I'm sorry it's not a good picture....I was so excited to post this that I couldn't wait until daylight to shoot it. This is our POD! Everything we own has to fit into this box. It's 16x8x8'. Think we can do it? Well, if you are doubtful, you should know that we are too. So, yesterday, we called UHaul and reserved two smaller UBoxes, which are their version of PODs, just in case. We will load this one up as much as possible as quickly as possible, and then decide if we need the other one or two units. If not, we'll cancel them, which is what I'm hoping will happen, but at least, we are covered if we need more space.'

The heat here is making packing rough on us! We both hate humidity! Oh right, California is not humid! One more reason......

Things on the lists we have of things to do are getting crossed off, but we also keep adding to them at the bottom, so they are not getting any shorter. This weekend, we have dinner with friends (Carol and John), Ithaca Festival with Erik, (weather cooperating), Judy practicing driving the truck and trailer without a horse in it yet, packing the POD, doing laundry at the laundromat (because our landlord still has not fixed the dryer after over 2 weeks), going through already packed boxes to see if we can eliminate more stuff, and so much more. It'll be busy, for sure, but we're getting down to the wire, so we have to keep up the pace. The most important things are practicing driving and spending time with  our family and friends. Feel free to come visit...we may put you to work, though!

I'll write more in a day or two! Be well.....we love you all!

The weather in Santa Cruz

Ok.....did anyone love the weather in Ithaca today? Well, I did. It's my favorite kind of day, and I enjoyed it to its fullest. I started the day with a long trail ride on Quincy, trotting and cantering through the woods, feeling the beautiful sunshine on my face, the wind in my hair, the cool air in my lungs. Then, I had this thought: this rare, sunny, cool, windy, fresh day....this is JUST LIKE SANTA CRUZ! That's right....MOST days are like this there. Just one more reason I'm looking forward to our move.

After riding, I did brunch with my family, lawn mowing, packing, job applications, box hunting, grocery shopping and I'm sure more things that I cannot think of right now. I'm exhausted! That's enough for one day. Time for reading in bed. Until next time!

Every day....what needs to be done?

Saturday morning...sitting here thinking about what needs to be done. Hayden came home last night with a friend, and I want to spend as much time with them as possible. They're napping, though, so there's time to work.

Last night I was up until 3:30 with a bad case of insomnia. I was in bed, applying for a possible job opening at Cabrillo Community College teaching Art Appreciation. The application is very extensive and I had to write what I hope is a great cover letter to grab their attention. It's so weird, to you young folks out there, to think about applying for a job while in my pj's in bed! We used to call it "pounding the pavement" and it meant literally going to job sites in person and talking to people face to face. Glad I don't have to do it that way, considering it's 3000 miles away! Anyway, wish me luck!

Yesterday, after the dump run, we went shopping at Agway for the things we need for Quincy on the trip....hydration hay, first aid kit items, extra lead rope and halter, etc... When the woman hit total, I jumped! $250!!! Yikes! A lot of it is stuff I hope I never have to use, but I need to have it just in case. The hydration hay is really cool. It's all dried and compressed into tiny flakes. You drop one into a bucket of water and it soaks it up and gets big, like those towels you can buy. It helps ensure he will get enough water into his system, in case he doesn't want to drink at our frequent stops. This is a BIG concern when traveling with horses. The really friendly woman at Agway gave me coupons for $10 off each one, which really helped. I'm also going to give him bran mashes along the way, to keep things moving, if you know what I mean. For those of you who don't know horses, this is really important, to keep him from getting colic.

Still no new home for our cats. Jake and Bittles really need your help....please think about if you know anyone who could provide a loving place for them, ok? Thanks!

I just confirmed with PODS that our POD will be delivered on Friday. Then, the fun begins. We have to see what will fit and what won't. Who knows? We might have to have a second yard sale, if we can't fit everything we want to take with us. Hope not, though...one was enough for me! We're gonna have to ship a couple of boxes of clothes out to our new house because there won't be any room in our vehicles (too many animals) and the POD won't be delivered until July 11, so if we want to wear anything other than what fits in our backpacks, we need to send it out before we leave. The choreography of this move is really tricky!

Chris says I'm not writing enough about him. So, here's what he's up to: he is trying to sell the rest of his Bakelite collection, and has one buyer on the line. That would help a lot toward making room in our POD, since we can only take what fits in a 16x8x8' space. We have had incredible luck selling his huge Bakelite collection and tools, like his lathe, drill press, band saw, and more. In fact, he sold enough Bakelite bracelets that it paid for our brand new horse trailer, so Quincy will be riding to Santa Cruz in style.

 Last weekend was our long-awaited yard sale and we had  great weather and a great turnout. We topped our goal of $1000!

We need all the help we can get finding a loving, safe home for our beloved kitties, Jake and Bittles. Please, please, please, think about whether you can provide that or if you know someone you trust who can. They are the sweetest, friendliest boys you ever could meet and we are heartbroken that they cannot come with us. They would not be safe in our new place (which is covered in poison oak and is frequented by coyotes and mean raccoons) and they also would not be okay with the 3000 mile trip. Someone must need new furry friends!

Erik keeps asking us when we are moving and telling us that he will miss us. It's so hard leaving him and Mom behind. We just hope they will understand that this is an adventure we feel we have to have and that our visits will be enough to keep us all connected and happy.

Big day today!  It's the first of probably many DUMP  RUNS! We loaded up the truck last night...wish I had taken video of me wrestling the couch into the truck all by myself. It was pretty funny, especially when it was halfway up there and it fell off, with me jumping out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed. When I finally beat that sucker and got it loaded, I let out a victorious war cry...HAZAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Rain pouring down, handling all the stinky carpets our dogs have gone crazy marking on, plus all kinds of gross, soggy boxes of crap, I was one lovely lady, in my flannel pj bottoms,  soaking wet shirt and my paddock boots. Good thing our house is set back far from the road, eh? This was no beauty parade, that's for sure.

Anyway, it's loaded, and we're ready to head to the dump, dressed in my Carhartt's from head to toe. It's a cold morning, so I have the flannel lined pants on and it feels wonderful.

I love our truck!

Of course I'm smiling...I'm getting rid of more junk! Gotta love it!

Our very own dump permit!

Later:  What a liberating feeling! Chris is so proud of our dump permit and we got rid of 400 pounds of stuff. Yay!

Then, I rented the Rug Doctor and cleaned the rug in the studio and everything smells wonderful! What an improvement!

Axel got his California haircut this afternoon too, and a bath, and he is adorable! He smells delicious...Garnier green apple shampoo and conditioner. Ahhhh.......

Axel's new 'do.

My goal is to do at least one thing every day that gets us toward our goal of moving. We sure met the goal today.

The fact that I do not have a job yet is the biggest stressor right now. Everybody say a little prayer for me, will you? I can use all the help I can get. I have an interview on July 15th to be a teaching artist with Mariposa's Art, part of the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County. They have a pool of artists who go into the schools to do artist-in-residencies and workshops, especially in schools that cannot afford to have full time art teachers. It's nothing full time, but it would be a great way to get into a variety of schools, meet some important people and get known as an artist and a teacher, so wish me luck! The woman I'm interviewing with is from Ithaca. Her name is Sarah Brothers. I do not know her, but I'm really looking forward to meeting her.

The week after that, I start my gig as the art teacher at the Gateway School for their summer program. It's a private school, and I'm really looking forward to the job. I'll start working on writing my lesson plans as soon as my current school year is over. I get to design the whole curriculum, which is always exciting. I'll be teaching Art Around the World, Art of the Masters and Mural Makers. Great fun, for sure!

The Countdown Begins

In exactly one month, we leave for California! The roller coaster ride of emotions has begun in earnest. One minute, I'm so excited, thinking about our new lives in a new place. The idea of not knowing anyone (except Grayson and his friends, of course) is really intriguing to me. In Ithaca, everywhere I go, I know people. In the grocery store, I say hello to at least 5 employees by name, not to mention the customers I run into. On the Commons, I feel like the Mayor, schmoozing with countless people as I walk down the street. It's that "Cheers" phenomenon....remember? (You want to go where everybody knows your name.) Being a stranger, being able to reinvent myself if I want to, sounds kind of thrilling! But, then, the nostalgia hits. Who will I say hi to? How long will it take to build this kind of community again? It has taken 52 years to get to this point in Ithaca, and being the daughter of Howard and Helen Cogan sure helped. Now, I'm on my own...having to create that sense all by myself. It's a little intimidating.

Then, there's my students. The current ones, who I love dearly, and the former ones, who I stay in touch with and love as well. Leaving IHS is really hard. I care deeply about this school and the kids. I care deeply about what happens to my beloved Photography program. I remember what it was when I started in 1996. The darkroom was literally in a janitor's closet in E hallway. I had to run back and forth from my classroom to the darkroom to help kids in both places. I had 3 enlargers sitting on library carrels. There was no running water. I got to help design the new darkroom and it was wonderful. (It still is!) What if no one wants to learn film photography anymore? What if the new teacher doesn't let kids hang out during their free periods? What if kids don't even want to anymore? 

Life is funny. They say, "be careful what you wish for." For a long, long time, I've wished to get out of Ithaca. Now, it's 30 days away from being my reality, and I'm feeling very conflicted. If anyone was ever a product of Ithaca, I think it's me. My Dad was a bit of a local legend and I've ridden on his coattails for a long time. I will miss being a known entity, but I am also looking forward to being a little bit anonymous. I'll say hello to the workers in the stores and restaurants I go to. I'll ask their names so the next time I can refer to them more personally. I'll get to know new students, hopefully, in some new school, and I'll come to love them like I love my Ithaca kids. But a piece of my heart will always be in Ithaca and Ithaca will always be in my heart. California, here I come!!!

Welcome! This is Judy's new blog all about our trip to California. I will officially begin blogging on Wed., May 22nd, exactly one month before we leave. Check back here then!