Taking the house off the market is a lot of work....

That sounds funny, but this involves two aspects.

One is the psychological: why didn't anyone else want the house we fell in love with the minute we saw it 6.5 years ago?, and giving up the idea of moving to a new/bigger house, and being satisfied again with the house we have been detaching ourselves emotionally from for the last nine months.

The second is physical: moving 4 bookcases and two couches out of the garage and back into the house (including one upstairs on the second floor), and moving 22 boxes of books out of storage in the basement to the first floor to be unpacked, sorted through, and reshelved. Oh yes, and to get the couches out the garage needed a thorough cleaning and resorting.

And once you have done that, there is that list of things you have put off, thinking the new owner could take care of it. Since Monday I have cleaned and re-varnished (actually "australian wood oiled) the front porch, redwood stained the porch swing, and cleaned and repainted the 3 wicker chairs and table for the front porch.

I am sore in all different places -from lifting, carrying, and reaching to paint. Now for an advil and off to bed!

Tomorrow is a holiday - July 4th - and a full day to do more things around the house!