My ship has come in!

Mike, the long distance trucker, arrived yesterday with twenty-four feet of our household goods. This was our main shipment of furniture from Okinawa, Japan. We packed it up in February and have been living very spartanly ever since. Although the truck is only halfway unloaded, our quality of life has vastly improved. We have horizontal surfaces to set things on! We have more than two chairs! We have good pillows!
Smell is a powerful link to memory. We have a few fragrant teak pieces, sealed with oil. The odor has permeated the house and brings back fond memories of our time overseas, living in our “penthouse” apartment. Isn’t it nice how the memory edits out the negative? The typhoons, four flights of stairs, and weird garbage rules are blurry. The sunny days, beach views, and sense of freedom are crisp.
Of the things we have unpacked, the damage has been minor. I have not yet uncovered any damage that could not be fixed with glue or a furniture crayon. Considering that our things were shipped on the “slow boat from Japan,” they look great. It could be worse – I heard of one military family that lost all their household goods when their container slid overboard during a storm! They were reimbursed, but nothing can replace items like photographs and other memorabilia.
Our house has gone from being a cavernous shell to a furniture gallery. All of the pieces that will reside upstairs (after painting and carpeting) are currently being held on the main floor. It is rather maze-like, but I am not complaining! In fact, I think I’ll go home, grab the couch cushions and a blanket, and make a fort.