Moving is Never Simple

I'm preparing to move across the country. Although I don't own a lot of stuff, I'm amazed how it seems like a lot when you begin preparing to move. I've sold off some furniture, and I need to sell more. It would cost me around $4,000 to hire a mover. I could buy new furniture for that much. I have some family heirlooms that I hate to sell. I'm trying to convince myself that they're only material possessions, and I have my memories of the people I loved.

In recent years, I've only bought books that I use for reference. That did cut down on the amount of books I had, but I still have a lot. I'm going to mail them to my destination. From here forward, I will be a minimalist. 

This is such a stressful experience.

All I need in this life is family, friends, my dogs and cat and art supplies. A coffee maker helps, too. 

That's my watercolor painting of the three potted cacti at the top of the page.

Why do all good things come to an end in my lifetime?

I went to Barnes & Noble today. I noticed that the book shelves are slowly disappearing. One of my favorite simple pleasures is going to B&N and reading all day. It's even better when a friend meets me there. We sit in the cafe with a stack of books and magazines, drink coffee or tea, eat scones or cookies and chat for hours. I usually buy a book or two also. Reading a book on the computer just isn't the same.