Different styles

Tom and I have very different styles. I am talking about our approach to things, not about our wardrobes. (Although there, too...)

I notice it as we prepare to move. 

As soon as we decided back in June to sell the house and move, Tom started packing things up and hauling them off to St Vincent de Paul. At the time he started emptying the house, we had not even begun to find an apartment or to talk to a realtor about selling the house and other property. At that time in fact, we thought we would not be moving until next spring or summer. But he was getting stuff gone! As it turned out, this was a good thing. That first stage mainly consisted of getting rid of stuff that was in storage in the basement and that we knew we would not take with us. And it has put us ahead of the game now that we plan to begin (notice I said begin) moving in mid-December. (Notice I said mid-December.)

When we found the apartment, Tom moved into high gear. He started taking art off the walls, emptied bookshelves and sent the contents to the library book sale, emptied closets of most clothes. Started dismantling some furniture and tossing the pieces to the garbage people. Wandered through the house trying to decide which shelves the rip out and give to Peggy and Rich to burn. Began encouraging (ahem!) me to sort through the dishes and pots and pans that we would take and to get rid of the rest. At that point I told him we were not sure we would not have the family here for Christmas and that we would need to be able to cook and serve food.  Now that we know Christmas will be Chicago, however, he has moved into an even higher gear. Clean! Wrap! Pack! Label!

We have seven weeks before we can even begin taking things to the apartment. 

I realize we need to be ready to move. But we also know that the sale of the house will not close until January 10 or so. And we know that we intend to keep enough stuff here until after Christmas to be able to stay here and keep the cats happy until the time to move for good. We need to go through the house and decide in each room what we will take with us.

He is anxious for me to contact movers to handle the larger items. Immediately.

I don't want to procrastinate. I am usually fully packed for trips at least a day or two before departure. But I don't want to live in an empty house for two months!

Oh, well, one day at a time and time passes. Just yesterday I was talking about how things creep up on me. I guess I should get back to packing the dishes.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.