Since we were given one more month before we have to be out of our home, we’re living in a strange kind of limbo. I had started packing everything as quickly as I could because, at first, we were told we had only about two weeks to move out. On top of that, our landlord was either calling or coming by every single day, asking if we had found a place, what date we’d be leaving, and pressing us for answers.
That’s not to say there still isn’t pressure. She came by recently and asked if we would be leaving our refrigerator as well as the washer and dryer. Her son’s refrigerator is too large for the space, and ours fits nicely. Of course, we need all of our appliances, but I got the feeling she wasn’t pleased with that answer. She also asked about the outdoor string lights and the pole lights. I explained that the pole lights belong to the power company and are simply included on our electric bill. Once I have the power cut off (since our new place is serviced by a different company), those lights will be turned off as well.
It honestly felt like she was upset that we wouldn’t leave the lights on for her son and continue paying for them. Maybe I misread her intentions, but that was certainly how it came across. Things have just been…awkward. Yesterday, she was rather harsh with my mother about something that, in my opinion, didn’t warrant it. I didn’t speak up, and neither did my mom, but she said it made her feel like a child being scolded and put in her place.
We still have things left to pack and get ready for the move, but since we have a few weeks now, I’m torn between keeping the momentum going or giving myself a short break before finishing up in the last week or two.
Part of me feels like there’s so much to do, but at the same time, maybe not as much as I think. Today I called and started working on getting my mother a small portable oxygen concentrator. The one she has now is bulky and hard to move around, especially with her arthritis. Plus, the tanks she has to use when we go out won’t work for longer trips—like walking into town in hundred-degree weather.
I know I mentioned before that we’ll be living “in town” once we move, but technically, we’ll be just on the edge—less than a mile from the center, down a little dirt road. So while the new place will still feel a bit like the country, we’ll have much easier access to town. That’s one of the reasons I want to get her a smaller concentrator: I want her to be able to get out of the house more often and enjoy short walks without the struggle. Hopefully, this new device will give her a little more freedom.
