Since August 31, we have been dealing with the emotional fallout from the sale of our house. Although we had been processing the decision for several years, I think the actual experience of leaving our beloved Chemo Pond home was like other forms of loss and 'death'. Until it happens, there is no reality to the experience. The sale happened quickly, but also took many hours to sort out our lives and decide what items we would keep and what would be given away or left inside the house.
We also had to come to grips with the fact that we would not be residents of Maine. We decided to make New Hampshire our new address since Carrie is a stay-at-home mom now and we felt could handle our mail transfer the easiest. (FYI - 26 Scott Road, Bedford, NH 03110) Happy to share that we got a new plate we think still fits us comfortably.
Another interesting "issue" became where to go when there is 'no place to go'? We still had a few months before we would start our winter travel and we didn't want to rush away from Maine. How do you call up someone and just say, "Uhhh...would it be all right if we slept in your dooryard?" So we decided to start with Cobscook State Park for ten days to be in a quiet, natural setting where we could walk, picnic and enjoy life in van. It became much more important to us now that it was our only residence.
After Cobscook, and the trip to see our friends in England, mentioned in our last blog post, we started visiting our children and friends all over the place. Eventually, the revelation hit me! We don't have a home anywhere...but we have homes everywhere. We have heard from many of you who invited us to come and stay with you, and I am sure many more would extend the same gracious invitation if we were to see one another or talk together.
So for the past month, we have 'lived' in Eastbrook, Clifton, Hancock, Sebec Lake and Winter Harbor, Maine as well as Bedford, New Hampshire. We have also enjoyed time with all three of our children and the four grandchildren who live locally. The final thing we have observed is that we are also having the chance to be around the pets of all our friends and family. I am including pictures of the some of the riches of the past few months, places we have stayed, people we have visited, and pets we have enjoyed...
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| Max and Bailey in Eastport with Pat and Jean |
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Janice (State of Maine Volunteer -2012) graciously hosted Gabe, Marcia and
Latona and I at her camp on Sebec Lake |
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| Latona and Max in Eastport |
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| Joan and Lucille's kitties in Hancock |
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| Tobey in Hancock |
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| Budget in Winter Harbor |
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| Louie looking out the door in Clifton |
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| Katrina's living room decorated for the holidays |
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| Her kitchen and dining room in Clifton |
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| Latona and her children Katrina and Phillip |
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| Phillip and grandson Simon |
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| Torrey giving her Meme a big Thanksgiving hug |
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| Carrie's husband Jay with the decorations for Latona's birthday in Bedford |
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| Latona, Sari and Lyla and beginning of birthday |
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| WE ALL LOVE MEME! |
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Sari and Lyla with doctor coats
And Bo in Bedford!
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Hopefully, you can see how rich these past few months have been for Latona and I. Many things have come into sharper focus in our lives. We have enjoyed more quiet times together, as well as more time filled with our children and grandchildren. Now, in a few days we will leave Carrie, Jay and the girls, with our "Maine-5" banner on our license. anxious to find the "homes" awaiting us everywhere we go. Thank you all for many kind invitations to stay with you and hopefully over the next few years, we will find ourselves together with you! Grace abounds!
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