Week 35 - The Louthans move- August 31 - Sept 4, 2022

At last....Bev and Paul were finally able to move.  They bought the new place (Louthan Acres) a year ago and have spent the last eleven months completely refurbishing the interior.  They changed some walls, installed all new plumbing (tub, shower, sinks, faucets - thank you Malcom), new cabinets everywhere, new subflooring, new flooring, new carpets, a few more windows....with others in the garage waiting to be installed), new wiring and switches and outlets.  It it TOTALLY  redone and very nice.  Bev and Paul had moved much of their storage stuff and it was already in the garage.  But this week, everything else was moved.  One day Dad and I moved all the stuff in the freezer.   Another day Bev and and I and Jessica moved all of her kitchen stuff and thoughtfully placed it all in the new cabinets - - except for three big bowls which I couldn't find a good place for and so just stuck them into high cabinets by the garage door....but the cabinet doors couldn't close...I just left them that way.   One day we moved all of the kids stuff up (Clara and Jane had already done theirs) with the idea that all of their stuff would be there and in place so that on the day of the move, at least their rooms would be in order.

The final physical move took place on Saturday.  Clara and Jude stayed at Travis' on Friday night and Jan and Ruby were with us.

On Saturday the whole family arrived and all the furniture was moved.  While they did that, I moved the contents of the refrigerator and left over items in the kitchen and bathroom.  Travis had his big car, Dad had the ATV and the trailer and moved furniture and kids.

And then, it was done....Dad and I went up in the evening and things were a bit of a mess.  Bev was getting kids ready for bed, Paul was installing Bev's computer.  Kids were hanging out quietly.  A new era begins for the Louthans

Thursday was my birthday.  Warren asked if there was an outdoorsy thing I wanted to do.  I suggested lunch in the woods and so it was.....Panda Express and Carl's Junior.  Dad, Jessica, Bev, kids, Val and Lori came and we all ate just off Cedar Trail in Cedar Grove.  Couldn't have  been any better.

Afterwards Ruby read to Holland and Coper.

Friday we went to the Oregon State Fair....really, because Warren wanted to see what it was like.  Dad and I had been there years ago and decided it was to big, too 'sterile', too...everything. 

 

The midway is huge, so if you want rides, go there.  But the Clackamas Fair in Canby is so comfortable and doable. and it is all on grass - not asphalt.  Two good things, however....at one commercial booth, I stopped at a book place and met and talked to William Sullivan, the author of the hiking books I like so much.  It was really fun.  And at an essential oil place I bought a little bottle of a vapor rub to help with nasal congestion at night.  Honestly, the next two night, using them to help me breathe, have been the best nights in years.  We went to a demonstration with draft horses which as interesting.  

Both Copeland and Holland got to go on one ride.  Coper rode a little car which he loved.

Holland loved her experience in a jump/bounce house, and Whitney had a hard time getting her to come out.

Recently, looking at the 1950 US Census for my grandfather, Thorvald Peter Lund, I noticed that he was living in Wichita, Oregon.....which is now Milwaukie, Oregon ...at 6803 Overland St.  It is just off Johnson Creek Blvd near 82nd and just down the street from Walmart.  Learning that brought back of bunch of memories - actually only one - when I was little and visiting my grandfather (for, possibly the only tie I ever met him) and have a piece of pie.  My memory was that he offered me more, and I wanted more, but my mom looked at me and gave the the look that meant "no".  I found a photo of the house on the internet an sent it to my brother.  He remembered it --and how he fed leaves to the chickens and the leaves were actually poison oak and he got a nasty rash.  My brother then emailed  me some photos he had of my grandfather which was only the third photo I'd ever seen of him.

I took a photo of the house.  Jan says "Yep. Feels right."