By Mark W. Danielson
There are two times when everything you’ve stashed over your
lifetime is reviewed. First, when you
are attempting to reduce the clutter when moving to another destination. Second, when loved ones sort through your
items when you’ve departed. Currently, Lyne and I have been completing the first stage as we prepare to leave Colorado
for Texas.
Six years ago, when we combined our households, we each had
volumes of collectables and kid things.
At the time, we both sorted through things, deciding what was important
and what we could part with. Even so, we
still had enough to fill every storage area.
Now that we are moving, it was time to re-evaluate everything. No doubt we still have more than we need, but
we both gave up plenty to make our downsizing manageable.
Over the years, I have written numerous novels that I have never
attempted to publish. I knew some of
them were in hard copy and it was nice discovering them again. Perhaps one day I will give them a re-look to
decide whether I want to publish them, but for now they will remain locked
away. Thankfully, these manuscripts were
still fresh with no mice markings or chewed edges. I also found manuscripts on a variety of
storage devices including gigantic 860 floppy disks, next generation floppy
disks, CDs, and flash drives. The problem
is I found so many that I’m not sure which ones were “final” versions. Thankfully, my cataloging has improved since
then.
At times my eyes welled as I came across certain personal
effects. An angel ornament of my former
dog, kid photos destroyed by a water spill, old Father’s Day cards, drawings
and stories from my daughters all brought vivid memories, and as good as it was
to re-live this journey through the past, it’s time to move forward.
On June first, Lyne and I will be moving into a rental house
where we will stay until the house we’ve been designing for the past two years
is built. We have owned land near Fort
Worth for several years, so it will be nice to finally live on it. Texas will be a fresh start for us. We will meet new friends and stay in touch
with old ones. Even so, it won’t be easy
watching our Colorado home shrink in our rear-view mirror.
I was living in Lubbock, Texas, in the late ’70’s when Mac
Davis sang, “Happiness is Lubbock Texas in my rear view mirror.” I shared his sentiments when I left Lubbock
for California, and felt the same way when I left Beeville, Texas, for California
a second time. Oddly, I never felt that when
I left Arlington, Texas, for Colorado.
I’ve lived all over Texas, and my kids spent their formative years in
the Fort Worth area, so for me, moving to Granbury is like coming home. Lyne has never lived there, but is the most
adaptable person I know. Our new house
is surrounded by water and backs up to a runway so when it’s completed, we will
be able to drop our boat in the water in minutes, or open the hangar door and take
off without having to drive anywhere.
We’ll be surrounded by horses and cattle, yet only be thirty minutes from
downtown Fort Worth. While it can be
hotter than hell in the summer, the odds of shoveling snow in the winter are
minimal. Lyne has a variety of projects
in work and I will be retiring in three years, so we are both looking forward
to this lifestyle change.
My current Maxx Watts detective series is set in Fort Worth
for good reason. Not only does this city
suit his character, Fort Worth offers plenty of inspiration. Like Maxx, Lyne and I look forward to
adventure what the area has to offer.
Hopefully, our lives will be quieter than Maxx and his partner.
Nice post and all the best in this new chapter Mark.
ReplyDeleteShane.
Thanks much, Shane. Moving is like a birthday. Both are inevitable, and at my age, you make the best of each one:) And thus begins a new chapter in our lives . . .
ReplyDeleteMark, I look forward to getting together when you get to Texas. Not right away, of course, but when you and Lynne get tired of unpacking boxes and finding places for stuff and want to get out for a bit, give me a holler.
ReplyDeleteOops. Forgive me for spelling Lyne's name wrong. I hope she won't hold it against me.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Earl. We're looking forward to the move and getting together with you. Lyne's used to her name being spelled wrong:) Most of our boxes will remain unopened until we get into the new home -- about a year from now. Then we can truly unpack. See you before the first snow! (Hail doesn't count.)
ReplyDeleteHope the move goes smoothly and that you and Lyne are very happy in your new home.
ReplyDelete