I went to put the garbage cans and recycle bin out for trash collection this morning and picked up my newspaper and guess what I saw staring back at me in the trap near my garage?  Rocky Raccoon was sitting pretty in his cage. 

I jumped up and down. 

Then I jumped up and down again.

I scolded Rocky for burrowing under my garage.   I told him that while I like animals, I didn’t want any animals moving onto or into my property at this time, especially not raccoons, groundhogs or possums.

Oh happy days.  Oh happy days.  I’m one step closer to putting my house up for sale and getting a new home for my 50+ years.

The contractor for the basement stopped by today too.  He finished the last coat of paint on the basement wall.  “No more water seeping through the foundation walls,” he said.  “It’s all dry.”

“All dry?,” I exclaimed with a big smile. “Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank YOU!”

I jumped up and down.

I jumped up and down again.

Oh happy days. Oh happy days. I’m now two steps closer to putting my house up for sale and downsizing (or perhaps it is really rightsizing) my life for my 50+ years.

Now, I can start to dream again about all the things I want to do in my new home. I can plan for how I am going to decorate just like Nate Berkus, Oprah’s decorator guru, described during his session at the “Live Your Best Life Weekend,” earlier this month in NYC.  Nate says:

1. Live bold. (I definitely want to live bold in my 50+ years.  If not now, when?  I do like neutral colors on the walls, but maybe in my new home I’ll do as Nate suggests and ‘break the mold’ in a few rooms.)

2. Springs Bouquet. (I agree with Nate.  I love fresh flowers all over my house. And I do feel better when fresh flowers brighten up my surroundings.  Unlike plants that require a green thumb that I don’t have, fresh cut flowers are so great because they not only “lift my spirits” as Nate says, but I can replace them often.)

3. It’s all about the details. (Nate says that “everything I use should have meaning and beauty, everything I touch should be beautiful, even my toothbrush holder.”  I think I am going to have to go buy a new toothbrush holder when I have a new home.  My current toothbrush holder is not that beautiful.  In fact, it is very plain.)

4. Collections tell the story of who you are. (I have a collection of pitchers and teapots.  I do keep them on my shelf in my kitchen.  I guess they each have a story behind them.  I don’t know why I collect pitchers and teapots.  They just looked nice on my shelves.   I will start a new collection when I have a new home. What should I collect?  Definitely no raccoons, groundhogs or possums.  Maybe china bunnies!)

5. What’s on TV? (Nate says to “take the TV out if I am using it every day.”  He says to “put the TV on the bookshelf and surround the TV with frames or other decorative items.  My large TV in the den is too large to put on a bookshelf.  It would break a bookshelf. And my small flatscreen TV in the bedroom is hidden away in an armoire.  Should I take it out of the armoire when I move to my new home?  Decisions, decisions.)

6. Edit, edit, edit. (This is the most fun decorating tip.  Nate says to take everything off the mantle and the walls and the tables and the shelves in my house and move them around every so often.  Or get rid of some of the accessories that are cluttering the house.  I can’t wait to move and donate the picture that is on the wall in my den.  I never liked it.  Maybe I will just take it down now. Why do I have to wait until I move?)

7. A picture is worth a thousand words. (I’m definitely going to create “a gallery wall of my favorite people, places, and moments” in my new home, just like Nate said.)

8. Use good stuff . (Nate says to “use the good china every day.  He says to clean it and serve myself breakfast on it every day.” Nate is right, I am worth it.  Only, I don’t have any good china.  I just have my mother-in-law’s old Russell Wright dishes.  Maybe when I move I will buy some nice china for myself.  Wait.  Nate also said to “burn my candles.”  Okay, I can do that now.  I have lots of candles I can burn in the meantime until I purchase new china.)

9. Sleeping late. (I LOVE THIS TIP.  NATE SAYS TO “TAKE ONE DAY A MONTH TO SLEEP LATE.”  I am definitely going to put this tip as one of my TOP PRIORITIES for my current “to do” list.  Yes, yes, yes, I’m going to do just what Nate says and go buy the nicest sheets I can afford. Psst, do you know that Nate says that when it comes to good sheets that “thread count is a lie and that the quality of the cotton and the weave are more important.” Nate sells his own line of sheets at the Home Shopping Network.  I may have to check them out.)

10. Art – no home is complete without it. (I liked Nate’s tip about going to “art schools and art shows for original artwork.  He also says to frame my kids’ artwork – which I proudly have done.  I always told my son D that he was a good artist ever since he drew a beautiful still life in grade school. When I get my new home, I will follow Nate’s advice and “look through magazines to figure out how I want to frame any new artwork I buy.”)

Oh happy days. Oh happy days.  I’m so excited about the potential of having a new home that I want to sing.  What should I sing today?  I know, I know, what’s that Beatles’ song about Rocky Raccoon?  What are the words to that song?  I cannot remember.  I’ll just sing the chorus. Come on and join in:

D’da d’da d’da da da da
D’da d’da d’da da da da
D’da d’da d’da da d’da d’da d’da d’da


Do do do do do do
D’do d’do d’do do do do
D’do d’do d’do do do do
D’do d’do d’do do do d’do d’do d’do d’do
Do do do do do do

Judi