beginnings of the end

I had a very full and busy weekend, spending most of it by helping my parents move from our 3,000 square foot, 3 story home into a 1.000 square foot apartment. To say that my parents are downsizing is an understatement. I could hardly stand in our house for longer than a few minutes before feeling totally overwhelmed, not only by the emotion of it all, but the mess of boxes and stuff that nobody knows what to do with. Twenty-two years of accumulation! It's just a wreck, and I am anticipating that I will soon be a wreck, too.  Surprisingly, I haven't shed more than a tear or two - however, I know it's because I am in denial that this is actually happening. More than sadness, I merely feel sick. There's a huge pit in my stomach, and the thought of never returning to my home - my forever home - ever again fills my heart with a dull ache. This is the pits.

While helping my mom sift through drawers and closets, I found a few things amongst the mostly Goodwill donations to take home with me. The Olympus SLR was amongst them, something I've been meaning to dig out for a while now. It's broken, but I plan to bring it into a repair shop tomorrow to see what can be done and how much it will cost. It was given to my parents as a wedding gift, so the sentiment alone makes it worth it to me to have it fixed. 

I have much to say about the weekend and many pictures to share, but I have been longing for my bed ever since leaving it this morning. I hope to get around to all of this tomorrow, but realistically, I'm not sure that I will.