Goodbye House

TWENTY! years ago we moved into 
the White House 

with our young and growing family.  

It wasn't The White House located on Pennsylvania Ave…

Bill and Hillary Clinton had that one, 

but we felt just as privileged.  

We were excited to be moving back to CT and had found 

just the right house, by just the right builder, in just the right neighborhood.  

Something so right. 

(My favorite B. Streisand song)

We were Sold.

Looking back, these 3 look like orphans we got off ebay. 

At least they were happy orphans.

We still have the "sold" sign today and the kids.

albeit, they aren't kids anymore.

Anywhoooo......

Fast forward to 2016 and almost to the day…
we sold our White House 

Apparently the Clintons dig the digs at the White House so much, 
they're trying to get back in.

Moving out of a home where you have 
lived, loved, and laughed for 20 years 

is not only hard emotionally, 

but it is also

a monumental physical task. 

3 large dumpsters,

1 billion trips to the Good Will, 

numerous online tags sales, 

a face-to-face tag sale (I could only handle one), 

furniture to family, friends and Facebook strangers....

many Charity organization pick-ups
later...

everything was a heave-ho, must-go….

except the few must-haves…and the memories.  

We were taking those AND our friendships with us...
we could never ever leave them behind.

Our last night at the house was an emotional one for this Kat.  

I  get emotional at most anything…just ask my family.

I thought about everything I was doing for the last time…

the last time I would turn off a light, 
the last time I would open a cabinet

the last time I would clean the toilets 
(thank goodness for the last)…

And so

on our last night 
PaulA and I slept on the floor in our empty bedroom, in our empty house

and the reel-to-reel tape 
of real life 
played over and over in my head of

7,300 days...
good days, bad days, 

long days, short days, 
dog days.

Speaking of dog days…

we had 14 years of them with Duncandog 

aka rappa D 

the hairy 4-legged 

sixth member of the Healy family.

Where did all those days go?

I will miss our White House
the safe place we laid our heads at night 
all together, under 1 roof...
but I will also miss the passage of 20 years and the

memories, moments, and milestones
that went with them.

The next morning was "G" day...
Goodbye day.

I slowly walked through the house and said goodbye to each room. 

Goodbye kitchen, Goodbye living room, Goodbye family room, Goodbye dining room......

Goodbye to empty rooms.

Empty, 
like the first day we moved in... 

except, 

each room was filled with special memories that flashed before me.

So for the l-a-s-t time, 
I shut the front door 

blew the White House a kiss, 

and cried my eyes out.

no surprise there.

It was a bittersweet moment.

PaulA and I were closing the door on the White House for the last time,

 but at the same time 

we were opening the door 

to a new adventure.

(As for Hill and Bill moving back into the other White House?...
that door still remains open.)