaded the truck, Grandpa announced what was coming off, so we could be ready to direct the movers for the correct placement of the item. The system worked well.

By lunchtime the movers were gone and all the furniture was in place. We sat down for a quick lunch provided by the owners of the apartment complex. 
The next few hours were spent unpacking and putting away the contents of the many boxes. As of 7 PM tonight, Grandma and Grandpa seem to be all moved in. I'm sure that they will need to re-arrange things as they figure out the best placement for all of their stuff. Milo, the cat, was a bit unsettled for the first few hours in his new home, but seems to have adjusted.

So, if you want Grandma and Grandpa's new address, leave me a comment requesting it or e-mail me and I will pass it on to you. The new place is very nice and we are all sure that they will be happy that they made the move. 

A couple of other things have happened since we've come home from Scandanavia. Our sleeping patterns are returning to more normal, which is most welcomed! I took Corey back to SU yesterday, but not before we went to breakfast at Jine's on Park Ave. It was a lovely morning so we ate outside. Ever been to Jine's? I never had, but apparently it has been there for a long time and they have a very nice breakfast menu. They also serve lunch and dinner. I'd go back.

Before Corey went back, we made our annual trip to Lugia's for yummy ice-cream cones.
So that is what has been happening here. What's happening in your part of the world?

Hope all is well.

Home Sweet Home

One subway, one bus, two airplanes, one car~Home! It is great to get away but it is always nice to come home.

By the time we got home, about 12:30 AM today (Monday), we had been up for 24 hours without sleep. Then we slept for about 5 hours and jet lag kicked in, so the next few days will be days of re-adjustment. A big thanks to Corey for picking us up at the airport shortly after midnight, and driving my yellow beetle to do it. It brought a smile to my very tired face when I saw that yellow car pull into the pick up area at the airport terminal.

So here are 10 random thoughts about our trip to Sweden and Finland;

1. Put it on your bucket list if you have not been there. I'd go back!

2. The Finnish and Swedish hotels (and maybe others in Europe) have a system where you have to insert your room key into a slot right inside the door to activate the lights in the room. Then when you leave, you take your card (no need to look around the room for what you did with your card when  you arrived) and the lights go out. I like the energy efficiency of the idea.

3. Stopping in mid-afternoon for a coffee/tea/beer break and chatting with friends seems like a very civilized idea.

4. Biking- I loved how bike friendly both countries are. Bikes are commonplace and bikes and cars seem to co-exist just fine.

5. Toilet paper-someone should introduce the Swedes and Finns to Mr. Whipple and his Charmin product-'nuff said.

6. Strollers for babies with platforms on the back, where a big brother or sister (toddler-sized) can stand and ride while Mom or Dad pushes the stroller-very cool idea!

7. Language - while both countries have their own languages, 99% of the people we came in contact with spoke competent English so communication was not a problem, even when we were off the beaten path and away from the tourist areas. 

8. I cannot say enough good things about my Keen sandals that I bought for my river trip in Idaho. They were perfect for that purpose, but they were also the shoes that I wore 95% of the time in Sweden and Finland. They were my walking shoes (at times going 10-15 miles a day in them), my dress-up shoes, my workout shoes, they were perfect when it was rainy or hot, I could go with or without socks in them, and I got a very funny tan on the tops of my feet from them. They were the most comfortable pair of shoes I have had in years! I may try to teach in them!

9. I'd like to see these places in the winter. I realize that the darkness can become oppressive especially the farther north one goes, however, the XC skiing sounds incredible.

10. I would highly recommend taking the ferry between Stockholm and Helsinki. The approaches to these cities from the water is nothing short of spectacular.

To wrap up this journal, here are some random photos that I don't believe have been in the blog before, but I could be wrong. If I have duplicate photos, you can be sure that they must be favorites.

Hope all is well.