Getting a Plan

We've had more than enough medical information and plans these past two weeks.  But some of you who are reading this may also want to know what are our plans are for the non-medical stuff, the practical stuff that we have some genuine control over.  For example, exactly what are we going to do with this three weeks we've got before the surgery?  One of Ed's highest priorities (what he calls 'the transition project') is getting the Orchard House finished.  For those of you who don't know the living arrangements, we have a <700 sq.ft. house in Point Roberts, Washington.  About 4.5 years ago, we bought the house next door so that when we moved out of the B.C. house we would have a little more room down here in Washington.  That most recently purchased house is called the Orchard House, because it's back yard has many fruit trees, bushes, and beds. 

It was a house that needed a lot of work, and Ed has been working at it when we are down in Washington over the years.  It is very close to being finished now (which is to say one could almost live in it), but there are still some jobs that are unfinished: in particular, some drywall, some plumbing, and the floors, which are severely basic floors currently.  Getting it finished quickly will require some concentrated assistance, so we will be talking with a builder friend about his getting involved in this.  Today, we spent three or four hours over there.  I cleaned up the general construction mess while Ed worked on the plumbing for the new bathroom.  The very fact that he could do that amount of work speaks to his improved energy levels which we assume are related to the iron pills he is taking beginning to have an effect. 

Another big priority is getting the B.C. house on the market.  Putting it on the market this spring has been our plan for the past year and a half, so our timing was just a little bit less than ideal.  There are some small things that need to be completed at that house before it goes on sale (Ed built a large, new retaining wall last summer, but it requires a railing at the top.  All the materials for that are ready to go.)  In addition, there's some trim that needs to be put up in the house: trim that the original owners failed to install 25 years ago when the house was brand new, so you can understand why it is that we need to be getting this done at last.  And then we need to talk to the real estate people and get that actually in play.

Dealing with all the stuff in the house is the hardest part of this priority for me.  Maybe somebody will want to buy it fully furnished?  Probably not.  But several friends have offered to help us move such things as we want to move down to Point Roberts, and somehow this will work out.

Having a distinct plan really helps, I find, even if it's only sort of an outline.  It occurred to me the other day that the reason people fall into a kind of full-time preoccupation with the medical world is that the docs offer a plan.  And any plan is better than the chaos that this kind of sudden change brings to you.  So, what we're doing is getting a plan for the non-medical, day-to-day practical part.  That's where we are now.

Thanks to all of you who have written to us to offer help.  Your generosity is greatly appreciated, and we keep your offers and you in mind.